Diane King
Voice Department Chair; IN-PERSON & HOME STUDIO LESSONS
Diane King was born in Vancouver where she received her early musical training. She graduated with a degree in Voice Performance from UBC and holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Voice from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
She lived and worked in Toronto, performing with such groups as Opera-in-Concert, The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and the North York Symphony. Some of the roles Diane has sung are The Countess in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Luisa Miller in Verdi’s Luisa Miller, Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen, Giulietta in Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann and the soprano role in Verdi’s Requiem.
From Toronto, she moved with her family to Rome where she performed and studied for several years, performing in opera and oratorio.
Since her return to Vancouver, she has performed in opera and oratorio, sung in the chamber group, ‘With Strings Attached’, with the Vancouver Opera chorus, and held the position of Adult Education Coordinator for Vancouver Opera. Diane has taught many courses for UBC Continuing Studies, led opera tours for UBC Travel Programs and is a well known opera lecturer throughout the lower mainland. She also served as Chairman of the Board of the Vancouver International Song Institute.
Diane has been teaching for many years and has led the voice programs at the VSO School of Music since its inception in 2011. Her students have been accepted into some of the world’s most respected music institutions, including University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, The Glenn Gould School, McGill University, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Tanglewood Music Center, and Marlboro Music Festival.
Diane’s particular specialty is preparing students to audition for university music programs. Her students have achieved a 100% acceptance rate. She takes great pride in helping singers achieve their goals.
Her students have gone on to be competition and festival winners and they work as professionals appearing in opera and concerts, musical theatre productions and jazz performances in North America and Europe.
Diane’s pedagogical approach emphasizes building a strong technical foundation, developing broad and comprehensive repertoire knowledge, and gaining extensive stage performance experience. This combination gives her students a distinct competitive advantage.
Under Diane’s leadership, the VSO School voice department has grown to include many offerings such as the weekly masterclass, Song School, Adult Vocal Technique, the VSO School Opera Ensemble, Acting the Aria, Singing in Pregnancy and the yearly Summer Voice Intensive. Diane’s students perform regularly in Pyatt Hall and in community events. Her singers have performed as soloists with the Vancouver Symphony. Diane has been instrumental in creating the newly established VSO School Vocal Arts Academy.