Valerie Pool

Biography

Valerie Pool is currently the Choir Master and Organist at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Smyrna, Georgia, where she directs the choirs and coordinates all aspects of the music program. She is active as a vocal coach and collaborator and serves as a pianist/coach for the Atlanta Opera, where she plays for the Glynn Studio Artist Program and other events. She is the staff accompanist for the Georgia District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont competition and the Atlanta Opera Guild scholarship competition.

This summer, Valerie will work with the Harrower Opera Workshop at Georgia State University on Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Recent engagements include playing for the chorus music rehearsals for Britten’s A Midsummer Night's Dream (Atlanta Opera); Puccini’s Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi (Georgia State University); and Mozart’s Magic Flute (Harrower Summer Opera Workshop).

Valerie is an alumna of the Atlanta Opera's studio artist program where she was the resident pianist/coach from 2016-2018. During the summer seasons from 2014-2022, she was a member of the music staff at Cincinnati Opera, and has also served as coach, pianist, and répétiteur with Tulsa Opera, Opera Saratoga (New York), Cincinnati Chamber Opera, the Wagner Society of Cincinnati, and Nashville Opera's Mary Ragland Young Artist Program.

A native of Marietta, Georgia, Valerie completed her Artist Diploma in Opera Coaching at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She holds a master’s degree in Chamber Music and Accompanying from the University of Georgia and a bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from Kennesaw State University.