Freda McNair Goodman

M.M in Vocal Performance

New Mexico State University Alamogordo

Online Adjunct Music Faculty

fGoodman@nmsu.edu

479.287.1940

Freda Goodman began studying voice at the age of sixteen, with a great desire to perform on stage someday. Upon graduation from Birmingham-Southern College, Alabama with a Bachelor of Music Degree in vocal performance, she received the Master of Music degree from Florida State University.

It was a dream come true when after participating in the prestigious Palm Beach Operatic Scholarship Competition, West Palm Beach, FL, Freda was offered a contract with the Vienna State Opera in Vienna, Austria. Six weeks later, she packed her suitcases and was off to Vienna, for what she thought would be one year, but instead turned into 15!

Freda performed as operatic soloist in Vienna at the Staatsoper and the Volksoper for five years, and then began a 10 year career at some of the leading German opera houses as soprano soloist, studying with prominent conductors and vocal coaches. Her most performed roles were the challenging coloratura roles, the Queen of the Night, from Mozart’s opera, Die Zauberflöte; Constanze and Blonchen from The Abduction from the Seraglio; Olympia from The Tales of Hoffman, and Rosina from The Barber of Seville.

Freda, her husband, Gary and daughter, Kari, returned to the United States in July 2000. Since then, Freda has been a part of the music faculty of Methodist University, Fayetteville, NC; Central Texas College, and presently teaches with New Mexico State University Alamogordo and NorthWest Arkansas Community College.

Teaching, whether it is online music appreciation with NMSUA or in the classroom at NorthWest Arkansas Community College, it is Freda’s desire to challenge her students and see to it that they finish the semester absolutely loving the class. Little do students know…they are already familiar with 100s of classical, jazz, and rock-n-roll tunes!