Biography
Christopher Goeke, tenor, is currently professor of music at Southeast Missouri State University. Goeke is an active performer, teacher, and opera director. At Southeast, his primary responsibilities are applied voice and opera (including directing and serving as technical coordinator). Other teaching assignments have included UI 100 (freshman seminar) Aural Skills I and II, Vocal Literature, Singer's Diction, and Vocal Pedagogy. Dr. Goeke is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), for which he serves as Central Region Treasurer, and has served as the Missouri Governor. Goeke is also a member of the National Opera Association (NOA).
Goeke grew up in Keokuk, Iowa where he participated in choir, band, church choirs, and summer musical productions. He began collegiate studies at Southeastern Community College and completed his undergraduate degree and Master's of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Iowa. Goeke then moved to New York City area and worked in opera, operetta, professional choral ensembles, and sacred music. Goeke appeared with the Central City Opera in Colorado, the State Repertory Opera of New Jersey, Westchester Opera in New York, the Light Opera of Manhattan, New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, New York Choral Artists, Santa Fe Desert Choral, Cedar Rapids Symphony, Muddy River Opera (IL), and the Bach Society of St. Louis. Some of his operatic roles include Almaviva in Il Barbieri di Siviglia, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliette, Spoletta in Tosca, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Alfred and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. Recently, the tenor has appeared as Monostotos in The Magic Flute and Rudolphe in Rossini's Guillaume Tell with the Southern Illinois Music Festival.
After several years as a free-lance artist, Goeke returned to the University of Iowa and completed a D.M.A in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy where he was a teaching assistant in applied voice and opera production at the University, and also adjunct instructor of voice at Grinnell College. Goeke joined the Department of Music at Southeast as a voice instructor and has advanced to the rank of professor. He continues to perform in concert and opera and has been featured as tenor soloist for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, and the Magnificat, Messiah by Handel, and The Creation by Haydn. Goeke's recital literature has included lute songs, traditional art songs and song cycles in German, French, Italian and English, and contemporary literature including many works by Benjamin Britten and popular songs of the American Songbook. Goeke has developed a multi-media presentation of Schubert's Winterreise, which includes supertitles and background images.
Goeke lives in Cape Girardeau, Missouri with his wife, Lori Shaffer, an active soprano, who maintains a private voice studio. Shaffer and Goeke have two daughters, Sarah and Catharine. Dr. Goeke’s hobbies include woodworking, bicycling, and learning to play the accordion.
Christopher Goeke, tenor, is currently professor of music at Southeast Missouri State University. Goeke is an active performer, teacher, and opera director. At Southeast, his primary responsibilities are applied voice and opera (including directing and serving as technical coordinator). Other teaching assignments have included UI 100 (freshman seminar) Aural Skills I and II, Vocal Literature, Singer's Diction, and Vocal Pedagogy. Dr. Goeke is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), for which he serves as Central Region Treasurer, and has served as the Missouri Governor. Goeke is also a member of the National Opera Association (NOA).
Goeke grew up in Keokuk, Iowa where he participated in choir, band, church choirs, and summer musical productions. He began collegiate studies at Southeastern Community College and completed his undergraduate degree and Master's of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Iowa. Goeke then moved to New York City area and worked in opera, operetta, professional choral ensembles, and sacred music. Goeke appeared with the Central City Opera in Colorado, the State Repertory Opera of New Jersey, Westchester Opera in New York, the Light Opera of Manhattan, New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, New York Choral Artists, Santa Fe Desert Choral, Cedar Rapids Symphony, Muddy River Opera (IL), and the Bach Society of St. Louis. Some of his operatic roles include Almaviva in Il Barbieri di Siviglia, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliette, Spoletta in Tosca, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Alfred and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. Recently, the tenor has appeared as Monostotos in The Magic Flute and Rudolphe in Rossini's Guillaume Tell with the Southern Illinois Music Festival.
After several years as a free-lance artist, Goeke returned to the University of Iowa and completed a D.M.A in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy where he was a teaching assistant in applied voice and opera production at the University, and also adjunct instructor of voice at Grinnell College. Goeke joined the Department of Music at Southeast as a voice instructor and has advanced to the rank of professor. He continues to perform in concert and opera and has been featured as tenor soloist for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, and the Magnificat, Messiah by Handel, and The Creation by Haydn. Goeke's recital literature has included lute songs, traditional art songs and song cycles in German, French, Italian and English, and contemporary literature including many works by Benjamin Britten and popular songs of the American Songbook. Goeke has developed a multi-media presentation of Schubert's Winterreise, which includes supertitles and background images.
Goeke lives in Cape Girardeau, Missouri with his wife, Lori Shaffer, an active soprano, who maintains a private voice studio. Shaffer and Goeke have two daughters, Sarah and Catharine. Dr. Goeke’s hobbies include woodworking, bicycling, and learning to play the accordion.