People Laurissa Backlin Laurissa Backlin Associate Professor of Music Laurissa Backlin, soprano, is Associate Professor of Music at Carson-Newman University where she teaches Applied Voice, Women Singers, and Music Appreciation. She received the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas where she was the recipient of a Master’s/Doctoral Fellowship. Prior to coming to Carson-Newman, she was Assistant Professor of Music at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS.As a soprano soloist, Dr. Backlin has sung in numerous performances of concert works across the United States and Germany, specializing in Baroque and Classical repertoire. She has been invited as a guest artist to sing in concerts at the University of Arkansas, Tarleton State University, and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She has sung as a professional chorister and soloist with several choirs, including the Philadelphia Singers, Orpheus Chamber Singers in Dallas, TX, Tennessee Chamber Chorus in Cleveland, TN, and Red Shift Choir in Baton Rouge, LA.Dr. Backlin has presented at regional conferences of the College Music Society and American Choral Directors Association. She recently presented a lecture recital on the influence of the Blues in art songs at Sungkyul University in Anyang, South Korea. She has sung in the Members’ recital at the Southern Regional National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) conference, as well as the Music by Women Festival in Columbus, MS. She is on the music faculty at Csehy Summer School of Music in Langhorne, PA, where she teaches applied voice lessons and theory. Dr. Backlin was designated a NATS 2018 Emerging Leader for the Southern Region (MS, AR, LA). She served as the Auditions Chair for the MS NATS Chapter from 2017-2020.
