Accompanist Laraine Stivers-Madden has garnered acclaim as one of the most sensitive and experienced collaborating artists in the Los Angeles area. She holds degrees from San Francisco State University and the Juilliard School and an Artist’s Diploma from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She studied Accompanying at the University of Southern California with its pioneer teacher, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, and has accompanied in the master classes of Martin Katz, Geoffrey Parsons, Giorgio Tozzi, Martial Singher, Joan Dornemann and Peter Pears. She has served as “repetiteur” accompanist under conductors Simon Rattle, Christoph Perrick and Richard Buckley, and has appeared in concert with numerous distinguished singers, including baritones Alan Titus and Rodney Gilfrey, and sopranos Erie Mills, Young Mi Kim and Ealynn Voss. During her tenure at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, she accompanied many young American artists seeking operatic careers in Europe. She also toured extensively in the U.S. with the Roger Wagner Chorale. Having served on the faculties of California State University, Los Angeles and UCLA, Ms. Stivers-Madden is presently Assistant Professor of Music at Pasadena City College, where she teaches Keyboard Skills and directs the Accompanying Program. In 2002, she appeared in concert at the California Lone Pine Film Festival benefit for construction of its Movie Museum, and also as Guest Artist for the annual Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 2006 she performed Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio on the Thursday Noon Concert Series at Pasadena City College.  In 2009 she performed on the Jacaranda concert series and at the Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica with the Walter Fox Singers.  This is her eleventh year as collaborator with the Verdi Chorus.