Music educator and choral conductor Laura Potratz is passionate about the spiritual awareness that results from the study of performing arts, both personally and communally. She maintains a private studio of organ, piano, and voice students in Minneapolis. Mezzo, pianist, and organist, Laura sings with the Bach Society of Minnesota and the Minnesota Chorale. She is a mentor with the Voices of Hope women's prison choir in Shakopee, MN, and an active member of the American Choral Directors Association. In summer of 2019 she is serving as Associate Cantor for the Lutheran Summer Music Program. As actress and musician she appeared in Theatre in the Round's production of The Government Inspector in early 2019.Having earned a Bachelors degree in organ performance magna cum laude with a minor in studio art from Valparaiso University, Indiana, in 2005, her studies there included three months abroad in Paris working with the Dalsbaek-Merklin organ builders on the restoration of the 1855 Merklin & Schütze organ at the church of St-Eugène-Ste-Cécile. Upon her return to the U.S., she worked for a year and a half for organ builder Goulding & Wood in Indianapolis. She moved to Paris in 2006 to study for three years at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris in the classes of counterpoint, harmony, analysis of early music, and music history. In 2010 she completed a Certificate in organ at the regional conservatory in Boulogne-Billancourt where she also taught the introductory organ class to children. The same year she completed a Maîtrise at the University of Paris-Sorbonne researching the state of François-Henri Clicquot's 18th century visual organ treatise. In 2012 she completed a Master of Music and Musicology studying the use of visual colors in the scores of Pierre Boulez' Tombeau, Thomas Adès' Darkness Visible, and Naji Hakim's Sakskøbing Præludier.
In 2013 she earned her professional diploma (French DEM) in organ under Eric Lebrun at the conservatory in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés while also a voice student of Milanese vocal coach Matteo Carminati and a member of the Sebastian Wesley vocal ensemble and the Bach Collegium Paris. She spent several years as the assistant to the organist at the Reformed Church of St. Esprit and at the American Church in Paris where she was also a member of the Bronze Ringers handbell ensemble. From 2010 to 2013 she was professor of piano and musicianship at the conservatory in Ézanville (Val d'Oise).
While living in Minnesota since late 2013, Laura has served as Assistant Director of the Augsburg University Masterworks Chorale and Co-Teacher with the ComMUSICation children's choir. She has rung handbells with community ensemble Bells of the Lakes, worked for Grandall & Engen Pipe Organ Builders, and served as music director at University Baptist Church.
In 2013 she earned her professional diploma (French DEM) in organ under Eric Lebrun at the conservatory in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés while also a voice student of Milanese vocal coach Matteo Carminati and a member of the Sebastian Wesley vocal ensemble and the Bach Collegium Paris. She spent several years as the assistant to the organist at the Reformed Church of St. Esprit and at the American Church in Paris where she was also a member of the Bronze Ringers handbell ensemble. From 2010 to 2013 she was professor of piano and musicianship at the conservatory in Ézanville (Val d'Oise).
While living in Minnesota since late 2013, Laura has served as Assistant Director of the Augsburg University Masterworks Chorale and Co-Teacher with the ComMUSICation children's choir. She has rung handbells with community ensemble Bells of the Lakes, worked for Grandall & Engen Pipe Organ Builders, and served as music director at University Baptist Church.