Meet the Team
Luke Otto - Owner, Voice and Piano Instructor
A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, baritone Luke Otto is versed in the Operatic repertory and classical art song tradition, and performs in and music directs musicals. Originally from the Village of Rosholt, Wisconsin, Luke is also a member of the National Music Teacher’s Association, Wisconsin Music Teacher’s Association and the Chippewa Valley Music Teacher’s Association.
Luke teaches classes on performing, pedagogy and auditioning with the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild and he is a certified Adjudicator with the Wisconsin School Music Association, an organization that has also recognized him as an exemplary artist. He is also an Adjudicator for the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association, and the NATS auditions in WI, in which he was a finalist in the High School division.
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Luke earned his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Magna cum Laude in 2014. Luke has travelled with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Concert Choir regionally and internationally to Greece. Luke was also a Wisconsin Ambassador of Music to England, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy and Luxembourg. Luke has performed as soloist with the UWEC Symphonic Choir, and as a member of the Opera Program during his collegiate career. His performance credits include, Gabriel von Eisenstein in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Second Priest in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, among others. In addition, Luke has premiered works by contemporary composers such as Karl Lepp and Phillip Reilly. Moreover, Luke was a member of the Young Artist Immersion program to New York, New York as a student at UWEC, performing in Master classes with Claudia Catania, David Sytkowski, Mark Moliterno, and performing for students at the Brooklyn School of the Arts.
Luke’s conducting credits include, Benjamin Britten’s The Little Sweep and Rossini’s La Cenerentola, along with assistant music directing Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and music directing Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.
Recently, Luke has performed regularly with the Eau Claire Municipal Band, The Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra and with Eauxpera which premiered the summer of 2017.
Luke’s students have found success in popular music competitions, earning spots in the finals and winning 1st and 2nd place in the Eau Claire Children's Theatre Starquest competition. Student's have advanced to the semi finals in the NATS Student Auditions, regularly receive Exemplary Performance Awards in Solo and Ensemble on top of starred first ratings. Other students have even participated in AMTC(Actors, Models and Talent for Christ) and auditioned for NBC's The Voice.
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Luke's newest venture includes performing with Oxbridge Consort and including acting classes with local acting coaches Kaysee Otto and Susie Draeger
Susie Draeger - Acting Coach
Susie Draeger holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from UW Stevens Point and has performed in professional productions of Into the Woods, 1776, and Twelfth Night among others. She is also extremely proud of the time she spent at Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre here in Eau Claire and originating the role of Marcia in Don Hodgins’ You Better Watch Out. In the early 2000s, Susie spent time developing and performing in original productions in the Minneapolis Fringe Festival. After moving back to the Chippewa Valley and upon finishing up raising her family, Susie has been seen recently as Allison in Fun Home, Rosie in Mamma Mia, and in the chorus of Tommy. She is also a member of the Improvisational Theatre group Quantum State of Minds and directed Regis Community Theatre’s production of Taming of the Shrew. Susie’s philosophy about creating yourself as an actor: “There is no one true path to becoming the best actor you can be other than putting into practice what you have learned and always coming back to the premise of communicating clearly with and impacting the audience.”
Rachael McIlquham - Voice, Beginning Piano
Rachael McIlquham is a Chippewa Falls native who attended the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire post high school and earned her Bachelor’s of Choral Music Education degree with a certificate in Adaptive Music Education. She is in her sixth year of teaching high school choir and her first year teaching at Chippewa Falls Senior High School. Her musical experiences include: teaching piano and voice lessons, musicals with ECCT, Master Singers, auditioned ensembles throughout high school and college, playing both violin and cello in orchestra, directing competitive show choir, judging show choir across the country, and more! She loves teaching her ensembles but enjoys the individualized and personalized instruction that private lessons allow.
