Blown here by a Kansas tornado, Joanna Ruth Roberts (often mistaken as Dorothy) has found the
Jamestown locals to have hearts as big as the area’s hills. When she is not singing in the parking lot of
Walmart or the waiting room at the dentist, Joanna might be found stalled out at the top of a hill, as she
adjusts to driving stick shift on this foreign terrain (Kansas was considerably flatter). Joanna earned her
bachelor’s of music at Bethany College in her little hometown of Lindsborg, Kansas before moving to the
city of Wichita, Kansas where she performed with Opera Kansas, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Messiah
Festival of the Arts, and the Wichita Choral Society, and explored the behind-the-scenes side of opera
production as a volunteer with Wichita Grand Opera. Her biggest loves in life—besides music—are her
four nieces and nephews—the real reasons she found herself packing everything (including her cat,
Gracie!) into her little car and moving 1,151 miles across the United States. Joanna loves watching
lightbulbs turn on in her students’ eyes when they grasp a new concept, and may need a tissue to wipe
her eyes as she can get overwhelmed with joy at students’ victories—both in the studio and on stage!