About Bonnie

Bonnie Joy Stoutamyer has always loved sharing art. Whether it be singing, composing, or visual arts, she is always creating something. Before she began seriously studying voice, Bonnie’s creative mind was inspired by the jagged mountains and lush forests in Skagway, Alaska, where she spent her childhood. After moving to Washington State, she took her first voice lesson and was hooked.

Bonnie Joy graduated with her B.A. in Vocal Performance from Central Washington University in 2017. Her primary voice teacher was Dr. Gayla Blaisdell. In 2019 she received her M. M. in Voice Performance from West Virginia University after studying with Dr. Hope Koehler and James Kennon Mitchell. She was in the NATS winner circle for 9 years and won a talent scholarship in her undergraduate studies. At West Virginia University, she won the WVU Young Artist Competition, making her solo concert debut with Sieben Frühe Lieder by Alban Berg.

In the summer of 2018, Bonnie received a scholarship to AIMS in Graz, where she studied in the Lieder program. Aside from intense study of German language and poetry, she worked with great teachers such as Marjorie Bennett Stevens, and Gabriel Dobner. In the summer of 2020, Bonnie was honored to study periodically with Jennifer Rowley. She has also worked with E. Lauren Meeker, Kenneth Overton, Marianne Cornetti, and Barbara Bonney in masterclass settings.

Currently, she works with Colin Levin (Long Island University) to keep her technique fresh. Her lyric coloratura is supple and brilliant. Highlights from her recent repertoire include “Come Scoglio” by Mozart, “Bel Raggio Lusinghier” by Rossini, and “Adelaide’s Aria/It’s My Wedding” by John Dove. In Fall 2023, Bonnie was hired as one of the first Young Artists for the Yakima Symphony Chorus. She will solo with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, and helps the choir grow in their vocal artistry.

Bonnie Joy is a business owner who runs her private voice studio while teaching voice lessons at Make Music Ellensburg. She has been fortunate enough to perform as a featured soloist with Sempre Chamber ensemble in 2020, “Joy and Hope” as a solo recital in 2021, and continues to perform in the PNW. In Spring 2023, she curated a concert for The Seasons Performance Hall Classical Series, called “Around the World in 80 Minutes.” For this program, Bonnie included works from a diverse group of composers, featuring women composers such as Amy Beach, Patricia Caicedo, and Gertrude Ross. She has recently been gigging locally in jazz and folk genres.

Bonnie is a part of the Living Opera community with Soula Parassidis and Norman Rheinhardt. They inform, equip, and empower singers. Visit https://www.livingopera.org/ to check them out and to be inspired!

A versatile and dynamic performer, Bonnie floods her surroundings with the light of beautiful music.

Below are photos of Bonnie with her best friend and husband, Josué Andrés. They are happily living in Ellensburg, WA with their rescue dog Hazel.