Serena Voltz

Serena Voltz is a tuba player and low brass teacher active in Chicagoland and southeast Wisconsin. She draws on her studies at Northwestern University (B.M.) and DePaul University (M.M.), where she learned from some of the most world-renowned brass pedagogues. Her main teachers include Rex Martin, Floyd Cooley, and Gene Pokorny.

She teaches tuba, euphonium, and trombone in public schools across the northwest suburbs of Chicago and enjoys working with The People’s Music School and Merit School of Music in Chicago-proper. She began her time at Carthage in fall 2022.

Serena is the Principal Tuba player for the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra. Her freelance orchestral experience includes work with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Racine Symphony, Lakeshore Symphony, and Festival City Symphony, amongst many others. Freelancing has also afforded her experience in many styles of chamber ensembles: brass quintets such as Gargoyle Brass and Genuine Brass, brass ensembles, tuba-euphonium quartets, and many unique contemporary arrangements that break the tuba’s typical role in chamber music.

Some of Serena’s favorite projects have come from her time as a member of the 5th Wave Collective, a group of musicians dedicated to the performance of both historical and contemporary music by women, nonbinary, and trans individuals. Another favorite in her career was playing and soloing with the Prairie Brass Band.

Besides this work, Serena picked up arranging during her free time during the pandemic. She particularly enjoys arranging popular and movie music for her students and chamber groups to perform.

In what little time she doesn’t spend on music-related activities or driving, Serena’s interests include looking for treasures at vintage stores, cooking (and eating), crocheting, and old horror movies.

• Bachelor of Music in Tuba Performance from Northwestern University
• Master of Music in Tuba Performance from DePaul University

• Graduate Tuba Lessons MUS 502S
• Undergraduate Tuba Lessons MUS 0550