Originally inspired and taught piano as a child by their musical great-grandmother, Jesse attended Northwest College in Powell, WY and the University of Montana in Missoula, MT, where they earned double Bachelor of Arts degrees in Piano Performance & Pedagogy and Vocal Performance. Jesse studied voice abroad in Vienna and Graz, Austria (The American Institute of Musical Studies) during the summers of 2015 and 2016. In 2019, Jesse completed an M.M. Vocal Performance at West Virginia University.

During their undergraduate and graduate years, Jesse regularly accompanied soloists and choirs, and performed for churches, including Suncrest United Methodist Church in Morgantown, WV and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Missoula, MT. In 2018, Jesseperformed Schumann’s Frauenliebe und -leben as a collaborative pianist in recital with Claire Robertson-Preis. Their recent vocal performances include a complete staged recital of Winterreise, performed in 2018, and a chamber rendition of Vaughan Williams Four Hymns, performed in 2019. Jesse has also appeared as the First Priest and Armored Guard in WVU’s production of The Magic Flute, Parpignol in Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s La boheme Warhola, Perry in Renegade Opera’s Orfeo in Underland, and roles in numerous opera scenes productions.

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In addition to teaching piano at Lydian Music Studios, since moving to Portland, Jesse has worked as a piano teacher at Hoffman Academy in Beaverton, the Director of Music Ministry at Prince of Life Lutheran Church and St Stephen Lutheran Church, and as a freelance accompanist. Most recently, in the summer of 2022, Jesse performed with Renegade Opera as the pianist for Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito.