B. M. E. University of Southern Mississippi M. M. E. George Peabody College for Teachers Email: vhorton@leeuniversity.edu Assistant Professor of Music

Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Virginia Horton grew up in that state and attended the University of Southern Mississippi for her undergraduate study in music education.

She was active in the opera department at USM performing the roles of Georgette in Puccini’s Il Tabarro, Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflote, and Abigail in Robert Ward’s The Crucible.  She has also performed as soloist in Handel’s Messiah,  Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s The Creation, Verdi’s Requiem,  DuBois’ Seven Last Words of Christ, and Nelson’s What Is Man?

Mrs. Horton continued her college career at Indiana University, studying voice with Robert van Buskirk and vocal pedagogy with the renown Ralph Appelman.  She completed her master’s degree in music education at George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, TN, studying voice and vocal pedagogy with Louis Nicholas and working as a studio musician.

Mrs. Horton came to Lee University in 1969 as a part time faculty member and has taught full time since 1976 in the School of Music in the areas of applied voice and vocal pedagogy.  In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is the coordinator for the applied voice area.

Mrs. Horton has had an illustrious career as a soloist, but her most loved performing venue was with her late husband, David, as they ministered in church services, workshops, and conventions literally around the world—Japan, Ireland, Wales, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria, Germany, Jamaica, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad.

Mrs. Horton considers her twenty-five- year involvement in the ministry of Campus Choir, which was directed by her husband, to be an integral part of her ministry and work at Lee University.

Mrs. Horton has one son, Johnathan, who is a talented bassist and a graduate of the Lee University School of Music.