Jim and Julie Laskey: The Couple that Sings Together

For some, membership in the May Festival Chorus is a natural consequence of their lifelong love and study of music. For Jim Laskey, being a May Festival singer has everything to do with his wife, Julie.

Julie Laskey joined the May Festival Chorus in the fall of 2004, and as her number one fan, Jim attended every one of her performances, “basking in the beauty and glory of the choral excellence.” Over the years, it was suggested that Jim should audition for the Chorus, but he largely dismissed these nudges. After all, he’d never had formal voice training and, other than a few lessons here and there, did not consider himself a music scholar. Rather, he is an accounting expert and general fan of classical and choral music.

That all changed for him the year Julie had shoulder surgery.

During her recovery, Julie was not able to participate in the voice lessons she had already purchased, so Jim decided to go ahead and take those himself. His confidence grew, and he was compelled to continue taking voice lessons for the next few years. It wasn’t until 2010 when the May Festival announced they would be performing a personal favorite of his, the Verdi Requiem, that he felt confident enough to audition.

To Jim’s surprise, he was asked to join the May Festival Chorus, and performed his first season with the group in the 2010-2011 season.

“I recall the surreal feeling overwhelming me at the end of the first May Festival concert of 2011, when during the applause I realized I had been dreaming of that moment for years from my seat in the balcony. The ability to perform on stage with professional artists of the caliber of the May Festival and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is beyond words and so fulfilling.”

Julie and Jim Laskey reside in Florence and have been residents of Northern Kentucky since the 1980s. They are members of the Grace Fellowship Church in Florence and share three adult children. Join us in wishing Jim a happy 10th anniversary as a member of the May Festival Chorus! We look forward to many more years with the Laskeys.

Learn more about how a gift to the May Festival can help us reach all members of the community on our website.

Listen to some of Jim’s favorite choral works on the May Festival’s Spotify channel.