Earl Coleman, baritone, retired as the Curry Eminent Scholar Chair in Voice and Dean of the College of the Arts at Columbus State University (Columbus, GA) in May 2020, after a career of fifty-three years as an educator and performer.  He holds the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in voice and violin performance from the University of Missouri-Columbia with further studies at the Julliard School of Music, the University of Michigan, the Aspen Music Festival and the Chautauqua Institute.  He has served as first violinist in the Rollins String Quartet and as Principal Second Violin with the orchestras of Chattanooga, North Arkansas and Tupelo (MS).

As a singer, he has appeared as soloist with over sixty orchestras including those of Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City, Chattanooga, Chautauqua and Colorado.  He was active in both opera and musical theatre both in the US and Europe. He was a regional and district finalist int the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, a national finalist in the WGN-Chicago Lyric Opera Auditions and a regional finalist in the singing competitions of the Music Teachers National Association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).  He has served as a national board member of NATS, as well as Regional Governor of the Great Lakes Region and Governor for the Georgia District.

He has served as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has done Master Classes and Workshops nationally and internationally.  His students have been winners in the auditions of the Metropolitan Opera, The Houston Grand Opera, the Chicago Lyric Opera and the San Francisco Opera, and competitions of the Music Teachers National Association and NATS.   Others serve as principal players in orchestras throughout the US.  Former students have been nominated/winners of the Oscar, Emmy and Tony Awards.  Miss America 1987, Kellye Cash was his student.

He has taught at Stephens College, Columbia College (MO), the University of Missouri-Columbia, Bemidji State University, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, The University of Memphis, and The University of Michigan where also served as a dean.  He has served as a member of the Arts Councils of Georgia, Michigan and Missouri.  He has been honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Arts and Science of the University of Missouri-Columbia.  During 2007 he was honored by the establishment of the Earl Coleman Music Scholarship at the University of Missouri-Columbia, which was established by his former students, friends and family.  In 2021, he was inducted into the HALL OF FAME of the Springfield, MO, Public Schools and received the first DISTINGUSIHED TEACHER AWARD from the Georgia District of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.  He has also been honored with the MASTER TEACHER designation by the National Association of Teachers of Singing, a lifetime honor. He most recently was elected President of the Board of the Boone County (MO) Historical Society in Columbia, Missouri.