Lorie Francis
Lorie Francis' love for the piano started at a very early age.  While still in Junior High school, she was already accompanying for her school choirs.  She continued studying and accompanying at every opportunity through her public school years.  
 
When she enrolled at the University of Idaho, her talents for accompanying and sight-reading were immediately put to work.  She accompanied for one of the University choirs and for musicians of every discipline on workshops and recitals.  She began to excell as a soloist, too, winning the Washington/Idaho Symphony Young Artists competition, and performing numerous recitals on her own.
 
After graduating from the U of I, she was offered a Teaching Assistantship at Colorado University.  While there, she continued to refine her pianistic skills, culminating with a very successful tour of Japan by the elite CU Wind Ensemble, playing works such as the Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue.
 
Since earning her Master of Music degree in piano performance from CU, she has embarked on a wide variety of projects.  She has been a member of the UMR music faculty since 1998 where she serves as classroom instructor, private teacher, UMR choral accompanist and  co-director of the UMR spring musical.  In addition to these part-time duties at UMR, she teaches a class at Columbia College, accompanies for the Rolla High School choirs, teaches Elementary Music at St. Patrick's Catholic School, and teaches piano to a select few private students.  
 
Lorie is married to John Francis, a radio producer at KUMR.