Audra Sergel is a musician, educator, and creative whose work has grown out of a lifelong love for music and community. Over the past three decades, she has shared her original music on stages across the country, from regional tours to national festivals, as both a solo artist and a collaborator. Her favorite projects can be found on all major streaming platforms under her own name, as well as with The Upsides, Rochara Knight and the Honey Doves, and the Joel Anderson Jazz Ensemble. The Columbia Daily Tribune writes of her latest EP, “Sanctuary”: “In just seven songs, Sergel and company plumb love, desire, grief and joy, finding richness at the places where these qualities overlap. ‘Sanctuary’ is a salve, working to renew its singer and its audience in meaningful ways.”

In addition to performing and collaborating, Audra is a composer and music director for the theater, and her original musical with book writer Trent Rash, Now is the Time, premiered in 2024 at Talking Horse Theater after development at the Chicago Musical Theater Festival. Her compositions also include original choral works performed by community and collegiate ensembles, as well as scores for video and multimedia productions.

Teaching students of all ages is at the heart of Audra’s work. For more than 25 years she has welcomed students into her Sergel Music Studio, and she serves on the faculty at Stephens College Conservatory of the Performing Arts. She has guided over 50 productions as a musical director with Stephens College, Okoboji Summer Theater, the Big Muddy Opera Company, TRYPS Children’s Theater, Talking Horse Productions, and the University of Missouri Department of Theater.

Community-building through music is another constant thread in her life. She co-founded Cabaret for a Cause, founded The Quorus: Columbia’s LGBTQIA+ Community Choir, and serves as music director at Broadway Christian Church. She is also a founding member of both the Big Muddy Opera Company and Compass Music Center.

Audra lives in Columbia, Missouri, with her partner, Alicia, and their two dogs, Anna and Dakota, who are always happy to join in the music-making.