Desiree La Vertu is a highly accomplished conductor, soloist, and voice teacher in the greater Los Angeles area. Ms. La Vertu has been conducting at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) since 1999, when she began directing the Women's Glee Club and co-directing the combined Glee Clubs. She took over the additional directorship of the Men's Glee Club in 2006. She was recently appointed Interim Director of the Occidental College Glee Clubs for the 2008-2009 academic year. Previously, she was on the voice faculties of Chapman University and the summer graduate program at California State University, Los Angeles. She is one of the solo vocal coordinators and is on the choral-vocal faculty of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program festival choir.

As a soprano, Ms. La Vertu specializes in the oratorio repertoire, and made her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in 2005 as soprano soloist in Poulenc's Gloria. Other solo performances include Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem at Disney Hall, Brahms’ Ein Deutches Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat, and Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity. She was a long-time member of the Donald Brinegar Singers, and was a founding member of the female a capella quartet Diva Complex.

Initially trained as a pianist, her Bachelor of Music is in Accompanying from California State University, Fullerton and she received her Master of Music in Choral and Vocal Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she studied with Bruce Mayhall and Donald Brinegar.