History

Teri Hansen was born in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan to a housewife already with three children and a former Detroit Lion's defensive end. The fourth of five children, Teri was adventurous, passionate and an overachiever from a very young age. She was elected the first female Captain of her elementary school's safety patrol and received "most polite" in her school mock elections for six years running! She was also awarded for outstanding citizenship and scholastic achievement throughout her schooling. Never part of a clique, she had friends of all types and ages.

Teri also loved creative endeavors and, although she did not begin singing until the age of sixteen, she dreamed of becoming a chef and was accepted into the Culinary Institute of America to do just that. A career in the kitchen, however, was not in the stars for Teri. After her father's death, Teri was encouraged by a couple of her high school girlfriends to audition for the school musical and she did just that. She was awarded the role of "Marian the Librarian" in THE MUSIC MAN, a role she played in the recent National tour. Already involved in band, having played the flute since the age of 10, Teri had natural musical abilities, which translated to the vocal arena. She gave up band and basketball (which she lettered in) and joined choir and the pompom squad!

After graduating, Teri went on to receive voice scholarships at both Central Michigan University and Florida State University. She was then a resident Artist with the Orlando Opera going on to be a proud alumnae of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Teri's first break into musical theater came while she was still in the HGO studio program, starring opposite Spiro Malas as "Rosabella" in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA at the Theater Under The Stars. She then began her professional career starring as "Rose" in the Berlin Premiere and award winning film of Kurt Weill's STREET SCENE. Within ten days of arriving in New York after Berlin, Teri was awarded first prize in the Gerda Lissner International Opera Competition and cast as "Magnolia" in Hal Prince's Tony award winning SHOW BOAT. Teri toured with SHOW BOAT for three and half years starring in London, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver, among other cities. She then came to New York, to continue her career, where she now resides with her husband, Turkish singer Ali Pasha Kocyigit and their Border Collie Petie.