2025 – 11th International Congress of Voice Teachers

THE YIDDISH FOLKSONG PROJECT ANTHOLOGY

The arrangements of Robert De Cormier

NEWREPERTOIRE!

Compiled, edited, and with background material, by John Yaffé

The first-ever publication of the late, great Robert De Cormier’s finely-crafted arrangements of Yiddish folk songs — and the firstever large body of Yiddish folksong repertoire arranged by a master composer-arranger and suitable for concert/recital performance.

‘A superb anthology. The information about the songs, arrangements, and their musical and cultural history, is very engaging and of genuine pedagogical significance. The songs themselves in these arrangements are eminently worthy of inclusion in the art song œuvre’.

Dr. Lori McCann

Associate Professor of Voice

Coordinator of Voice Program

John J. Cali School of Music

Montclair State University (New Jersey)

To order:

VOLUME 1 (18 SONGS) INCLUDES:

• Versions for voice and piano

• Free downloadable MP3s (with and without voice)

• IPA and Roman transcriptions as well as ‘word-forword’ and ‘idiomatic’ translations.

• Yiddish Pronunciation Guide

• Article on folk songs in arrangement

• Article on Yiddish vis-à-vis German

• Historical/contextual background on the Yiddish language as well as on each individual song

Anthology, Volume 1 (192 pgs.), plus MP3 tracks: $42.00 plus shipping and handling

Ipsilon Music Press www.ipsilonmusic.com/yfsp E-mail: info@ipsilonmusic.com

SCHEDULE

Conference Hotels:

1. Chelsea Hotel

33 Gerrard St W, Toronto, ON

2. Kimpton St. George

280 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON

2. Kimpton St. George

7. Trinity St. Paul’s

6.

Conference Venues:

3. St. Paul’s Bloor St.

227 Bloor St E, Toronto, ON

4. Royal Conservatory of Music

273 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON

• Mazzoleni Hall

• Koerner Hall, The Gallery

• Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning

4. Royal Conservatory

1.

5. Victoria College – Old Vic 3 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

6. Art Gallery of Ontario

317 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON

7. Trinity St. Paul’s United Church

427 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON

Lake Ontario

3. St. Paul’s Bloor St.

5. Victoria College – Old Vic

Art Gallery of Ontario

Chelsea Hotel

Bienvenue à Toronto — and welcome to Canada!

We are honored to host the 11th International Congress of Voice Teachers, convening for the first time in Toronto, Canada! This distinguished gathering brings us together in the heart of a city that reflects the diversity and depth of our global voice community .

With nearly 200 presenters and performers, Voices Uplifted celebrates a wide spectrum of ideas and shared knowledge . The program explores inclusive pedagogy, voice science, artistic versatility, youth and aging voices, somatic practices, and more . We’re also delighted to take you on a cultural tour of Toronto as we gather in landmark venues across this dynamic city! From historic St Paul’s Bloor Street to the halls of Old Vic and the Royal Conservatory, including beautiful Koerner Hall and Trinity St . Paul’s, we hope you feel inspired, enriched, and warmly welcomed by our vibrant city and the collegial exchange that defines ICVT.

Thank you for bringing your voice, your insight, and your presence to this international event . — The 11th ICVT Coordinating Committee and Your Hosts: National Association of Teachers of Singing, The Royal Conservatory, and University of Toronto Faculty of Music

Darryl Edwards Chair

Torin Chiles Co-Chair

Vicki St. Pierre Co-Chair

Adrianne Pieczonka RCM Chair

Monica Whicher UofT Chair

Kari Ragan Program Chair

Lisa Cosens Brillon Finance Chair

Christina Haldane Finance Co-Chair

Elaine Rusk RCM Committee

Aida Aydinyan RCM Committee

Allen Henderson NATS Executive Director

Kelly Balmaceda NATS Director of Events and Programs

Jen Jimenez NATS Director of Development

Special Thanks to the 11th International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) Committee

Committee Members:

Darryl Edwards (chair)

Vicki St . Pierre (co-chair)

Torin Chiles (co-chair & head counsel)

Allen Henderson (NATS Executive Director)

Kelly Balmaceda (NATS Director of Events & Programs)

RCM ICVT Committee:

Adrianne Pieczonka (chair)

Elaine Rusk

Aida Aydinyan

UofT FoM ICVT Committee:

Monica Whicher (chair)

Program Committee:

Kari Ragan (chair)

Vicki St . Pierre

Carolina Botero

Ken Bozeman

Deantha Edmunds

Lorna MacDonald

Kevin Wilson

Susan Yarnell-Monks (EVTA)

Renee Yoxton

Finance/Budget:

Lisa Brillon (chair)

Christina Haldane (co-chair/ grants)

Jennifer Swanson

Jen Jimenez (NATS Director of Development)

Guest Artist Coordinator:

Vania Chan (co-chair)

Torin Chiles (co-chair)

Adrianne Pieczonka

Monica Whicher

Irine Illic

Volunteer Coordinator Committee:

Michelyn Wright (co-chair)

Bethany Horst (co-chair)

Poster Presentations:

Vicki St . Pierre

Thank you to our ICVT Sponsors!

We invite you to learn more about our generous partners.

Grand Sponsor:

Bronze Sponsors:

Appcompanist gives classical and musical theater singers, voice teachers, choral directors, and choristers total musical control over thousands of beautiful piano accompaniments Transpose, actively control tempo, blend melody in and out during play, hold fermatas, and more, all without affecting musical quality You can even save your tempo and fermata changes to create your own custom versions .

Enjoy a digital sheet music database of 13,000+ Art Songs & Baroque arias in any key .

My Music Staff is the #1 studio management software for private music teachers & music studios . Student management, flexible scheduling, online payments, and more – all in one place!

Your partner in academic and clinical information Browse our leading textbooks and professional resources in speechlanguage pathology, audiology, otorhinolaryngology, singing, and special education

Designed and developed using current academic research on the voice, the VocalMist uses specialized Hydration Formula (Isotonic Saline - 0 .9% NaCl) to condition and relax your voice .

Pop Nation is one of Canada’s largest contemporary choral organizations offering ensemble opportunities for performers ages 6 and up Participants build community and confidence through music and movement. Pop Nation also writes, records, and releases original music .

Ipsilon Music Press is one of the most highly regarded music preparation companies in the U S , serving individual clients and organizations around the world . We comprise some of the finest music professionals, offering a broad range of personalized music services — in both classical and popular music genres .

Originally founded in Budapest, Hungary, Remenyi House of Music is a family-owned retailer with three locations in the Toronto area, offering acoustic & digital pianos, bowed & fretted string instruments, and a comprehensive music bookstore . Throughout its 135-year history, Remenyi has maintained a commitment to musical expertise, quality craftsmanship, and exceptional service

Refreshment Break Sponsors:

Engaging and Educational Resources for Young Singers . Enjoy fun and productive voice lessons with kid-friendly activities, songs, and our curriculum developed for your voice students .

The NATS Great Lakes Region and Ontario Chapter are thrilled to welcome everyone to Toronto!

Study music in a flexible learning environment within a supportive and close-knit community.

BMus in Performance

BMus in Music Education

MMus in Performance

DMA in Voice

Alumni Lucia Cervoni, Clarence Frazer, Joel Ivany, Adrianne Pieczonka, Michael Schade, and John Tessier exemplify the success of our program.

https://builder.guidebook.com/g/icvt2025/

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025

8 – 10 a.m. Conference Registration & Welcome Coffee

St Paul’s Bloor St , 227 Bloor St E, Toronto, ON

Special thanks to our Welcome Coffee Sponsors: The NATS Great Lakes Region and Ontario Chapter! They are thrilled to welcome everyone to Toronto

OPENING

CEREMONY & PLENARY SESSION (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

St Paul’s Bloor Street, 227 Bloor St E, Toronto, ON

10 – 11:45 a.m. Opening Ceremony & Keynote Address - Voices Uplifted!

12

– 1 p.m.

Presiding, Allen Henderson, NATS Executive Director

Welcome to the 11th International Congress of Voice Teachers, in beautiful Toronto, Canada . We invite you to join as we lift our voices together, beginning with a grand celebration of the rich heritage and splendor of Canadian artistry . Highlighted performances include Marion Newman, Marcus Nance, the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, Bravo Academy, Pop Nation and more Followed by the keynote address by one of today’s leading voices in the world of singing and performance, Karen Slack . Special thanks to ICVT collaborative pianist David Eliakis and Diane Kim, violinist; Joelle Crigger, violinist; Jeanny Jung, violist;, and Antonia Cambre, cellist.

Bust Out of Your Straight Jacket

Presented by Elaine Overholt

Are we in denial of what today’s singers need and long for to grow, be passionate, embrace all forms of singing AND have good technique? Are you afraid of tackling pop, musical theatre, jazz, rock (my, my!) because you worry they’ll damage their voices? Step bravely and passionately into new avenues, exciting and enriching yourself and your students . Trust your gut instinct, go through the fear of new territory and create a new path instead of following old ones Step into your own spotlight as a teacher so your students can too . Bust out of your straight jacket, go through the FEAR and just do it! This is your moment to take a hard left into the unknown Your students will thank you!

Marion Newman Marcus Nance Karen Slack David Eliakis

Canadian Children’s Opera Company Bravo Academy Pop Nation Canada

Allen Henderson

Elaine Overholt

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025

CONCURRENT SESSIONS GRID

LECTURE

2 PM Freylekh: A “joyful” rediscovery of De Cormier’s Yiddish folksongs

Presented by William Herzog, Christina Lalog Seal, and Kimberly Lazzeri

3 PM Musical activism: Contemporary Australian art song in performance and pedagogy

Presented by Linda Barcan and Coady Green

4 PM Exploring Ethics in Arranging Indigenous Songs: A Quechua Lecture Recital

Presented by Martin Neron and Christopher Sierra

5 PM Implementing Arabic Song into the Western Voice Curriculum

Presented by Guilherme Godoi and Feryal Qudourah

Pedagogy-Informed Voice Science: An Essential Partner to Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy

Presented by Kenneth Bozeman, Lynn Helding, John Nix, Trineice RobinsonMartin, Mary Saunders Barton, and Don Simonson

Why Facts Do Not Always Change Minds: Impediments to Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy and Actions for Rapprochement

Presented by Lynn Helding

Voice and Wellness: Beyond Vocal Health

Presented by Lynn Maxfield

Comparing PitchMatched Classical and CCM Singing Strategies using Laryngostroboscopic Imaging, Acoustics, and Electroglottograph

Presented by Mark Tempesta

The vitality of “crossover” in song repertoire

Presented by Alison d’Amato

Recognizing and Redirecting Fear in the Voice Studio

Presented by Darrell Jordan

Cross training for classical singers

Presented by Shelli Hulcombe

Building Resilience in the Voice Studio: Finding Success after Stress

Presented by Sarah DeYong

From Stage Fright to Joy

Presented by Zita Zimmermann

Every Voice Matters: Welcoming and Supporting Voices of People with Disabilities

Presented by Laura Menard and Carol Ratzlaff

Building Global Connections for Young Singers Through Singing and Song

Presented by Christiaan Bester, Karen Brunssen, Amy Canchola, Alexis Davis-Hazell, Linda Fletcher, Allen Henderson, Alexander Lee, Dana Lentini, Edwin Pitt Mansfield, Mutsumi Moteki, Sandra Oberoi, Ellen Pieterse, and Shelby VanNordstrand

The Crossover Connection: Building Bridges from Classical to CCM

Presented by Robin Cotton-Cobb

Acceptance and Commitment

Training (ACT): Finding Artistic Flow While Experiencing Music Performance Anxiety

Presented by David Juncos, Laura Storm, and Dana Zenobi

Sing As You Are: Towards a DisabilityInformed Model for Voice Pedagogy Curricula

Presented by Anne Slovin

Teaching Singers with HSD, hEDS, and POTS: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Empowerment

Presented by Joanne Bozeman and Marita Stryker

Universal Design for Voice Teaching (UDVT): ADHD, Autism, and Other Intellectual Ways of Being

Presented by Adam Moxness

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

CONCURRENT SESSIONS LISTING

2 – 6 p.m. | Thursday, July 31, 2025

Victoria College – Old Vic | 73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

2 p.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Freylekh: A “joyful” rediscovery of De Cormier’s Yiddish folksongs

Presented by

2 p.m.

CHANGING CONTEXTS IN ART & SCIENCE

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Pedagogy-Informed Voice Science: An Essential Partner to Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy

Presented by

2 p.m. BUILDING CROSSOVER BRIDGES

Old Vic, VC115

Comparing Pitch-Matched Classical and CCM

Singing Strategies using Laryngostroboscopic Imaging, Acoustics, and Electroglottograph

Presented by

2 p.m. TRANSFORMING FEAR INTO JOY

Old Vic, VC215

Recognizing and Redirecting Fear in the Voice

Studio

Presented by

Darrell Jordan

2 p.m. EMBRACING DISABILITY & NEURODIVERSITY

Old Vic – VC323

Every Voice Matters: Welcoming and Supporting Voices of People with Disabilities

Presented by

3 p.m.

LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Musical activism: Contemporary Australian art song in performance and Pedagogy

Presented by

3 p.m.

CHANGING CONTEXTS IN ART & SCIENCE

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Why Facts Do Not Always Change Minds: Impediments to Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy and Actions for Rapprochement

Presented by

William Herzog Christina Lalog Seal Kimberly Lazzeri

Kenneth Bozeman Lynn Helding John Nix

Trineice RobinsonMartin

Mary Saunders Barton Don Simonson

Mark Tempesta

Laura Menard Carol Ratzlaff

Linda Barcan Coady Green

Lynn Helding

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025 Download the

3 p.m.

BUILDING CROSSOVER BRIDGES

Old Vic, VC115

The vitality of “crossover” in song repertoire

Presented by

TRANSFORMING FEAR INTO JOY

3 p.m.

Old Vic, VC215

Building Resilience in the Voice Studio: Finding Success after Stress

Presented by

Sarah DeYong

3 p.m.

EMBRACING DISABILITY & NEURODIVERSITY

Old Vic, VC323

Sing As You Are: Towards a Disability-Informed Model for Voice Pedagogy Curricula

Presented by

4 p.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Exploring Ethics in Arranging Indigenous

Songs: A Quechua Lecture Recital

Presented by

4 p.m.

CHANGING CONTEXTS IN ART & SCIENCE

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Voice and Wellness: Beyond Vocal Health

Presented by

4 p.m.

BUILDING CROSSOVER BRIDGES

Old Vic, VC115

Cross training for classical singers Presented by

4 p.m.

TRANSFORMING FEAR INTO JOY

Old Vic, VC215

From Stage Fright to Joy

Presented by

4 p.m.

EMBRACING DISABILITY & NEURODIVERSITY

Old Vic, VC323

Teaching Singers with HSD, hEDS, and POTS: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Empowerment

Presented by

Alison d’Amato

Anne Slovin

Martin Neron Christopher Sierra

Lynn Maxfield

Shelli Hulcombe

Zita Zimmermann

Joanne Bozeman Marita Stryker

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

5 p.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Implementing Arabic Song into the Western Voice Curriculum

Presented by

5 p.m. CHANGING CONTEXTS IN ART & SCIENCE

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Building Global Connections for Young Singers Through Singing and Song

Presented by

5 p.m. BUILDING CROSSOVER BRIDGES

Old Vic, VC115

The Crossover Connection: Building Bridges from Classical to CCM

Presented by

5 p.m. TRANSFORMING FEAR INTO JOY

Old Vic, VC215

Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT): Finding Artistic Flow While Experiencing Music Performance Anxiety

Presented by

5 p.m. EMBRACING DISABILITY & NEURODIVERSITY Old Vic, VC323

Universal Design for Voice Teaching (UDVT): ADHD, Autism, and Other Intellectual Ways of Being Presented by

Guilherme Godoi Feryal Qudourah

Christiaan Bester Karen Brunssen Amy Canchola Alexis Davis-Hazell

Linda Fletcher Allen Henderson Alexander Lee Dana Lentini

Edwin Pitt Mansfield

Mutsumi Moteki Sandra Oberoi Ellen Pieterse

Robin CottonCobb

David Juncos Laura Storm Dana Zenobi

Adam Moxness

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025

Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON Join ICVT colleagues for friendship, fellowship, and networking . A light meal, 1 complimentary drink, and private gallery viewing is included with ticket purchase

ICVT Gala Reception

Art Gallery of Ontario

July 31, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. ET

TICKETS: $100

USD / $134 CAD*

The #1 Studio Management Software

Schedule lessons, automate invoices, collect payments, and more - all in one place

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025

7:30 – 9:30 a.m. Conference Registration

Chelsea Hotel - Churchill Ballroom, 33 Gerrard St W, Toronto, ON

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST & PLENARY SESSIONS (8 a.m.

Open to All Conference Attendees

Chelsea Hotel - Churchill Ballroom, 33 Gerrard St W, Toronto, ON

8 a.m. Complimentary Continental Breakfast

– 12 p.m.)

Start your morning with a free continental breakfast prior to the morning plenary sessions .

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Registers – The Piranha-Infested

River

of Voice Pedagogy

Chelsea Hotel – Churchill Ballroom, 33 Gerrard St W, Toronto, ON

Presented by Christian T. Herbst

The notion of singing voice registers — first emerging about half a millennium ago — has historically evolved to explain voice production phenomena in classical/operatic/Bel Canto singing. Voice registers can be considered on different levels: kinesthetic/proprioceptive; auditive/perceptual; and concerning the underlying physiology and physics of the actual voice production. Notably, neither the pedagogical nor the scientific field has reached unanimous consensus about the nature of voice registers even today . This presentation will review the basic physical and physiological aspects of voice production that can lead to different registration events in the voice. It will discuss voice production on a broader scope, including “non-classical” singing styles and animal bioacoustics, and will argue that the “classical” voice registers are special cases of bifurcation events within the framework of non-linear dynamics. A broader non-linear dynamics approach may be beneficial for voice pedagogy, particularly when considering “non-classical” singing styles like contemporary commercial music. Such an extended approach will consider potential influences of (a) the coupled supra- and subglottal vocal tracts and (b) other vibrating laryngeal tissues (like ventricular folds, aryepiglottic folds, or even non-human primates’ vocal membranes) — factors which are often neglected when discussing vocal registers .

The Transformative Power of Voice: The Legacy of Manuel García II and the Evolution of the Singing Voice Specialist

Chelsea Hotel - Churchill Ballroom, 33 Gerrard St W, Toronto, ON Presented by Kari Ragan

This plenary session explores the profound connection between voice and healing, tracing the journey from Manuel García II, the pioneering figure in voice pedagogy, to the emergence of the modern-day singing voice specialist . García II’s groundbreaking work laid the foundation for understanding the voice as both a physiological system and a medium for artistic expression Through this session, we will explore how his legacy has shaped the evolution of the singing voice specialist (SVS). These voice specialists combine artistic training with scientific insight to optimize vocal rehabilitation, restoring health, function, and performance . Attendees will gain insight into the evolution of vocal care, the role of music in healing, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the ever-expanding field of voice science, vocal health, and pedagogy

Christian T. Herbst

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

CONCURRENT SESSIONS GRID (1:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Friday, August 1, 2025, Old Vic)

Pedagogy in Action

1:30 PM Fear No Sound: Exploring Pedagogies for Rough Vocal Effects (RVEs) in Popular Music

Presented by May Oskan

2:30 PM Stylistically Relevant Exercises for the Contemporary Pop Singer

Presented by Jordyn Palmer

3:30

PM Mastering Ornamentation in Early and High Baroque Techniques

Presented by Vicki St. Pierre

Creativity in Pedagogical Approaches

Acting-Out the Larynx: Anatomy in the Round (Group Activity)

Presented by Joanna Cazden

Singing in the Brain: making play a part of practice to optimize motor prediction

Presented by Heidi Moss Erickson

Re-Imagining the Vocal Ensemble: Differentiated Strategies Across the Life-Span

Presented by Chris Citera, Jeanne GoffiFynn, and Emily Hudson

4:30

PM Teaching Tenors Today: A Navigational Playground with Multiple Rewards

Presented by Darryl Edwards

From the Voice Studio to the Choral Ensemble: Adapting Styles and Techniques

Presented by Lynn Eustis and Daniel Parsley

Empowering Voices

Equity, Empathy, and Empowerment: Adopting TraumaInformed Pedagogy in the Applied Studio

Presented by Megan Durham and William Sauerland

Uplifting Student Voice & Choice in the Singing Studio

Presented by Marisa Lee Naismith, Travis Sherwood, and David Sisco

Confronting Our Implicit Bias in the Voice Studio and Examining its Impact on Marginalized Students

Presented by Jay Marchand Knight

Creating Ethical Guidelines for Singing Teachers in Finland

Presented by Hanna Lammi

NOTES

Fomenting Change in Diversity & Inclusion

Genre Blending in New Opera

Presented by Chuck Chandler

Mentorship in our Profession

From App to Offer: Nailing the Academic Music Interview

Presented by Nicholas Klein

Student Success in the Studio: A New Paradigm for Skill Building

Presented by Vindhya Khare

Inclusive Pedagogy in Voice Teaching

Presented by Ho Eui Bewlay

Three’s Company! Fostering Collaborative Learning Through Partner Lessons

Presented by Daniel Hunter-Holly

Supporting our profession: Singing teaching, nomenclature and associated professionalism

Presented by Linda Barcan, Shelli Hulcombe, and Nadine Manion

Sharing My Voice: A Personal Story of Singing and Inclusion

Presented by Jenna Brown and Samyukta Ranganathan

Meaningful Mentoring in the Voice Professions

Presented by Carole Blankenship, Barbara Hill Moore, Stephen Ng, and Amy Pfrimmer

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

CONCURRENT SESSIONS LISTING

1:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Friday, August 1, 2025

Victoria College – Old Vic

73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

1:30 p.m.

PEDAGOGY IN ACTION

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Fear No Sound: Exploring Pedagogies for Rough Vocal Effects (RVEs) in Popular Music

Presented by

1:30 p.m.

CREATIVITY IN PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Acting-Out the Larynx: Anatomy in the Round (Group Activity)

Presented by

1:30 p.m. EMPOWERING VOICES

Old Vic, VC115

Equity, Empathy, and Empowerment: Adopting

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in the Applied Studio

Presented by

1:30 p.m. FOMENTING CHANGE IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Old Vic, VC215

Genre Blending in New Opera

Presented by

1:30 p.m. MENTORSHIP IN OUR PROFESSION

Old Vic, VC323

From App to Offer: Nailing the Academic Music Interview

Presented by

2:30 p.m.

PEDAGOGY IN ACTION

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Stylistically Relevant Exercises for the Contemporary Pop Singer

Presented by

May Oskan

Joanna Cazden

Megan Durham William Sauerland

Chuck Chandler

Nicholas Klein

Jordyn Palmer

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

2:30 p.m. CREATIVITY IN PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Singing in the Brain: making play a part of practice to optimize motor prediction

Presented by

2:30 p.m. EMPOWERING VOICES

Old Vic, VC115

Uplifting Student Voice & Choice in the Singing Studio

Presented by

2:30 p.m. FOMENTING CHANGE IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Old Vic, VC215

Student Success in the Studio: A New Paradigm for Skill Building

Presented by

2:30 p.m. MENTORSHIP IN OUR PROFESSION

Old Vic, VC323

Three’s Company! Fostering Collaborative Learning Through Partner Lessons

Presented by

3:30 p.m. PEDAGOGY IN ACTION

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Mastering Ornamentation in Early and High Baroque Techniques

Presented by

3:30 p.m. CREATIVITY IN PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Re-Imagining the Vocal Ensemble: Differentiated Strategies Across the Life-Span

Presented by

3:30 p.m.

EMPOWERING VOICES

Old Vic, VC115

Confronting Our Implicit Bias in the Voice Studio and Examining its Impact on Marginalized Students

Presented by

Heidi Moss Erickson

Marisa Lee Naismith

Travis Sherwood David Sisco

Vindhya Khare

Daniel HunterHolly

Vicki St. Pierre

Chris Citera Jeanne Goffi-Fynn Emily Hudson

Jay Marchand Knight

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

3:30 p.m. FOMENTING CHANGE IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Old Vic, VC215

Inclusive Pedagogy in Voice Teaching

Presented by

3:30 p.m. MENTORSHIP IN OUR PROFESSION

Old Vic, VC323

Supporting our profession: Singing teaching, nomenclature and associated professionalism

Presented by

4:30 p.m. PEDAGOGY IN ACTION

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Teaching Tenors Today: A Navigational Playground with Multiple Rewards

Presented by

4:30 p.m. CREATIVITY IN PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

From the Voice Studio to the Choral Ensemble: Adapting Styles and Techniques

Presented by

4:30 p.m. EMPOWERING VOICES

Old Vic, VC115

Creating Ethical Guidelines for Singing Teachers in Finland

Presented by

4:30 p.m. FOMENTING CHANGE IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Old Vic, VC215

Sharing My Voice: A Personal Story of Singing and Inclusion

Presented by

4:30 p.m. MENTORSHIP IN OUR PROFESSION

Old Vic, VC323

Meaningful Mentoring in the Voice Professions

Presented by

Ho Eui Bewlay

Linda Barcan Shelli Hulcombe Nadine Manion

Darryl Edwards

Lynn Eustis Daniel Parsley

Hanna Lammi

Jenna Brown Samyukta Ranganathan

Carole Blankenship

Barbara Hill Moore Stephen Ng Amy Pfrimmer

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

EVENING LECTURE RECITALS

(7:30 – 9:30 p.m. | Friday, August 1, 2025)

Victoria College – Old Vic, 73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

7:30 p.m. Echoes of the Andes: A Journey of Latin American Art Song Through Cultural and Stylistic Influences Old Vic – VC213 Chapel

Presented by

7:30 p.m. Canadian Frontiers: A tribute to the song repertoire of Violet Archer Old Vic – VC112 Alumni Hall

Presented by

8:30 p.m. “Putting the T in Tenor”: Journeying Through Transition and Masculinizing Hormone Therapy as an Undergraduate Singer . . . . .

. . . Old Vic – VC213 Chapel

Presented by

8:30 p.m. Unspoken Voices: Living Black Women Composers and Their Settings of Black Women Poets . . . . . . . . . . . . . Old Vic – VC112 Alumni Hall

Presented by

Carolina Botero Nicholas Klein

Tina AlexanderLuna Leanne Regehr

Helen Becqué Darryl Edwards Luca McCauley

Gwendolyn Alfred Cecilia Kao

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025

8 – 9 a.m. Conference Registration

Victoria College – Old Vic, 73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

GRID (8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Saturday, August 2, 2025, Old Vic)

SCIENCEINFORMED VOICE PEDAGOGY

8:30 AM Recent updates on interprofessional phoniatric and singing voice pedagogic research and teaching in Germany

Presented by Philipp P. Caffier

9:30 AM Here and Then Gone: (re)Introducing the Transient Theory of Voice Production

Presented by Ian Howell

10:30 AM A Balance in the Force: Perceiving and Assessing Vibrato

Presented by Joshua Glasner, Theodora Nestorova, John Nix, and Yvonne Gonzalez Redman

11:30 AM

Grasping at Straws: A Systematic Approach for Choosing the Winning SOVTE

Presented by Lynn Maxfield and Kari Ragan

CONTEMPORARY PEDAGOGY: GENRE, CULTURAL ROOTS, & EXERCISES

“Rhythm, Intention, & Conviction: The Understanding and Application of Vocal Parameters for Soul Expression in Black American Music”

Presented by Trineice Robinson-Martin

Vocal Joy: New and Innovative Warmups to Engage Every Singer

Presented by Katie DeFiglio

Genre Uplifting

Genre: Performance and Teaching Practice Post-2000

Presented by Erin Bardua

Reverse Crossover: Mastering Classical Techniques for Musical Theatre and CCM Singers

Presented by Sequina DuBose and Lori Sen

EQUITABLE PEDAGOGY IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

What’s Bred in the Bone - Traditional Music in the Voice Curriculum

Presented by Lorna MacDonald

TRANSGENDER VOICES UPLIFTED

Cultural Responsiveness in Singing Voice Training for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Individuals

Presented by Jae Bernado

Strengthening Voice Pedagogy through Cultural Identity

Presented by Noélia Archambeault de Hernández

Practicing AntiRacism in the Singing Voice Studio

Presented by Elizabeth Benson, Marisa Lee Naismith, and Trineice Robinson-Martin

Challenging the Concept of Entrapment in Transgender Voices

Presented by Tessa Romano and Peter Fullerton

Exploring Inclusivity through Gender, Language, and Identity: Developing a Framework for One-on-One Singing Lessons for Adolescents Aged 14-18

Presented by Emily Lowe

Towards Equitable Singing Voice Education for First Nations People

Presented by Freya Meredith- Hanson

Reimagining Feminine Sounds: Teaching Transfeminine Singers in the Applied Studio

Presented by Megan Durham and William Sauerland

BODY MOVEMENT & RE-EXAMINING ESTABLISHED PEDAGOGIES

Incorporating Movement

Presented by Thaddaeus Bourne and Brenda Smith

Strategies for enlivening the inherent wholeness of your mind + body + voice system

Presented by Maureen Batt and Alison Taylor

Reexamining the Master-Apprentice Model

Presented by Brian Manternach

Three Voices, One Vision: A Reimagined Master Class

Presented by Sarah Holman, Sandra Oberoi, and Ellen Pieterse

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall Old Vic, VC115 Old Vic, VC215 Old Vic, VC323

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

CONCURRENT SESSIONS LISTING

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Victoria College – Old Vic

73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

8:30 a.m. SCIENCE-INFORMED VOICE PEDAGOGY

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Recent updates on interprofessional phoniatric and singing voice pedagogic research and teaching in Germany

Presented by

8:30 a.m. CONTEMPORARY PEDAGOGY: GENRE, CULTURAL ROOTS, AND EXERCISES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

“Rhythm, Intention, & Conviction: The Understanding and Application of Vocal Parameters for Soul Expression in Black American Music”

Presented by

8:30 a.m. EQUITABLE PEDAGOGY IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

Old Vic, VC115

What’s Bred in the Bone - Traditional Music in the Voice Curriculum

Presented by

8:30 a.m. TRANSGENDER VOICES UPLIFTED Old Vic, VC215

Cultural Responsiveness in Singing Voice Training for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Individuals

Presented by

8:30 a.m. BODY MOVEMENT & RE-EXAMINING ESTABLISHED PEDAGOGIES

Old Vic, VC323

Incorporating Movement

Presented by

9:30 a.m. SCIENCE-INFORMED VOICE PEDAGOGY

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Here and Then Gone: (re)Introducing the Transient Theory of Voice Production

Presented by

Philipp P. Caffier

Trineice RobinsonMartin

Lorna MacDonald

Jae Bernado

Thaddaeus Bourne Brenda Smith

Ian Howell

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025

9:30 a.m. CONTEMPORARY PEDAGOGY: GENRE, CULTURAL ROOTS, AND EXERCISES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Vocal Joy: New and Innovative Warm-ups to Engage Every Singer

Presented by

9:30 a.m. EQUITABLE PEDAGOGY IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

Old Vic, VC115

Strengthening Voice Pedagogy through Cultural Identity

Presented by

9:30 a.m. TRANSGENDER VOICES UPLIFTED

Old Vic, VC215

Challenging the Concept of Entrapment in Transgender Voices

Presented by

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

9:30 a.m. BODY MOVEMENT & RE-EXAMINING ESTABLISHED PEDAGOGIES

Old Vic, VC323

Strategies for enlivening the inherent wholeness of your mind + body + voice system

Presented by

10:30 a.m. SCIENCE-INFORMED VOICE PEDAGOGY

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

A Balance in the Force: Perceiving and Assessing Vibrato

Presented by

10:30 a.m. CONTEMPORARY PEDAGOGY: GENRE, CULTURAL ROOTS, AND EXERCISES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Genre Uplifting Genre: Performance and Teaching Practice Post-2000

Presented by

Katie DeFiglio

Noélia Archambeault de Hernández

Tessa Romano Peter Fullerton

Maureen Batt Alison Taylor

Joshua Glasner Theodora Nestorova

John Nix Yvonne Gonzalez Redman

Erin Bardua

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

10:30 a.m. EQUITABLE PEDAGOGY IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

Old Vic, VC115

Practicing Anti-Racism in the Singing Voice

Studio

Presented by

10:30 a.m. TRANSGENDER VOICES UPLIFTED Old Vic, VC215

Exploring Inclusivity through Gender, Language, and Identity: Developing a Framework for One-on-One Singing Lessons for Adolescents Aged 14-18

Presented by

10:30 a.m. BODY MOVEMENT & RE-EXAMINING ESTABLISHED PEDAGOGIES

Old Vic, VC323

Reexamining the Master-Apprentice Model

Presented by

11:30 a.m. SCIENCE-INFORMED VOICE PEDAGOGY Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Grasping at Straws: A Systematic Approach for Choosing the Winning SOVTE

Presented by

11:30 a.m. CONTEMPORARY PEDAGOGY: GENRE, CULTURAL ROOTS, AND EXERCISES Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Reverse Crossover: Mastering Classical Techniques for Musical Theatre and CCM Singers

Presented by

11:30 a.m. EQUITABLE PEDAGOGY IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

Old Vic, VC115

Towards Equitable Singing Voice Education for First Nations People

Presented by

Elizabeth Benson Marisa Lee Naismith

Trineice RobinsonMartin

Emily Lowe

Brian Manternach

Lynn Maxfield Kari Ragan

Sequina DuBose Lori Sen

Freya MeredithHanson

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025

11:30 a.m. TRANSGENDER VOICES UPLIFTED

Old Vic, VC215

Reimagining Feminine Sounds: Teaching

Transfeminine Singers in the Applied Studio

Presented by

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

11:30 a.m. BODY MOVEMENT & RE-EXAMINING ESTABLISHED PEDAGOGIES

Old Vic, VC323

Three Voices, One Vision: A Reimagined Master Class

Presented by

PLENARY SESSIONS (1 – 4 p.m. | Saturday, August 2, 2025)

Royal Conservatory of Music, 273 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON

1 p.m. Discover the New RCM Voice Series, 2025 Edition: A Comprehensive Guide with Dr. Victoria Holland Mazzoleni Hall, Royal Conservatory of Music

Presented by Victoria Holland

For over 30 years, The Royal Conservatory’s Voice Series has been a vital resource for students and teachers, offering comprehensive vocal literature and structured voice development. The 2025 edition expands on this legacy, providing engaging repertoire for singers of all levels

Rooted in Western Classical traditions, the Voice Series includes songs in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian, featuring both newly commissioned arrangements and iconic works from the art song canon

This edition offers a balanced mix of technical and musical challenges:

• Elementary (Preparatory–Level 4): Focuses on foundational skills in storytelling, vocal production, diction, and stage presence .

• Intermediate (Levels 5–8): Expands vocal range and independence.

• Advanced (Levels 9–10): Features challenging repertoire to enhance vocal coordination, interpretation, and artistry .

Additional resources include piano-accompaniment recordings, transpositions, vocalises, and recitatives, supporting singers’ growth across all levels . The 2025 Voice Syllabus aligns with The RCM Certificate Program.

Megan Durham William Sauerland

Sarah Holman Sandra Oberoi Ellen Pieterse

Victoria Holland

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

POSTER SESSIONS

2:30 – 4 p.m. | Saturday, August 2, 2025

Koerner Hall, The Gallery, Royal Conservatory of Music

The Vocal Studies Passport: Gamifying the Applied Voice Studio

Presented by

Applying Principles of Skeletal Muscle Metabolism to Vocal Repertoire: Implications for Singing Voice Pedagogy

Presented by

EML Tools v 1.0: Praat Plugins for EGG, RespTrack, and Acoustic Signal Analysis

Presented by

Hybridization of East and West: An Introduction of Korean Composer Young Jo Lee’s Art Songs inspired by Korean folk song “Minyo”

Presented by

Deliberate Practice and Habit Pattern Development: A Study of Self-Regulation in Bachelor of Music Voice Students musical practice

Presented by

The Effects of Chemotherapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer on the Singing Voice Presented by

Diversifying Studio Repertoire Assignments

Presented by

Encounters with Opportunities: Neurodivergence in Singing Pathways

Presented by

Weaving Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (IDEA) into Applied Voice at a Primarily White Institution (PWI)

Presented by

James Harrington

Matthew Hoch

Ian Howell

Ye Ji Lee

Jane Leibel

Shantelle Przybylo

Eric Laine James Rodriguez

Celeste Morgan Thordarson

Kathryn Tremills

Laura Storm Dana Zenobi

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2025 Download the Guidebook app or

4 – 5:30 p.m. Performance Class with Karen Slack Koerner Hall, Royal Conservatory of Music

Presented by Karen Slack

David Eliakis, ICVT collaborative pianist

ICVT Keynote Speaker and International sensation, Karen Slack, will work with singers on diverse repertoire, sharing her expertise and offering guidance to young artists who will perform. Karen Slack is “not only one of the nation’s most celebrated sopranos, but a leading voice in changing and making spaces in classical music” (Trilloquy) . A native Philadelphian, Slack is a graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music and the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program She has graced the world’s greatest stages and is a recipient of the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence . She hares her experience and expertise as an Artistic Advisor for Portland Opera, through service on the board of the American Composers Orchestra and Astral Artists, and with a faculty position at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada. She has been named Lyric Unlimited Artist-in-Residence at Lyric Opera of Chicago for the 2024-2025 season as well as Artist-in-Residence at leading entrepreneurial institution Babson College .

HEADLINING ARTIST CONCERT

7:30 p.m. Lauren Margison in Concert*

Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance & Learning 273 Bloor St . W, Toronto

In collaboration with Timothy Cheung, piano & the Jason Jestadt Ensemble

Jason Jestadt, piano | Tom Jestadt, drums | George Koller, bass | Rob Piltch, guitars

Canadian soprano Lauren Margison takes the Koerner Hall stage for a genre-spanning recital of classical, jazz, and pop favourites .

Equally at home with Puccini and jazz standards, this versatile artist has collected top prizes from multiple international competitions and is an alumna of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio and Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal . She has landed leading roles in La bohème, Otello, Carmen, and Pagliacci with companies such as Opéra de Montréal, VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert, and Staatstheater Mainz . Her impressive range has led to performances across North America for Opera Ontario, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Cincinnati Pops, and more

Praised for her “beautiful lyric soprano with the ideal timbre for Mimi” (Ludwig van Toronto), don’t miss your chance to hear Canada’s own singing superstar Lauren Margison! *Ticket required. Open to the public.

Lauren Margison

Karen Slack

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

8 – 9 a.m. Conference Registration

Victoria College – Old Vic, 73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

CONCURRENT SESSIONS GRID

(9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Sunday, August 3, 2025, Old Vic)

Lecture Recitals Body Modalities

9 AM Artiste: Art Songs of Nan-Chang Chien and Lyric Diction of Taiwanese Mandarin

Presented by YingShan Su, Chichou Hsieh, Meg Tsai, and WeiShu Tsai

10 AM From Villa to Villani: Brazilian Art Song from the 20th Century

Presented by Juliana Franco

11 AM Finding an Authentic Voice in the Art Song of Aotearoa New Zealand

Presented by Morag Atchison

Impact of Static Postures on Breathing Patterns for Singing

Presented by Chadley Ballantyne, Ian Howell, and Sophia Maritz

Beyond Mechanics: Biotensegrity in the voice studio

Presented by Jeremy Ryan Mossman

Voice Science: Acoustics

Comparing [æ] pples to [ɔ]ranges: recognizing and anticipating acoustic changes

Presented by Julia Bentley

More Than [æ]: Utilizing Vowel Closing to Navigate the Treble Staff Across Genres

Presented by Ian Howell, Nicholas Perna, and Rebecca Pieper

Liberate the Breath, Free the Voice - SelfMyofascial Release in the Voice Studio

Presented by Madeline Miskie

Acoustics and Articulation of the Second Passaggio Transition of Sopranos

Presented by Richard Lissemore

Apps, Vowel Color, & the YouTube Experience Mindfulness

“APPsolutely Helpful” - Exploring Mobile App Technology in Vocal Pedagogy

Presented by Lesia Mackowycz “Charting a Course” in Mindfulness: Establishing a Foundation of Self-Regulatory Strategies in Vocal Training

Presented by Vania Chan

The Furrow and Angles of the Tongue: A Study of Vowel Formations Based on the Muscular Structures of the Tongue

Presented by Cheri Montgomery

Life as a YouTube Singing Teacher: The good, the bad and the busy.

Presented by Daniel Robinson

Practice Makes Mindful: Meditation Practices for the Voice Studio

Presented by Logan Contreras

Singing With Your Whole Self: An Introduction to Feldenkrais

Awareness Through Movement as Applied in Voice Studio

Presented by Elizabeth Blades

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall Old Vic, VC115 Old Vic, VC215 Old Vic, VC323

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

LISTING

9 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Sunday, August 3, 2025

Victoria College – Old Vic

73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

9 a.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Artiste: Art Songs of Nan-Chang Chien and Lyric Diction of Taiwanese Mandarin

Presented by

9 a.m. BODY MODALITIES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Impact of Static Postures on Breathing Patterns for Singing

Presented by

9 a.m. VOICE SCIENCE: ACOUSTICS

Old Vic, VC115

Comparing [æ]pples to [ɔ]ranges: recognizing and anticipating acoustic changes

Presented by

9 a.m. APPS, VOWEL COLOR, AND THE YOUTUBE EXPERIENCE

Old Vic, VC215

“APPsolutely Helpful” - Exploring Mobile App Technology in Vocal Pedagogy

Presented by

9 a.m. MINDFULNESS

Old Vic, VC323

“Charting a Course” in Mindfulness: Establishing a Foundation of Self-Regulatory Strategies in Vocal Training

Presented by

10 a.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

From Villa to Villani: Brazilian Art Song from the 20th Century

Presented by

Chichou Hseih Ying-Shan Su Meg Tsai WeiShu Tsai

Chadley Ballantyne Ian Howell Sophia Maritz

Julia Bentley

Lesia Mackowycz

Vania Chan

Juliana Franco

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for

10 a.m. BODY MODALITIES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Beyond Mechanics: Biotensegrity in the voice studio

Presented by

Ryan

10 a.m. VOICE SCIENCE: ACOUSTICS

Old Vic, VC115

More Than [æ]: Utilizing Vowel Closing to Navigate the Treble Staff Across Genres

Presented by

10 a.m. APPS, VOWEL COLOR, AND THE YOUTUBE EXPERIENCE

Old Vic, VC215

The Furrow and Angles of the Tongue: A Study of Vowel Formations Based on the Muscular Structures of the Tongue

Presented by

10 a.m. MINDFULNESS

Old Vic, VC323

Practice Makes Mindful: Meditation Practices for the Voice Studio

Presented by

11 a.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Finding an Authentic Voice in the Art Song of Aotearoa New Zealand

Presented by

11 a.m. BODY MODALITIES

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Liberate the Breath, Free the Voice - SelfMyofascial Release in the Voice Studio Presented by

11 a.m. VOICE SCIENCE: ACOUSTICS

Old Vic, VC115

Acoustics and Articulation of the Second Passaggio Transition of Sopranos

Presented by

Jeremy

Mossman

Ian Howell Nicholas Perna Rebecca Pieper

Cheri Montgomery

Logan Contreras

Morag Atchison

Madeline Miskie

Richard Lissemore

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

11 a.m. APPS, VOWEL COLOR, AND THE YOUTUBE EXPERIENCE

Old Vic, VC215

Life as a YouTube Singing Teacher: The good, the bad and the busy.

Presented by

11 a.m. MINDFULNESS

Old Vic, VC323

Singing With Your Whole Self: An Introduction to Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement as Applied in Voice Studio

Presented by

Refreshment Break - Special thanks to The Full Voice for providing lemonade and water .

CONCURRENT SESSIONS GRID

(1 – 4 p.m. | Sunday, August 3, 2025, Old Vic)

LECTURE RECITALS VOCAL HEALTH

1 PM Teaching and Singing Ornamentation in South Indian Classical Music

Presented by Samyukta Ranganathan

2 PM The Unrecognized Origins of Mexican Art Song: Recovering 19th Century Repertoire.

Presented by Joel Harder and Brenda Iglesias Zarco

3 PM Harmony of Word and Tone: Unlocking the Aesthetics of Classical Chinese Poetry in Vocal Performance

Presented by Xingxing Wang and Richard Pohl

The Vocal Fold Responsiveness Log: Introducing a new low-tech vocal fold swelling screening to help reveal vocal health trends over time

Presented by Marci Rosenberg

Restoring Balance Post Heavy Voice Load: Cool Downs for Singing Athletes

Presented by Edrie Means Weekly

Closing the Gap: Creaky Voice Techniques to Improve Adduction

Presented by Lori Sonnenberg

VOICES OF THE YOUTH REPERTOIRE DIVERSITY VOICES THROUGH TIME

Vocal Health for Young Singers

Presented by Jenevora Williams

Damn the da capo! Stylistic considerations for performing and ornamenting Baroque song

Presented by William Hudson

Nurturing Young Neurodivergent Singers

Presented by Madison Lombardo

Brain Development in the Adolescent Female and Singing Education

Presented by Tania Grant

Sephardic Art Song: An Overlooked Musical Legacy

Presented by Lori Sen

Pedagogic Habilitation Strategies for the Aging Non-Treble (Male Sex) Singer

Presented by Kenneth Bozeman and Robert Loewen

Singing Through Change: Voices in Midlife, Menopause, and Beyond

Presented by Joanne Bozeman and Kathy Price

A Fulbright grant project presentation on the vocal and historical demands of Mariachi music

Presented by Josaphat Contreras

The Lifespan of a Voice Teacher: Creating Your Second and Third Acts.

Presented by Kathy Price and Bryan Hymel

Daniel Robinson

Elizabeth Blades

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

CONCURRENT SESSIONS LISTING

1-4 p.m. | Sunday, August 3, 2025

Victoria College – Old Vic

73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

1 p.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

1 p.m. REPERTOIRE DIVERSITY

Old Vic, VC215

Damn the da capo! Stylistic considerations for performing and ornamenting Baroque song

Presented by

Teaching and Singing Ornamentation in South Indian Classical Music

Presented by

1 p.m. VOCAL HEALTH

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

The Vocal Fold Responsiveness Log: Introducing a new low-tech vocal fold swelling screening to help reveal vocal health trends over time

Presented by

1 p.m. NURTURING VOICES OF THE YOUTH

Old Vic, VC115

Vocal Health for Young Singers

Presented by

1 p.m. VOICES THROUGH TIME

Old Vic, VC323

Pedagogic Habilitation Strategies for the Aging Non-Treble (Male Sex) Singer

Presented by

2 p.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

The Unrecognized Origins of Mexican Art Song: Recovering 19th Century Repertoire.

Presented by

2 p.m. VOCAL HEALTH

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Restoring Balance Post Heavy Voice Load: Cool Downs for Singing Athletes

Presented by

Samyukta Ranganathan

Marci Rosenberg

Jenevora Williams

William Hudson

Kenneth Bozeman Robert Loewen

Joel Harder Brenda Iglesias Zarco

Edrie Means Weekly

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

2 p.m. NURTURING VOICES OF THE YOUTH

Old Vic, VC115

Nurturing Young Neurodivergent Singers

Presented by

2 p.m.

REPERTOIRE DIVERSITY

Old Vic, VC215

Sephardic Art Song: An Overlooked Musical Legacy

Presented by

Lori Sen

2 p.m. VOICES THROUGH TIME

Old Vic, VC323

Singing Through Change: Voices in Midlife, Menopause, and Beyond

Presented by

3 p.m. LECTURE RECITALS

Old Vic, VC213 Chapel

Harmony of Word and Tone: Unlocking the Aesthetics of Classical Chinese Poetry in Vocal Performance

Presented by

3 p.m. VOCAL HEALTH

Old Vic, VC112 Alumni Hall

Closing the Gap: Creaky Voice Techniques to Improve Adduction

Presented by

3 p.m. NURTURING VOICES OF THE YOUTH

Old Vic, VC115

Brain Development in the Adolescent Female and Singing Education

Presented by

REPERTOIRE DIVERSITY

3 p.m.

Old Vic, VC215

A Fulbright grant project presentation on the vocal and historical demands of Mariachi music

Presented by

3 p.m. VOICES THROUGH TIME

Old Vic, VC323

The Lifespan of a Voice Teacher: Creating Your Second and Third Acts.

Presented by

Madison Lombardo

Joanne Bozeman Kathy Price

Xingxing Wang Richard Pohl

Lori Sonnenberg

Tania Grant

Josaphat Contreras

Bryan Hymel Kathy Price

DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

Download the Guidebook app or visit nats.org for full descriptions and bios

PLENARY SESSION & CLOSING CEREMONY (5 – 7 p.m.)

Trinity St . Paul’s United Church, 427 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON

Inspired Not Bound: The Promise of Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy

Presented by Lynn Helding

Lynn Helding defines Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy in her upcoming book The Art of Vocology as: “A type of hybrid singing voice pedagogy that unites science and art by researching current voice science, translating it, combining it with extant historic voice knowledge, and transmitting it to singers . Science-Informed Voice Pedagogy is informed by science, but not bound by it.” In a previous presentation at this congress, Helding first explores the question of “Why Facts Do Not Always Change Minds” pivoting to this epilogue, “Inspired Not Bound,” in which we are invited to imagine the future of voice pedagogy in a post-Pandemic landscape based on the premise that what is known and considered true does not begin nor end with science, but takes account of the full scope of human experience .

Our Voices Alive - Our Voice Voices Uplifted!

Featuring Ian Cusson, Alice Ping Yee Ho, Britta Johnson, Teiya Kasahara, and Cecilia Livingston. David Eliakis, ICVT collaborative pianist

Moderated by Krisztina Szabo

Leading Canadian composer/creator visionaries join together with their VOICES UPLIFTED on this inspiring panel . They are immersed in all that is new, hybridized, and re-envisioned . Never before have access, artistry, advocacy and agency been so powerfully activated and united . One could refer to it as a singing revolution . Join us on this movement, be empowered to make your own music, forge your own lane forward, and be inspired to grasp what is ahead

Ian Cusson

Alice Ping Yee Ho

Britta Johnson Teiya Kasahara

Cecilia Livingston

David Eliakis

Krisztina Szabo

Lynn Helding

The largest selection of vocal & choral music in the province!

Sheet music for instruments & voices

Latest digital keyboards & pianos from around the world

Classroom materials & teachers’ resources

Guitars & ukuleles

String instrument experts, makers & dealers since 1890

PLENARY SESSION &

Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts

Since 2007, BRAVO ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS has been a leader in performing arts education in Toronto, drawing students from across the Greater Toronto Area Each year, Bravo Academy produces 15 to 18 fully staged musical productions and nearly 100 events and recitals With over 200 full-scale productions and hundreds of cabarets, showcases, and recitals to its name, the academy has become a cornerstone of youth performing arts in Canada . Bravo Academy’s renowned Troupe Program unites talented students from across the region, offering advanced training and professional-level production experience Special thanks to Melissa Bencic, Founder and Artistic Director of Bravo Academy, for joining us at ICVT.

Canadian Children’s Opera Company

Since 1968, the CANADIAN CHILDREN’S OPERA COMPANY has empowered young voices from diverse communities and abilities through transformative music education and professional performance opportunities . Expanding from a single chorus to six ensembles, the CCOC engages hundreds of young people each year through outreach, commissioned operas for youth voices, and acclaimed collaborations with leading Canadian arts organizations — including the Canadian Opera Company . Notable projects include The Monkiest King by Alice Ho (2018) . Special thanks to Music Director and conductor Teri Dunn and the CCOC for joining us at ICVT.

IAN CUSSON is a composer of art song, opera and orchestral work . Of Métis (Georgian Bay Métis Community) and French Canadian descent, his work explores Canadian Indigenous experience including the history of the Métis people, the hybridity of mixedracial identity, and the intersection of Western and Indigenous cultures He studied composition with Jake Heggie (San Francisco) and Samuel Dolin, and piano with James Anagnoson at the Glenn Gould School He is the recipient of the Chalmers Professional Development Grant, and grants through the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council . Cusson was an inaugural Carrefour composer-in-residence with the National Arts Centre Orchestra for 2017-2019 and was composer-in-residence for the Canadian Opera Company for 20192021. He was co-artistic director of opera in the 21st century at the Banff Centre and the recipient of the 2021 Jan V . Matejcek Classical Music Award from SOCAN and the 2021 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize . Cusson is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers . He lives in Collingwood with his wife and four children .

Ian Cusson

Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts

Canadian Children’s Opera Company

Ian Cusson

David Eliakis, ICVT collaborative pianist

As a sought-after voice coach, host, and lecturer, pianist DAVID ELIAKIS continues to expand his musical offerings both on the concert stage and in the lecture hall. His performances have taken him to the stages of Brazil, Switzerland (World Economic Forum), England (as a finalist in the Wigmore Hall Song Competition), Northern Ireland, Germany, and across Canada as pianist and musical director for Against The Grain Theatre’s national tour of La Bohème. His collaborations include some of the country’s greatest singers: Isabel Bayrakdarian, Ben Heppner, Richard Margison, and Measha Brueggergosman . A recipient of the Ontario Arts Council Chalmers Award, Eliakis had the honour of studying privately with Warren Jones (Manhattan School of Music) in New York City, as well as working with Julius Rudel, Sir Martin Isepp, Dalton Baldwin, Graham Johnson, and Roger Vignoles Eliakis shares his time between the Royal Conservatory of Music where he is on faculty as a voice coach and lecturer, as well as the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, and has also collaborated with Tapestry Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, Opera In Reach, and Amplified Opera in numerous performances of Teiya Kasahara’s “The Queen In Me,” including their recent performances in Belfast and the National Arts Centre He was also the host and curator of ATG’s monthly Opera Pub for five years consecutively to sold-out audiences As a lecturer he speaks passionately about under-represented composers and works, as well as singers of past generations . He was also featured as a guest speaker at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of Maria by Callas .

Lynn Helding

LYNN HELDING, voice teacher and most recently editor-in-chief of the Journal of Singing, is the author of The Musician’s Mind: Teaching, Learning and Performance in the Age of Brain Science, deemed “Essential” by CHOICE Magazine, and “ground-breaking . . . an invaluable contribution to the field of music pedagogy” by Renée Fleming. Pedagogy honors include the 2005 Van Lawrence Voice Fellowship, membership in the American Academy of Teachers of Singing, and the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University as “a legendary figure in the field of voice pedagogy.” Her stage credits include leading roles in opera, oratorio and musical theatre, and recitals via multiple tours throughout the United States, Australia, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Iceland . She is professor of practice in vocal arts and opera as well as coordinator of vocology and voice pedagogy at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music .

Christian T. Herbst

CHRISTIAN T. HERBST is an Austrian voice scientist and voice pedagogue . After earning a master’s degree (voice pedagogy) from Mozarteum University, Salzburg, Austria, he has been active as a voice teacher for the past three decades . During his still ongoing teaching activity, Herbst became increasingly interested in the physics and the physiology of voice, culminating in a doctorate in Biophysics awarded 2012 from the University of Olomouc, Czech Republic . Since then, his academic work focuses on basic voice science, singing voice science and pedagogy, and voice production of mammals He has published to date more than 70 peer-reviewed papers (three in the prestigious Science magazine) with a total of about 2,500 citations . Herbst has given more than 150 lectures at international conferences (about half as invited speaker), and he has received 11 international scientific awards for his academic work . He is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Voice and the Journal of Singing, and he is an advisory board member of The Voice Foundation See christian-herbst .org for further details .

David Eliakis

Lynn Helding

Christian T. Herbst

EARN A BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN CLASSICAL OR CONTEMPORARY AND COMMERCIAL VOICE — WITH THE OPTION OF CROSS-GENRE TRAINING

One-on-one lessons with expert vocal faculty

Undergraduate opera training

Studio classes and ensembles to develop your artistry

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Randolph College for the Performing Arts pathway agreement

Specializations in: Performance, Pedagogy and Wellness, Music Education, Conducting, Afrodiasporic Music, Community Music, Composition, Musicology, Small Group Performance, Theory

Options for students interested in Music Therapy.

PLENARY SESSION & GUEST ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Alice Ping Yee Ho 何冰頤

ALICE PING YEE HO is an acclaimed award winning Chinese Canadian composer . Her eclectic and prolific compositions include operas, orchestras, chamber, dance, and theatre. Her notable awards include the 2022 Symphony Nova Scotia’s Maria Anna Mozart Award, 2022 Barlow Endowment Commissioning Award, 2019 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, 2014 Prince Edward Island Symphony Composers Competition, and the 2013 Mavor Dora Moore Award for her opera “The Lesson of Da Ji . ” Her works have been performed by major ensembles including Finnish Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Luxembourg Sinfonietta, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, China National Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish Radio Choir, Estonia’s Ellerhein Girls’ Choir, Esprit Orchestra, as well as the Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Victoria, Nova Scotia, Hamilton, Kitchener Waterloo, and Windsor symphonies . A twice JUNO Award nominee, she has an impressive discography released on the Centrediscs, Naxos, ATMA, Navona, Marquis Classics, Blue Griffin, Electra, Leaf Music, and Phoenix labels. She has 10 solo albums of her music written for different genres, including three full length opera recordings of “Chinatown,” “The Monkiest King,” and “The Lesson of Da Ji,” which won the 2016 Critic’s Choice of New York Opera Reviews . A noted classical pianist and an active advocate of contemporary music, Ho makes her home in Toronto Learn more at alicepyho .com .

Victoria Holland

VICTORIA HOLLAND is a U .S .-based singer, teacher, and vocal coach . She holds a Bachelor of Music from Rhodes College and completed both her master’s degree and doctoral studies in voice and opera performance at Northwestern University In addition to running a private voice studio, Holland has held positions at Loyola University Chicago and Northwestern University . As a presenter, Holland has lectured locally and internationally on topics such as Italian art song and guitar, Gregorian chant in the 21st century, and technology in the classroom . Holland served as president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and has been an active member since 1997 . She also served as president of the Musicians Club of Women, an historic Chicago organization supporting women in music since 1875 An active performer, Holland is in demand as a soprano soloist and vocalist for a range of collaborative projects, with live performances in concerts and festivals as well as live radio broadcasts . In 2016 Holland cofounded the Royal Conservatory School’s summer vocal intensive with Robert Loewen This annual vocal intensive is for young classical singers ages 14 to 18, with daily lessons and coaching, as well as classes in acting, movement, diction, and musicianship skills Holland is a member of The Royal Conservatory’s College of Examiners since 2014 and examines throughout the United States and Canada .

Alice Ping Yee Ho

Victoria Holland

Britta Johnson

BRITTA JOHNSON is a composer, lyricist and writer based in Toronto . Her original musical Life After had had an extended, multiple Dora Award-winning run at Canadian Stage before playing at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago It opened at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in spring 2025 . Her other writing credits include with Sara Farb: Kelly v. Kelly (CanStage, winner of the Playwright’s Guild of Canada Best New Musical award). With her sister Anika Johnson: Dr. Silver (Musical Stage Co ./Outside the March); Brantwood (Theatre Sheridan); Jacob Two-Two (YTP); and Trap Door (Theatre Sheridan). With Katherine Cullen: Stupidhead! (TPM) . Most recently, she was a co-creator of Tim Hortons’ 60th anniversary musical, The Last Timbit, which is currently streaming nationwide on CraveTV She was the inaugural Crescendo Artist with Musical Stage Company that included a commitment to produce three of her shows in three years and was named one of “50 to Watch” by the Broadway Women’s Fund of America Upcoming projects include commissions from the Stratford Festival, South Coast Rep in California, and Opera Avalon .

Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野

Heralded as “an artist with extraordinary things to say” (The Globe and Mail) and “a force of nature” (Toronto Star), Nikkei Canadian settler TEIYA KASAHARA 笠原貞野 (they/ he) is a transgender opera singer and interdisciplinary theater creator based in Tkarón:to (colonially known as Toronto, Canada) . Kasahara comes from a background of nearly 20 years of singing both traditional and contemporary operatic roles across Turtle Island and Europe including the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte), Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly), and the soprano solos in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Verdi’s Requiem Their critically acclaimed operatic-play The Queen In Me recently had a sold-out run at the National Arts Centre, and has played at the Belfast International Arts Festival, Meridian Arts Centre, Canadian Opera Company (world premiere), and will tour the west coast starting with Opera Kelowna in 2025 . In his practice, Kasahara explores the intersections of identity through reimagining the operatic and classical music canons in works such as the iterative Butterfly Project, Little Mis(s)gender (in development with Queer AF Collective), and Dichterliebe: Whose Love?, among others He recently launched an autoethnographic multidisciplinary series about his transition entitled Project T with its first performance in New York (ChamberQUEER, June 2024) . For more information visit teiyakasahara .com or follow @teiyakasahara or @projecttdoc

Cecilia Livingston

Known for “arresting and strangely alluring” music (Gramophone) that asks “slow burning, sometimes fiery questions” (The New York Times), CECILIA LIVINGSTON specializes in composing for voice . She is composer-in-residence at the Canadian Opera Company (2022-) and was composer-in-residence at Glyndebourne (2019-22) . Winner of the Ontario Arts Foundation’s 2024 Louis Applebaum Composers Award “for excellence in composition for theatre, music theatre, dance or opera,” her music is driven by melody, mixing styles to create work that is lyrical and unsettling . Livingston’s work has been heard at Glyndebourne, Teatro Colón, Teatro Carlo Felice, Bang on a Can’s summer festival, Toronto’s Nuit Blanche festival, in recital at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican, and the Kennedy Center, with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra,

Britta Johnson

Teiya Kasahara

Cecilia Livingston

PLENARY SESSION & GUEST ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Tafelmusik, and Soundstreams, and is available on recording from Deutsche Grammophon . She is a contributor on opera creation to “The Cambridge Companion to Composition” and she is vice-president of the Canadian League of Composers . Livingston is represented by Stratagem Artists in New York . Learn more at cecilialivingston .com .

Lauren Margison

LAUREN MARGISON is making her mark as an exciting emerging soprano . She returns to the mainstage of Opéra de Montréal this season as Mimi in Puccini’s La bohème and debuted the title role of Alceste with Toronto’s Opera in Concert . Upcoming in 2025/26, Margison makes her American debut with the Memphis and Billings symphonies for Verdi’s Requiem In the 2023/24 season, Margison revisited the roles of Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Anna in Puccini’s Le villi, and debuted the role of Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, all with Staatstheater Mainz Her additional recent engagements include Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen with Pacific Opera Victoria, Tatyana in Highland Opera Studio’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for Orchestre symphonique de Québec, The Csardas Princess with Toronto Operetta Theatre, and the titular role of Barber’s Vanessa with Opera in Concert . Margison has been featured as Micaëla in Carmen with the Brott Music Festival, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Highlands Opera Studio, and appeared in concert with the PRISMA Festival in Strauss’s Four Last Songs . She also appeared as Mimi in a special presentation of La Bohème with Artists of the COC Ensemble at The Four Seasons Centre and was featured in the COC’s Elektra.

During her 2017-18 season, Margison appeared as Clorinda in La Cenerentola with l’Opéra de Montréal and Missia in the Atelier lyrique’s production of La Veuve joyeuse. She also has appeared as a soloist in Hommage à Reynaldo Hahn with the Société d’art vocal de Montréal, in the new opera Mishaabooz’s Realm with the Highlands Opera Studio and Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, and in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Mozart’s Requiem with Vox Luminosa and Choeur de Laval . An alumna of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, she was a member of the prestigious Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, a laureate of Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques, and was the youngest finalist to appear in the prestigious and highly competitive Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Vocal Competition. A finalist and prizewinner in the 2017 George London Foundation Awards, Margison went on to take first prize in the 2018 competition. She has garnered additional recognition in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, was a semi-finalist in the Concours International Musical de Montréal (2022), and won Edmonton Opera’s inaugural Rumbold Vocal Prize (2022) Margison was honored to be named a Sylva Gelber Foundation winner in both 2022 and 2024 . A versatile soprano, she has performed extensively both in Canada and internationally, specializing in classical, jazz and pop repertoire Some highlights include performances for Opera Ontario, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, The Beaches Jazz Festival, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, the Cincinnati Pops, Hannaford Street Silver Band, the noon hour concerts at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts – Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Ottawa Choral Festival Gala, and the Venetian Ball under the baton of Marco Armiliato, (fundraiser for Villa Charities, Toronto) held on the main stage of the Four Seasons’ Centre for the Performing Arts .

Lauren Margison

Marcus Nance

Hailed as “thrillingly powerful” by the New York Times and “a major talent” by the Toronto Star, 2024 Dora award winner MARCUS NANCE masterfully straddles the worlds of opera and musical theatre He won My Entertainment World’s 2023 Critics’ Pick Award for Performer of the Year where they described him as “one of Canada’s greatest musical theatre talents ” Performance highlights include Broadway, Vancouver Opera, Stratford Festival (12 seasons), New York City Opera, Toronto Symphony, Chicago Opera Theatre, Santa Fe Opera, NAC Orchestra, Glimmerglass Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Windsor Symphony, Hawaii Opera Theatre, NY City Centre Encores!, Charlottetown Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, and the Shaw Festival. He has been seen on television and film in a variety of singing and non-singing roles and was nominated for a Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year for Dark Star Requiem . Nance received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from California State University, Fresno and has done graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Illinois . He is on the faculty of Sheridan College .

MARION NEWMAN is Kwagiulth and Stó:lō First Nations with English, Irish and Scottish heritage . Born in Bella Coola, Newman grew up in Sooke, British Columbia, immersed in and embraced by her community and culture She is one of Canada’s most accomplished singers in repertoire ranging from Charpentier to Cusson and operatic roles including Carmen and Rosina (The Barber of Seville). Nominated for a Dora Award for her leading role in the world premiere of Shanawdithit (Nolan/Burry) with Toronto’s Tapestry Opera, Ian Ritchie wrote “she invests her character with towering dignity and courage .” Recent performances include “Songs from the House of Death” (Cusson) with Regina Symphony and Beethoven’s Ninth with Symphony Nova Scotia . With Opera Kelowna, Newman performed with soprano Melody Courage in “Wreckonciliation,” approaching classical opera works through an Indigenous lens . Newman created the role of Dawn with the Welsh National Opera world premiere of Migrations (Todd) and starred in Missy Mazzoli’s “Song from the Uproar” with City Opera Vancouver This season, Newman is Maddelena in Rigoletto with Pacific Opera Victoria. Upcoming new works include Mimi in Indians on Vacation, an operatic adaptation (Cusson/Vavrek) of the novel by Thomas King, with Edmonton Opera A driving force for truth and reconciliation within the context of classical music, she is helping lead colleagues and audiences through long overdue discussions about the very nature of what it means to call something “Canadian music ” Newman is assistant professor of voice at University of Victoria’s School of Music and is the host of CBC’s “Saturday Afternoon at the Opera ”

Marion Newman

Marcus Nance

Marion Newman

PLENARY SESSION & GUEST ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Elaine Overholt

ELAINE OVERHOLT is one of North America’s most respected and treasured singers, voice teachers, performance coaches, producers and pianists . Her diverse training in piano, classical voice, gospel, theatre, pop, choral and rock, has led her to a deep understanding of all vocal styles . At Western University, Overholt accompanied singers studying a variety of classical vocal techniques She was tutored in voice by international opera teachers, graduating with a degree in voice performance . Despite the encouragement of her professors to pursue a classical career, Overholt did what has been her hallmark — she explored new frontiers and re-embraced her passion for pop, rock, and theatre. She figured out how to apply great vocal technique and powerful performance training to all forms of singing Her career has included the unique opportunity to perform with international recording stars (Ray Charles for one!) and her teaching skills are well known in Hollywood, having coached all the stars of the Oscar-winning “Chicago,” as well as “Hairspray,” “CODA,” and many other films. Coaching Ellen DeGeneres twice on her talk show was a real treat. She has worked alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber and her own TV series, “Big Voice,” which aired to rave reviews She even coached the dancers of the National Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet in “West Side Story Suite .” Major record labels send their artists to Overholt to keep them in top touring shape, including stars ranging from Shawn Mendes to Jully Black to Triumph . Her life’s work is helping to unlock the power of the human voice through healthy, soulful, passionate singing and speaking .

Pop Nation Canada

Kari Ragan

POP NATION is one of Canada’s largest contemporary choral organizations, offering dynamic ensemble opportunities for performers ages 6 and up . Dedicated to creating a vibrant and inclusive space, Pop Nation brings together the joy of music and movement to inspire, uplift, and empower participants . Through engaging performances, original music creation, and community-building experiences, Pop Nation fosters confidence and connection among singers of all ages. Pop Nation also writes, records, and releases original music . Special thanks to Amanda Kind, Artistic Director and Chief Vocal Officer of Pop Nation Canada, and the Pop Nation ensemble for joining us at ICVT.

KARI RAGAN holds degrees from the University of Washington (DMA), and Indiana University (MM, BM) . In 2012, Ragan was the recipient of the prestigious Van . L . Lawrence Award, the NATS Foundation Pedagogy Award (2009), earned the NYSTA Distinguished Voice Professional Certificate (2009), the Wicklund Singing Voice Specialist Certificate (2010), and was selected to be a Master Teacher for the NATS Intern Program (2021) . As a singing voice rehabilitation specialist (SVS), Ragan works in affiliation with the University of Washington Laryngology program to help rehabilitate singers with injured voices . She has maintained a thriving independent voice studio for 40 years and served on the voice faculty at the University of Washington . Ragan served as the NATS Advancement Committee Chair (2017-2024) and is currently on the NATS/Bloomsbury Editorial Board and the moderator of NATS Chats, a monthly national webinar . She is the co-founder and chair of the Northwest Voice: The Art and Science of the Performing Voice Conference and program chair of the

Elaine Overholt

Pop Nation Canada

Kari Ragan

International Congress of Voice Teachers (Toronto, 2025) . Plural Publishing released her book A Systematic Approach to Voice: The Art of Studio Application in 2020 .

Karen Slack

Praised for her “sizeable voice that captured all of the vacillating emotions” (The New York Times), KAREN SLACK is “not only one of the nation’s most celebrated sopranos, but a leading voice in changing and making spaces in classical music” (Trilloquy) . Highlights of Slack’s 2024-25 season include a nationwide tour of her new commissioning project, African Queens, an evening-length vocal recital of new art songs by acclaimed composers Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson She will perform African Queens at the Ravinia Festival (world premiere), Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, 92NY, Washington Performing Arts, Denver Friends of Chamber Music, and Newport Classical Festival During the season, Slack will perform in the world premiere of Damien Geter’s Loving V. Virginia with the Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony; reprise the role of Mama in Minnesota Opera’s production of The Snowy Day; and feature as soloist with the Fresno Philharmonic. In July 2024, she released a new recording project, Beyond the Years, in collaboration with ONEComposer and pianist Michelle Cann on Azica Records She has performed on the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Scottish Opera, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Theatre of St . Louis, and many others . She has appeared with the Melbourne and Sydney symphonies, the Bergen Philharmonic, the St . Petersburg Philharmonic, made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Orchestra of St Luke’s, and performed as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the world premiere of Hannibal Lokumbe’s Healing Tones led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin . A recipient of the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, Slack is an artistic advisor for Portland Opera, serves on the board of the American Composers Orchestra and Astral Artists, and holds a faculty position at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada. She has been named Lyric Unlimited artist-in-residence at Lyric Opera of Chicago for the 2024-25 season as well as artist-in-residence at leading entrepreneurial institution Babson College A native Philadelphian, Slack is a graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music and the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program . Visit sopranokarenslack .com for more information .

Krisztina Szabó

Hungarian-Canadian, mezzo-soprano KRISZTINA SZABÓ is highly sought after in North America and Europe as an artist of supreme musicianship and stagecraft She is known for her promotion and performance of contemporary Canadian works . She regularly performs with the Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, Tapestry Opera, Early Music Vancouver, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra . Internationally, she has performed with San Francisco Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Stadttheater Klagenfurt, and Wexford Festival Opera . In 2018, Szabó made her Royal Opera debut in George Benjamin’s opera, Lessons in Love and Violence, the recording of which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Opera Recording. Her discography includes Dean Burry: The Highwayman (Centrediscs), Found Frozen: Songs of Jeffrey Ryan (Centrediscs), Ana Sokolovic – Sirens (Naxos), and Talisker Players Where Words and Music Meet (Centrediscs) . Szabó is assistant professor of voice and opera at the University of British Columbia School of Music .

Karen Slack

Krisztina Szabó

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