Mary Saunders Barton

Professor Emeritus, Voice Teacher, Musical Theatre Performer

Mary is a Penn State Professor Emeritus, currently residing in New York City where she maintains a private studio for professional musical theatre performers. She is also an adjunct professor in the musical theatre program at Montclair State University.

Estelle Liebling

Opera Singer, Voice Teacher, Author

"Exhausted as I was that morning after the performance, I got dressed, went to her studio, spent forty-five minutes with her trilling, and when I walked out I had a damned good trill.” – Beverly Sills

Nicola Vaccai

Italian Composer, Voice Teacher, Author

“I have learned from long experience … that few if any who desire to sing for their own pleasure love the idea of undertaking long exercises … I therefore thought of devising one … a completely new kind, short, pleasurable, and useful, through which the goal may be reached with equal certainty, and in less time.” -Nicola Vaccai

Marlena Malas

Opera Singer & Renowned Classical Voice Teacher

“Sometimes when I hear somebody and I think, yeah, the voice is damaged or the voice is not ready yet but there’s something. There’s a story that they tell. There’s a journey that they take me on and I’m much more interested in that than someone who can come in and really has a wonderful voice… but that says nothing with it. – Marlena Malas

Herbert Witherspoon

Singer, Author, Voice Teacher, Founder & President of AATS, and General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera (MET)

“Our task is with to-day, not yesterday. Our mission is to improve, not to reform. We put ourselves in question if we assume a position as much needed saviors of the art of singing.” – Singing: A Treatise for Teachers and Students (Witherspoon)

Berton Coffin

Concert Baritone, Pedagogue, & Author

"Berton Coffin was a fascinating person. ... His main focus was on perfecting resonance and he was very good at it, but he also encouraged artistic, musical singing, not just great vowels. Dr. Coffin also had a wonderful sense of humor. ... " – Dr. Patti Peterson

Arthur Lessac

Vocal Coach, Author, Creator of Lessac Kinesensic Training

“… A voice that is free, that feels its inherent right to speak, will have no fear of calling out, whenever and wherever it is needed. …” – Arthur Lessac

Virginia Zeani

Singer & Voice Teacher

The voice is only an instrument. But you have to give to this voice the heart. The tears. The joy. The poetry. They are everything, you know. It’s what makes the singer. – Virginia Zeani

Kristin Linklater

Renowned Voice and Speech Coach, Actress, Author

If you’re holding your breath in any way, part of you is absent. – Kristin Linklater

Eládio Pérez-González

Paraguayan Singer & Acclaimed Vocal Pedagogue

“Warming up is essential, because speaking or singing are specific activities that require effort and resistance from the vocal muscles.” – Eládio Pérez-González

Cornelius L. Reid

American Vocal Pedagogue, Author, Voice Teacher

"If the student stops 'doing' and 'goes with the rhythm,' while at the same time the exercise pattern selected meets his growth needs, the vocal mechanism will become self corrective." – Cornelius Reid

Gunnar Fant

Researcher, Scientist, Author & a pioneer in Speech Communication

Gunnar Fant was a researcher, scientist, author and a pioneer in speech communication. Fant was born in Nyköping, Sweden, on October 8th, 1919. He completed a master’s degree in electrical engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), graduating in 1945. He went on to work at the telephone company Ericsson, where he made acoustic analyses of Swedish speech sounds.

Todd Duncan

Voice Teacher, Opera Singer, Performer

“The greatest lesson to learn is honesty, integrity and deep commitment. Understand that if you want to be an artist, every hour in the day, every day in the week must be a testament to your inner desire.” – Todd Duncan

Oren Brown

World Renowned American Voice Pedagogue & Voice Teacher

“Finding the true natural voice is the key to healthy singing; the rest is a question of style.” – Oren Brown

Sylvia Olden Lee

Pianist, Singer, & Vocal Coach

“So, who was Sylvia? She lived to help singers convey ideas.” – Mark Fairchild

Pier Francesco Tosi

Male Soprano, Voice Teacher, Composer, & Author

Pier Francesco Tosi (approximately 1653-1732) was a male soprano, singing teacher, composer, and author. He has been called the “Grandfather of Bel Canto.” A trailblazer of his time, Tosi was the first to write a documented treatise on the art of teaching singing: Opinoni de’ cantori antichi e moderni (translated in 1742 or 1743 to Observations on the Florid Song).

Thomas Hemsley

Singer, Author, Voice Teacher

“For true singing artists, when the moment of performance arrives, the act of singing should be an act of faith. They should be able to trust all the work they have done in preparation, to activate the imagination, to open the spirit to the possibility of inspiration, and sing from the heart.” – Thomas Hemsley

Donald Miller

American Bass-Baritone, Voice Scientist, & Author

“Don was part of a world that can often be filled with pretense, but he had none of it. He was welcoming and kind, and desired to gain friends and colleagues, not disciples. Don wanted singing to matter to science and science to matter to singing. He was a voice for the people; sometimes a voice crying in the wilderness, but always one whose heart was in the right place.” – Nicholas Perna

James McKinney

Voice Teacher, Author, Baritone

“… This is the cornerstone of effective voice teaching and choral work – discriminatory hearing assisted by acute observation.” – James McKinney

Barbara Doscher

American Voice Teacher, Pedagogue, & Author

"Barbara Doscher was a quintessential mentor in that she had a deep knowledge of voice as an instrument; a keen intellect and ear when discerning vocal imbalances; a unique and highly effective approach for voice building; and she used clever intuition in her treatment of each individual, catering to their distinctive personalities and needs ..." – Brian Gill

Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García

Singer, Voice Teacher, Composer, Researcher, & Inventor of the Laryngoscope.

“The human voice submits to the influence of age, sex, constitution, and undergoes innumerable modifications… there are also an unlimited number of nuances belonging to the organ of a single individual.” – Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García

Meribeth Dayme

Internationally Renowned Voice Consultant/Strategist, Researcher, Speaker, Author, & Founder of CoreSinging®

“Your voice is the sound of your spirit.” – Meribeth Dayme

William Vennard

Voice Researcher, Author, Singer

"He felt that we could best serve our art and our profession by inclusiveness, not exclusiveness, a viewpoint he defended frequently and with eloquence." – Karl Trump

Richard Miller

Pioneering Researcher, Author, & Teacher of Vocal Pedagogy

“You must know the physiology behind the art. All the ‘pink clouds’ in the world won’t help you move through the passaggio.” – Richard Miller

Jo Estill

American Singer, Singing Voice Specialist, & Researcher

“Everybody has a beautiful voice. You just have to learn how to use it!” – Jo Estill

Florence Birdwell

American Singer, Musician, & Renowned Voice Teacher

“I just love teaching voice, I love teaching emotion, I love teaching expression, I love teaching music, I love it, I love it, I never tire, never tire of it. 67 years you say, well I wish it was 70!” – Florence Birdwell

Francesco Lamperti

Italian Voice Teacher and Author

“The greatest of all teachers was Lamperti. With his death closed the era of the school of composition which inspired the greatest of teachers to the greatest attainments known to history in this special field.” – Etude Magazine, July 1897

Giovanni Battista Lamperti

Voice Teacher, Author, and Pedagogue

“It is an important matter to train the voice in flexibility. Even voices which are naturally rebellious and heavy are sure to gain by it in mellowness and beauty.” – Giovanni Battista Lamperti

Mathilde Marchesi

Mezzo Soprano & Voice Teacher

“Important, also, is the special gift that lies in the ear—of discerning the real nature of the voice—all its possibilities, and its future line in Art.” – Mathilde Marchesi

Dr. Dudley Ralph Appelman

American Bass-Baritone & Voice Teacher

“… science and the art of singing are wholly compatible, for art is objective and subjective, scientific and aesthetic.” – Dr. Dudley Ralph Appelman

Lilli Lehmann

German Operatic Soprano & Voice Teacher

“Technique is inseparable from art. Only by mastering the technique of his material is the artist in a condition to mould his mental work of art and to give it … to others. Even artists intellectually highly gifted remain crippled without this mastery of the technique.” – Lilli Lehmann

Filipa Martins Baptista Lã

Director of the Laboratory of Voice, Music, and Language at the Faculty of Education of UNED

Filipa Lã has over 10 years of experience as an independent researcher in the field of vocal science and pedagogy, and has led national and international interdisciplinary research projects in the areas of Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities.

Sarah K. Brown

Singing Teacher, Speech Pathologist, MS, CCC-SLP

Sarah is a singer, singing teacher, and licensed speech pathologist based in New York City and is the founder of SKB Voice Studio. Her specialized combination of singing background, performance experience, and clinical expertise have enabled her to serve elite performers including Tony-nominated Broadway performers, Metropolitan Opera singers, and TV/film stars.

Andrew Byrne

Voice Teacher, Vocal Coach, Composer, Performer, Music Director, Author, & Creator of The Singing Athlete Program

Andrew Byrne is a voice teacher, vocal coach, composer, performer and music director. He is the creator of The Singing Athlete™, a training program that applies functional neuroscience and athletic training to the voice studio. Andrew was twice named one of the “Favorite Vocal Coaches” in NYC Backstage Reader’s Choice Awards, and is also a frequent contributor to their experts column.

Irene Bartlett

Head of Pedagogy and Jazz/Vocal studies at Griffith University

Irene’s teaching centres on the development of healthy, sustainable singing technique and performance longevity for singers of all styles. Currently as Coordinator of Contemporary Voice, Head of Pedagogy and Jazz/Vocal studies at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, Irene delivers ‘in person’ training, mentoring and degree supervision for her postgraduate, doctoral and undergraduate students.

Marci Rosenberg

Singer, Clinical Singing Voice Specialist, Speech Pathologist, Author

Marci Rosenberg, BM, MS CCC-SLP, is a singer, speech pathologist, and clinical singing voice specialist. An active performer in her earlier years, Marci completed her degree in vocal performance at Peabody Conservatory before entering the field of Speech-Language Pathology.

John Henny

Voice Teacher, Author, Lecturer

John Henny is a leading vocal coach in the music industry, with over 30 years of experience, renowned for his teaching skills. His techniques are designed to maintain vocal health, improve overall sound quality, eliminate voice cracks, and extend the singer’s range, allowing them to express themselves without limitation.

Patti Hay Peterson

Professor Emerita, voice and voice pedagogy

Patti Peterson is a soprano who has sung art song recitals and oratorio in the U.S. and Germany. She specializes in American music and the songs of Edvard Grieg.

Chris Johnson

Voice Teacher & Founder of TeachVoice

Chris Johnson is an internationally recognized Voice Teacher and the founder of TeachVoice. With a professional singing career spanning 15 years and vocal coaching experience since 2007, he has spent years looking after professional voices, analyzing voice research, and working with leading experts to develop real-world vocal coaching applications.

Kenneth Tom

Emeritus Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, California State University Fullerton; Integrative Voice Specialist; Researcher; Author

Kenneth Tom, Ph.D., is Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at California State University, Fullerton. He received his A.B. in German and Music from the University of California Berkeley, with additional studies in musicology, literature and linguistics at Georg-August Universität in Göttingen, Germany.

Lynn Helding

Professor of Practice in Voice and Voice Pedagogy at the USC Thornton School of Music, Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Singing

Helding is a devoted teacher, counting among her private clients members of the Los Angeles Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Her USC voice students have won fellowships to the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals, among others. She was recognized as a “legendary figure in the field of voice pedagogy".

Kari Ragan

Voice Teacher, Singing Rehabilitation Specialist, Trainer of Voice Teachers, Author

As a singing voice rehabilitation specialist (SVS), Dr. 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 nearly forty years.

Jacob Lieberman

Registered Osteopath & Psychotherapist, Specialist in the Management of Vocal Crisis

Jacob Lieberman is an internationally acclaimed expert on physical and psychological management of voice disorders. As an osteopath and psychotherapist, he has developed the Lieberman Protocol for laryngeal examination as well as manual therapy for the solution of muscle tension and the mobilization of the laryngeal joints.

Karen Brunssen

Professor and Co-chair of the Department of Music Performance at Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University

Mezzo-soprano, Karen Brunssen is Professor and Co-chair of the Department of Music Performance at Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University. She served as President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past-President of NATS from 2016 – 2022.

John Nix

Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy, The University of Texas at San Antonio

John Nix is Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His mentors include Barbara Doscher and Ingo Titze. Current and former students have sung with the Santa Fe, Arizona, Chautauqua, St. Louis, Nevada, Omaha, and San Antonio opera companies, and two have served as NATS Intern Master Teachers.

Joan Lader

Care of the Professional Voice

Joan Lader has spent the last 40 years providing vocal training and rehabilitation for professional voice users. This was commemorated in June 2016 when she was awarded the American theater’s highest honor, a Tony Award for “Excellence in the Theater.”

Jenevora Williams

Voice Teacher, Trainer of Voice Teachers, Vocal Rehabilitation Specialist, Author, Veteran Performer

Dr Jenevora Williams is passionate about teaching and a leading exponent in the field of vocal health, rehabilitation and singing teaching. She was the first singing teacher to be awarded a PhD in voice science in the UK, and won the 2010 BVA Van Lawrence Prize for her outstanding contribution to voice research.

Lisa Popeil

Voice Teacher, Creator of the Voiceworks® Method & the “Total Singer”

Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice, has studied voice for 60 years and has taught professionally in all styles of singing for over 40 years. Based in Los Angeles, Lisa is the creator of the Voiceworks® Method, the Total Singer DVD and the Total Singer Workshop.

Brad Story

Professor of Speech, Language, & Hearing sciences, Researcher

Brad Story, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs in the College of Science at the University of Arizona. Dr. Story received his BS in Applied Physics from the University of Northern Iowa in 1987 and his PhD in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Iowa in 1995.

Line Hilton

MSc PAM, B. MusEd (Jazz), Cl. Hyp, MHA, Wraw Master Practitioner

Highly respected in the performing arts world, Line Hilton is a voice, performance, and resilience coach. Her mission is to help people find their voice and build the confidence needed to explore their full potential so they can thrive, both at work and in life.

George Shirley

Distinguished University Emeritus Professor of Voice from the University of Michigan, Opera Star, Singing Teacher

Opera Singer George Shirley was born on April 18, 1934 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Irving and Daisy Shirley. By age four, Shirley had begun performing, joining his mother and father as a musical trio within the Indianapolis church community.

Dr. Peak Woo

Board certified otolaryngologist specializing in laryngology, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Peak Woo is a board certified otolaryngologist specializing in laryngology (voice and throat disorders). His main interest is in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the throat. During his 25 years in academic medicine, he spearheaded the development of the computerized videostroboscope and the high-speed video imaging system, now standard for imaging of vocal fold vibration.

Bob Marks

Renowned Vocal Coach & Voice Teacher, Music Director, Accompanist, Author

Robert (“Bob”) Marks is a voice teacher, coach, conductor, arranger, author, and director. Mr. Marks holds a degree in speech and voice pathology and has taught at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy and the Weist-Barron School in New York.

Kenneth Bozeman

Emeritus Professor of Music; Vocal Acoustics & Resonance Expert; Teacher of Singing, Voice Science, & Pedagogy

Kenneth Bozeman, Emeritus Professor of Music, tenor, holds performance degrees from Baylor University and the University of Arizona. He subsequently studied at the State Conservatory of Music in Munich, Germany on a fellowship from Rotary International.

Matthew Edwards

Shenandoah Conservatory Voice Professor & Director of Musical Theatre; CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute Artistic Director; Musical Theatre Educator’s Alliance Secretary

Matt Edwards is one of the leading voice teachers for commercial and musical theatre styles in the United States. He is currently Associate Professor of Voice and Coordinator of Musical Theatre Voice at Shenandoah Conservatory where he is also Artistic Director of the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute.

Kittie Verdolini Abbott

Professor of Communication Sciences & Disorders at the University of Delaware

Katherine Verdolini Abbott, PhD, CCC-SLP, MDiv, is Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Delaware. Her clinical master’s degree in speech pathology was completed at Indiana University (1983), and she completed her PhD in experimental psychology at Washington University (1991).

Dr. Joseph C. Stemple

Speech Language Pathologist, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky

Joseph C. Stemple, PhD is Professor Emeritus of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. His university tenure followed a twenty-five-year clinical career as founding Director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation.

Johan Sundberg

Ph.D. in Musicology Uppsala University

Johan Sundberg (born in 1936, Ph.D. in musicology Uppsala University 1966, doctor honoris causae 1996 University of York, UK) has a personal Chair (Emeritus) in Music Acoustics at the department of Speech Music and Hearing (KTH), Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.

Joan Melton

Director, One Voice Centre for Integrative Studies; Emeritus Professor, Theatre and Dance, CA State University Fullerton; Artistic Associate, NY Classical Theatre

Joan Melton, PhD, ADVS, is a researcher in cross-disciplinary performance techniques and a pioneer in the integration of singing and voice/movement training for actors. She holds a Bachelor of Music and PhD in music theory, a Masters in vocal performance, and the Advanced Diploma in Voice Studies from the Central School of Speech and Drama, London.