Program Overview

Voice

We develop young singers through vocal coaching, diction and language, pedagogy classes, and operatic, song, and chamber music study. Students will gain confidence, performance acumen, auditioning skills, and artistry across a broad repertoire. Voice students have many performance opportunities including fully staged opera productions presented in original languages, choral ensembles, and solo appearances with instrumental ensembles. We prepare students for exceptional careers in opera, oratorio, recital, early music, and the music of today. Qualified advanced students may earn the Artist Diploma in vocal studies.

soprano soloist with chamber orchestra
Soprano and Concerto Competition winner Amber Monroe ’17 performs with the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra in Ricky Gordon’s "and flowers pick themselves."
Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko

Program Facts

  • Program Type: Major, Minor
    • Bachelor of Music (BM)
    • Artist Diploma (ADip)
  • Division: Vocal Studies

Voice Department Chair

Timothy LeFebvre,
Professor of Voice

opera theater show hansel and gretel with hansel and witch
Oberlin Conservatory students perform in Opera Theater’s Hänsel und Gretel in Hall Auditorium.
Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko

Performance Opportunities

Choirs, vocal chamber music ensembles, and opera scenes and full-scale productions are the main performing avenues for vocal studies students. Oberlin Opera Theater presents two major productions with orchestra each year. Recent main-stage productions have included Le nozze di Figaro, Cendrillon, Street Scene, and The Turn of the Screw. Small-scale operas and new works are presented in both traditional and nontraditional venues during Winter Term. Those productions are also opportunities for students to experience what it's like to direct, create scenery and costumes, and serve as dramaturg. Recent productions include Du Yun's Pulitzer Prize-winning Angel's Bone and Missy Mazzolli's Proving Up. Students enrolled in opera classes also present performances of major opera scenes each semester.

Performance Ensembles

Sample Courses

  • LANG 101 - Italian Diction (2 credits)
  • APST 204 - Interpretation of Art Song (4 credits)
  • APST 230 - The Teaching of Singing (4 credits)
  • APST 701 - Oberlin College Choir (2 credits)
Curriculum and requirements

Affiliated Faculty

Daniel Michalak

Vocal Coach and Accompanist

Thomas Bandy

Associate Professor of Vocal Accompanying

Javier Gonzalez

Collaborative Pianist

Elena Loskova

Collaborative Pianist

Kyung-Eun Na

Associate Professor of Opera Coaching

Jonathon Field

Associate Professor of Opera Theater

Christopher Mirto

Assistant Professor of Opera Theater

Gregory Ristow ’01

Associate Professor of Conducting

Ben Johns

Visiting Director of Vocal Ensembles
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Upcoming Voice Events

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Voice News

Oberlin Opera Theater to Present Offenbach and Rossini Double Bill

November 7, 2022

Oberlin Opera Theater will present a double bill of operas not seen on Oberlin stages previously—Offenbach’s operetta Le mariage aux lanternes ("The Wedding by Lantern Light") and Rossini’s burletta L'occasione fa il ladro ("Opportunity Makes a Thief")—in Hall Auditorium November 10-13.
Two male characters in rehearsal for the opera on the stage of Hall Auditorium.

Summer in San Francisco

October 5, 2022

Oberlin’s Vocal Studies students are often encouraged to seek out summer enrichment opportunities. These experiences add to Oberlin’s training and allow students to explore potential roles and repertoire while expanding their network. SongFest, an art song program in California, has been a regular choice for many Oberlin vocal students. This program offers master classes, concerts, daily lessons, and coachings.
Cassondra Davies performs at SongFest
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