Voice - University of Houston
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Moores School of Music

Voice Division

Leadership

Cynthia Clayton
Division Head of Voice
E-mail: cynthiaclayton @uh.edu
Phone: 713-743- 3304  
Office: MSM 309
       

Welcome to Voice Studies at the Moores School of Music! Our voice faculty is comprised of internationally acclaimed performing artists with decades of stage and studio experience, who provide exceptional vocal training through a variety of degree plans designed to support your career aspirations. If you want more information about our program or would like to be connected to current students to ask questions, don’t hesitate to e-mail or call! #GoCoogs

 

Academic Programs

  • Bachelor of Music

    Undergraduate degree plans in voice focus on performance, education, marketing, or non-profit arts leadership. In addition to two-degree recitals and the opportunity to perform with the renowned Moores Opera Center, all undergraduate vocal performance majors are thoroughly prepared for the next step in their performance careers, whether continuing to graduate studies or applying for young artist programs.  Our music education majors enjoy 100% in job placement. Students may also consider a Bachelor of Arts in music degree, which is a comprehensive liberal arts degree with a strong concentration in music and an emphasis on academic coursework. Please refer to UHin4 for academic maps. 

  • Master of Music

    Graduate students prepare for addressing the rigors of auditioning for professional opera companies, applying for young artists programs across the country, as well as continuing study through a doctoral program. With a master’s level enrollment of 20-22, singers have opportunities to perform a wide variety of roles in the original languages.

    Degree Plans
    Performance
    Performance and Pedagogy

  • Doctor of Musical Arts

    Applicants to our doctoral program are required to hold a Master’s degree, preferably in applied music, and follow the vocal performance degree plan, which includes minor fields in vocal pedagogy, opera directing, music theory or musicology. Our graduates seeking teaching positions in colleges and universities have been immensely successful in job placement.

  • Certificate in Performance

    A highly specialized two-year program designed for those advanced singers who are on the cusp of a professional performance career.  The two-year plan is comprised of courses specifically designed to prepare for that transition as a solo singing artist.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for students at all levels of study who demonstrate outstanding accomplishment and promise. For nonresident students, merit-based scholarships may make a student eligible to receive a tuition waiver resulting in Texas resident tuition rate. A variety of teaching assistantships is available for qualified graduate students. 

Select Vocal Courses

Courses may consist of individual instruction, ensembles, cantata and oratorio, pedagogy, vocal literature, music history and electives.

  • Acting for Opera

    Topics include physical awareness, improvisation, focus, gesture, dramatic and musical analysis, and style of presentation in auditions and concerts. This course focuses on the basics of acting in a solo situation with the added dimension of music and consists of lectures, presentations, critiques, and in-class exercises.  

  • Art Song Repertoire

    Examining the fusion of poetry and music, composers’ song styles and signature musical characteristics are grouped nationally. Areas may include German, French, American, British, Italian, Spanish and Russian.

  • Vocal Pedagogy

    Using the principles of physiology, psychology, and acoustics as related to the vocal arts in an environment conducive to sustaining vocal health. In addition to lectures on techniques and artistry of singing students observe voice faculty in individual lessons and master class environments.

Faculty

opera

Moores Opera Center 

Performed with the orchestra ensemble in our own Moores Opera House, the center holds four fully staged opera productions each season. Auditions are open to voice students in any academic plan. As roles are generally double cast, singers wishing to pursue a career in opera have ample onstage opportunities. Interested students may also serve as stage managers, property managers, and assistant directors, experiences which lead to a deeper understanding of opera production. 

Choir Ensembles

All undergraduate voice students participate in one of our five choral ensembles. Our championship Concert Chorale regularly travels to prestigious international competitions. There are also five extracurricular, student-led a cappella ensembles open to Moores undergraduates.

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“While at Moores, I have had the opportunity to travel for conventions all across the United States, to compete overseas, to sing roles in the operas, to hold leadership positions in both choir and a cappella groups, and to be featured and recorded as a soloist in multiple orchestra concerts. The opportunities and experiences I gained here far exceeded anything I could have expected when I arrived. I thank my teachers and this school for the knowledge I’ve gained, and for preparing me for what the future may hold for me as a performer.” —Krista Pape (‘18, MM ‘20)