Program Spotlights – All Articles

At Illinois Wesleyan University, music isn’t just studied — it’s lived. The School of Music delivers conservatory-level training within a close-knit liberal arts community, giving musicians the rare opportunity to develop both artistic mastery and personal confidence.

Long associated with cozy snow, summer hikes, and stunning vistas and mountains, Colorado and its nearly six million residents lean into their love of the great outdoors. But in a state known for its laid-back but thriving cities and the slower, opera has found a way to keep Coloradans fulfilled with several unique companies.

NEC’s Voice and Opera Studies programs offer a dynamic opportunity for singers to study repertoire, technique, and performance at the highest artistic level.

As Allen Henderson moves on after nearly two decades as executive director of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, he reflects on the major events of his tenure. 

In this column, we spotlight amazing vocal programs and highlight how they're helping singers! The VoiceArts Specialization at CalArts is designed for creative artists whose primary means of expression is the voice—for those who wish to develop both their vocal mechanism and their unique artistic voice.

Learn how one singer shifted her goals in music education from teaching to spearheading the Lancaster Art Song Society. As the organization grew, more opportunities for singers of varying levels have become available. 

In this column, we spotlight amazing vocal programs and highlight how they're helping singers! This week's spotlight is the University of Memphis.

In this column, we spotlight amazing vocal programs and highlight how they're helping singers!

Finding the right program is a challenge for high school singers. In this article, New England Conservatory, Oklahoma City University, and Arizona State tell young singers how their programs work. 

Known for its history of manufacturing, sports teams, and being home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ohio, the country’s 34th largest state, also offers an array of operatic experiences.

Sensorium Ex is a groundbreaking new opera by Paola Prestini that explores the intersection of AI, disability, and the arts, redefining what it means to have a voice. Premiering at the Common Senses Festival in Omaha in May 2025, the work features a predominantly disabled cast, including a nonverbal, non-ambulatory lead, and integrates cutting-edge AI tools to enhance creative expression for nonverbal individuals.

When I spoke with Jocelyn Hagen earlier this month, she was putting the final touches on an exciting new project.

Tell us about your newest project. 

It’s a Christmas oratorio called Rose Ever Blooming, which I’m writing with my husband, Tim Takach, for Voces8. Years ago, Tim found this amazing book of poetry by Patricia Monaghan that’s all about Mary. It really humanizes her in a very beautiful way, and we had this idea for a large work based on this poetry. We had been commissioned by Voces8 in the past and had a good working relationship with them, so we approached them, pitched the idea, and they said, “Yes! And if we do it, let’s record it right away!” So, it just sort of snowballed into this huge project.