VOICE & OPERA
Singers from around the world come to the University of Maryland to study with our faculty, many of whom have performed leading roles with some of the world's major opera companies and symphony orchestras. Our voice and opera programs provide students with a comprehensive education that prepares them for careers as professional performers, educators, arts management specialists and much more.
The Programs
Our voice and opera faculty are internationally recognized artists and scholars comprised of active performers, clinicians and specialists, as well as veterans of the world's finest opera companies and concert halls.
With diverse backgrounds and a shared commitment to collaboration, our faculty promote a culture of excellence and peer support. Students and faculty regularly come together for divisional recitals, masterclasses and special events.
Our undergraduate programs in voice offer the choice of a concentrated vocal performance track or a broader liberal arts degree, often used by double-majors. Aspiring K–12 teachers can pursue a B.M.E. in choral education through our music education program.
At the graduate level, our vocal performance degrees focus not only on recital repertoire but oratorio and vocal chamber music as well. Degrees in opera performance are devoted to operatic training obtained through the Maryland Opera Studio (both a degree program and a performance ensemble). A third doctoral-level option, vocal pedagogy, emphasizes the training of advanced studio teachers and vocal coaches. This unique program is designed by the qualified student under the guidance of their professor and results in public performances, a recording(s) or scholarly writing.
All courses of study include comprehensive classes in repertory, form, theory and history as well as specific concentrations in the performance, literature or pedagogical aspects of the degree program. Each student also receives weekly individual vocal instruction from a member of our faculty.
Performance Opportunities
We are home to outstanding choral ensembles that meet the curricular needs of our voice students while providing performance opportunities to non-majors. Through the UMD Concert Choir and UMD Chamber Singers, our students perform regularly with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
We house the prestigious Maryland Opera Studio, our graduate program in opera performance.
We also support student-led ensembles that showcase the entrepreneurship of our students. These include OperaTerps, an opera company open to undergraduate students, and the Voix de Chanson and FreundeMusik chamber ensembles for both female and male voices.
Watch student recitals on YouTube.
Voice & Opera Division Coordinator
Teri Bickham
Assistant Professor, Voice & Opera
Division Coordinator, Voice & Opera
3126 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Our Faculty
Diba Alvi
Lecturer, Voice & Opera
3125 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Steven Bailey
Senior Lecturer, Voice & Opera
Maryland Opera Studio
3128 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Teri Bickham
Assistant Professor, Voice & Opera
Division Coordinator, Voice & Opera
3126 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Natalie Conte
Assistant Artist-in-Residence, Voice & Opera
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Jason Max Ferdinand
Associate Professor, Voice & Opera
Associate Professor, Conducting & Ensembles
Director, Choral Activities
Director, UMD Chamber Singers
Director, UMD Concert Choir
2118 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Lester Green
Lecturer, Voice & Opera
3114 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Theodore Guerrant
Vocal Coach, Voice & Opera
Accompanist & Organ/Harpsichord Instructor, School of Music
2148 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Corinne Hayes
Lecturer, Voice & Opera
Director of Acting, Maryland Opera Studio
Interim Director, Maryland Opera Studio
2146 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
John Holiday
Associate Professor, Voice & Opera
3122 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Craig Kier
Director, Arts for All, College of Arts and Humanities
Professor, Voice & Opera
Professor, Conducting & Ensembles
Advisor, Maryland Opera Studio
1102B Francis Scott Key Hall
College Park
MD,
20742
Mai-Linh Pham
Senior Lecturer, Voice & Opera
3116 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Kevin Short
Associate Professor, Voice & Opera
3124 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Gran Wilson
Professor, Voice & Opera
3121 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Delores Ziegler
Professor, Voice & Opera
3123 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Curriculum
B.A. (Voice)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons | 5 semesters | 10 |
| Ensembles | 5 semesters | 5 |
| Class Piano | 2 semesters | 4 |
| Music Theory | 5 semesters | 17 |
| Music History | 3 semesters | 9 |
| Music Electives | 6 | |
| General Education, Languages, Electives | 69 |
B.M. (Voice)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons & Senior Recital | 8 semesters | 18 |
| Ensembles | 8 semesters | 8 |
| Opera Workshop | 2 semesters | 2 |
| Movement for Singers | 1 semester | 1 |
| Diction | 4 semesters | 4 |
| Class Piano | 3 semesters | 6 |
| Music Theory | 5 semesters | 17 |
| Music History | 4 semesters | 12 |
| Conducting | 1 semester | 2 |
| Pedagogy | 1 semester | 3 |
| Literature | 1 semester | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 2 semesters | 4 |
| General Education | 40 |
B.M.E. (Voice)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons | 7 semesters | 14 |
| Large Ensembles | 7 semesters | 7 |
| Class Piano | 2 semesters | 4 |
| Music Theory | 4 semesters | 14 |
| Music History | 4 semesters | 12 |
| Conducting | 1 course | 2 |
| Music Education | 12 courses | 27 |
| Education | 4 courses | 11 |
| Student Teaching | 2 courses | 12 |
| General Education | 34 |
M.M. (Solo Voice)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons & Recital | 4 semesters | 10 |
| Diction | 4 semesters | 4 |
| Literature | 2 semesters | 6 |
| Pedagogy | 1 course | 3 |
| Opera Repertory (recommended) | 2 courses | 2 |
| Research Methods | 1 course | 3 |
| Music Theory | 1 course | 3 |
| Music History | 1 course | 3 |
M.M. (Opera)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons & Recital | 4 semesters | 10 |
| Diction | 4 courses | 4 |
| Vocal Literature (recommended) | 1 course | 3 |
| Opera Repertory | 2 courses | 2 |
| Opera Techniques | 4 courses | 8 |
| Pedagogy | 1 course | 3 |
| Research Methods | 1 course | 3 |
| Music Theory | 1 course | 3 |
| Music History | 1 course | 3 |
D.M.A. (Solo Voice)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons & Recital | 3 semesters | 10 |
| Pedagogy | 2 courses | 6 |
| Literature | 2 courses | 6 |
| Research Methods | 1 course | 3 |
| Academic Electives | 2 courses | 6 |
| Dissertation Research | 2 semesters | 12 |
D.M.A. (Opera)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons & Performances | 3 semesters | 10 |
| Pedagogy | 2 courses | 6 |
| Literature | 2 courses | 6 |
| Opera Techniques | 4 semesters | 8 |
| Research Methods | 1 course | 3 |
| Academic Electives | 2 courses | 6 |
| Dissertation Research | 2 semesters | 12 |
D.M.A. (Voice Pedagogy)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons & Recitals | 3 semesters | 10 |
| Pedagogy | 2 courses | 6 |
| Literature | 2 courses | 6 |
| Supervised Teaching | 1 course | 3 |
| Research Methods | 1 course | 3 |
| Academic Electives | 2 courses | 6 |
| Dissertation Research | 2 semesters | 12 |