The Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance & Pedagogy at the Frost School of Music prepares the experienced singer who has a solid record of performance in operatic, concert, and recitals for a successful career as a teacher of voice. It is the perfect degree for a voice teacher who wants to strengthen teaching, performance, and research skills. By combining the traditional pedagogical traditions with the latest research and innovation, our graduates are excellently prepared to win employment and further their careers as teachers and performers.
The Frost School of Music Department of Vocal Performance is uniquely positioned to prepare doctoral students for the world of vocal pedagogy, vocal performance, and scholarly research. We are part of a large school of music that is innovative and embracing of both traditional and contemporary vocal arts.
The department faculty has expertise with traditional operatic performance (Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, Berlin, Zurich, La Scala, etc.), avant-garde performance (BAM, NYC Symphony Space, etc.) and early music. The faculty is recognized as world-class pedagogues and has a history of successful teaching, resulting in students that enjoy careers in the world of vocal performance. In addition, opportunities to work with the faculty in other Frost School departments and programs, such as jazz, musical theater, and contemporary/pop, afford students a wide variety of pedagogical experiences that uniquely prepare them for employment.
The degree is tailored for each student to build on strengths while addressing areas that need improvement. Students participate in doctoral coursework that prepares them to move into a career as a performer-teacher in the field of vocal performance and pedagogy.
Courses prepare the student as a teacher, stage director, and administrator of faculties in schools, colleges, and universities. The course work helps students build practical and extensive knowledge of the repertoire for teaching, including English, French, German, Italian, and Musical Theater. Additionally, the curriculum affords performance opportunities in operas and recitals, arranges internships with master teachers in voice studios and speech pathologists and otolaryngologists’ practices.
Furthermore, the option of incorporating a cognate allows students to acquire expertise in a related area, thus preparing them to successfully move forward in their careers.
Interested in pursuing a Music Degree at Frost?
Students in the program enjoy the opportunity to work with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology and the Miami Voice Center throughout their work at the Frost School. There exists a vibrant, collaborative relationship with the medical school personnel and the possibility to arrange internships and observations with the speech pathologists and doctors is part of their curriculum.
Many of our DMA Vocal Performance & Pedagogy students are teaching assistants in the department. They teach private studio lessons, voice classes, and classes in vocal pedagogy, diction for singers, opera workshops, opera, and art song literature courses. Teaching assistants' work is closely mentored by department faculty.
Masterclasses with some of the world’s foremost artists and teachers are regularly scheduled. Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Julia Faulkner, Kevin Short, Susan Ashbaker, and Curtis Rayam are among the artists who have recently shared their insights and experiences with our students.
We have a strong record of successful graduates who are employed in University positions, including the University of West Virginia, Oklahoma City University, West Virginia Wesleyan, Catholic University, Florida International University, Barry University. Alumni are also working in private and public schools, private voice studios, and performing on stages throughout the world.
As an added benefit we have created a capstone project for our students where they meet with a professional arts marketing firm to design a personal strategy for marketing, branding, publicity, social media, and website design. As part of the project, students meet with a stylist to prepare for professional headshots. Additionally, graduates will make an audio and video recording with our exceptional music engineering program to create professional recordings for their new portfolio.
We look forward to welcoming you to campus, answering any questions you might have, and working with you here at the Frost School of Music Department of Vocal Performance.
Academic Bulletin
