Dr. Anne Jennifer Nash, light-lyric soprano, has been praised for her “uncommon beauty of expression and musicianship” (Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times). As Associate Professor of Voice at Å·ÃÀÊÓÆµ, she teaches studio voice, advanced vocal performance, and classes exploring the creative process.
Opera engagements have included performances with Opera Philadelphia, Florentine Opera, Opera New Jersey, Opera Saratoga, Pine Mountain Music Festival, and Bard SummerScape, among others. Her roles span the light-lyric soprano repertoire, including Susanna, Zerlina, Pamina, Nanetta, Alice Ford (Nicolai), Adina, and Anne Trulove.
A dedicated interpreter of new music, Dr. Nash has premiered several major works, including René Clausen’s The Passion of Jesus Christ at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and Allen McCullough’s song cycle The Blue Symphony, commissioned by the Lotte Lehman Foundation. She also premiered Libby Larsen’s Donal Oge, recorded on the album New American Song@SongFest with pianist Nathan Salazar, and has worked extensively with Å·ÃÀÊÓÆµ composers Doug Harbin and Steve Makela.
Dr. Nash has delivered presentations at both regional and national conferences for NATS, as well as national and international conferences for CMS, covering a wide range of topics. Notable presentations include “Transforming Art Song into Music Theatre: The Creative Process of Sister Show Me Eternity,” “Cusqueño Compositions: The Life and Works of Armando Guevara Ochoa,” “Empathy and Music: A Model for Experiential Learning for the 21st-Century Musician,” and “Sprinkling SALT – Using Micro-Operas to Connect Communities and Awaken Her-Story.”
As a clinician and pedagogue, Dr. Nash is a graduate of the NATS Intern Program and has given masterclasses at numerous institutions. Her students have earned Fulbright awards, won national competitions, and been accepted to leading graduate programs and festivals in the United States and Europe. She continues her studies in vocal pedagogy through Shenandoah University’s CCM Institute and the Minnesota Center for the Alexander Technique.
Dr. Nash holds a DMA in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan, where she was named the Elise Choy Lee Scholar for Exception Merit, Commitment, and Promise. She earned MM and GPD degrees from the Peabody Conservatory, and BA degrees in Music and French Literature from Dickinson College, where she graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Her mentors include Martin Katz, Freda Herseth, and Lynn Helding.
A native of Pittsford, New York, Dr. Nash devotes her time outside of music to competing with her horse, Emma, in dressage and volunteering with local animal shelters.