Bethany Worrell, DMA

Dr. Bethany Worrell is the Director of Vocal Studies and Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her teaching centers on cultivating curiosity and awareness while establishing a vocal technique that allows for maximum freedom and expression. She uses science-informed pedagogy to prioritize kinesthetic and emotional learning alongside cerebral knowledge, equipping the student with the tools needed for success as a performer, educator, or industry professional. As singers, our body is our instrument, our mind is the operator, and our heart and soul are what make us unique artists. Dr. Worrell integrates these principles into all the courses she teaches at UMSL, including weekly lessons to undergraduate voice majors, Vocal Studio Class for the full Vocal Area, and The Singing Actor’s Workshop ensemble.

She has previously taught at Western Illinois University, University of Michigan, and North Cambridge Family Opera. She continues to be a Vocal Consultant at St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas (middle school through high school male singers). Her collegiate teaching experience includes teaching Vocal Pedagogy, Voice Class for Theatre Majors, the Singing Actor’s Workshop (Opera Workshop), and private studio lessons to undergraduate and graduate voice majors and non-majors.

Dr. Worrell is actively researching the vocal works of composer and pedagogue Rosario Scalero, whose long list of notable students includes Samuel Barber, Gian Carlo Menotti, George Walker, and Nino Rota. She has constructed a critical edition along with a piano/vocal reduction of his Op. 33 for soprano and string quintet. Along with string colleagues at the University of Michigan, she performed the first known performance of the original score since the premiere in 1939. Her work continues in researching and performing the remainder of his unpublished vocal works.

Praised by Opera News for her “gleaming tone,” she has cultivated a freelance career as a classical soprano over the past decade in Boston, New York City, and Dallas. She looks forward to contributing to the musical culture in St. Louis, and this season will appear with both the Bach Society of Saint Louis and the UMSL Symphony Orchestra. She maintains a multi-faceted performance career that includes operatic, recital, concert, and choral performances. Operatically, she has appeared with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, NEMPAC Opera, Boston Opera Collaborative, among others. As a professional chorister, Dr. Worrell has appeared with the Orpheus Chamber Singers (Dallas), Tanglewood Festival Chorus (Boston), Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Chamber Choir (NYC), and the Highland Park Chorale (Dallas). Her recital work has included house concerts in New England, concert series in New York and the US Virgin Islands, and ensemble concerts with the Bostonians and the Seaglass Theater Company. Dr. Worrell is committed to programming works by BIPOC, female, and living composers and will release three mini-albums this next year with works by Lori Laitman, George Walker, and James Caldwell.

She holds degrees from the University of Michigan (DMA), New England Conservatory (MM), and Western Illinois University (BM). Her further training includes participation in the Songfest Professional Studies Program and the Embodied Music Lab’s Acoustic Vocal Pedagogy Workshop. She is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), National Association of Music Educators (NAfME), and the Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA).

What do you love about teaching?

I love guiding my students to find their most authentic voice, both technically and artistically. As they begin to take ownership of their own vocal development and musical craft, the most inspiring and wonderful creativity is unleashed. It sparks so much joy!

What is your favorite music to sing and what is something you love about singing?

I love singing art song; each piece is a tiny microcosm of character, emotion, and allows a glimpse into a single moment.

Singing and music making are endeavors that never end; there is always something more to learn, express, fine-tune, and explore.

What is a skill you've learned as a musician that you use in your everyday life?

As musicians, we rarely perform alone. Successful performance is dependent on collaboration and communication. The collaborative skills I’ve learned and honed as a musical colleague help me work well with others in all facets of my life.

Education:

Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance, University of Michigan

Master of Music in Voice Performance, New England Conservatory

Bachelor of Music in Applied Music: Vocal Performance, Western Illinois University

Performance Links:

https://youtu.be/As82YPc8WlU?si=RmGmqLILUEprJqJs

https://youtu.be/x6XFCMpOrsQ?si=mBmS84f6G8oogbyw