VASTA

We are excited to announce Nina Eidsheim as the keynote speaker for the 2026 VASTA Conference: Changemakers on Friday, October 16. 🗣️✨

Nina Eidsheim is Professor of Musicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and is the author of Sensing Sound: Singing and Listening as Vibrational Practice and The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music; co-editing Oxford Handbook of Voice Studies; Co-editor of the Refiguring American Music book series for Duke University Press. She received her bachelor of music from the voice program at the Agder Conservatory (Norway); MFA in vocal performance from the California Institute of the Arts; and Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of California, San Diego. Eidsheim is Professor of Musicology at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and founder and director of the UCLA Practice-based Experimental Epistemology (PEER) Lab, an experimental research Lab dedicated to decolonializing data, methodology, and analysis, in and through multisensory creative practices. Current projects include a book collaboration with Wadada Leo Smith and a multi-model project that will map networks of metaphors that structure musical community, discourse, and practice.
(from schoolofmusic.ucla.edu)

The VASTA Awards and Grants Committee is pleased to announce the 2026 Conference Travel Award recipients. Congratulations to all the winners! We look forward to seeing you at the conference! 🗣️🌴

Interested in joining our mentorship program as a mentor? Application deadline has been extended to Monday, June 15th! To apply and learn more information, find the Mentorship Program under Member Resources on our website! 🗣️👯‍♀️

The VASTA Awards and Grants Committee is pleased to announce the 2026 recipient of the Clyde Vinson Memorial Scholarship, Luis Ángel Mondragón.

Created to honor master teacher Clyde Vinson, the Clyde Vinson Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually and supports early career practitioners in the voice and speech field. The recipient receives a $2500 cash prize, up to $500 in travel expense reimbursement to the annual VASTA conference, and a conference fee waiver. VASTA would like to thank the anonymous donor that makes this scholarship possible.

We are excited to announce our first keynote speakers for the 2026 VASTA Conference: Changemakers 40— Catherine Fitzmaurice and Saul Kotzubei! They will join us in conversation on Sunday, October 18. Keep an eye out as we roll out the keynote speakers over the next few weeks! 🗣️🌟

Meet our Sopranos!

Sopranos play a crucial role in a choir, providing melody and harmony that enriches the overall sound.

Learn more about our members:
https://www.dessoff.org/roster

The weekend of April 17, 2026, VASTA members Sammi Grant and Phil Timberlake hosted the second annual Midwest Voice and Speech Gathering in Chicago! Following the event’s success in 2025, the 2026 event consisted of a group dinner, informal workshops and discussions, and a large focus on being in community together. A Member Enrichment Grant from VASTA provided refreshments for the event. Many thanks to The Theatre School at Depaul University for the use of their facilities.

Member Enrichment Grants are designated funds that support networking events and workshops for VASTA members. Please reach out to the Awards and Grants Committee to apply, and find more info on the Awards and Grants Overview on our website!

Join us to explore the evolving role of the vocal coach and the challenges in the rehearsal room and on stage!

Perhaps you were hired to be the production vocal coach or maybe you were hired to coach dialects and then were faced with production demands for actors to have more vocal energy, be louder, be clearer, utilize different parts of their pitch and/or resonance range and stay healthy. Suddenly you are responsible for it all!

This event will be held on May 31 or June 1, depending on your time zone.

May 31:
4:30pm PDT
7:30pm EDT
11:30pm UTC

June 1:
9:30am AEST

Registration:
VASTA Members - FREE
Non-Member - $15 USD

APPLICATIONS DUE THIS SUNDAY! ✨🫂 In celebration of VASTA’s 40th anniversary, we are proud to launch the inaugural VASTA 2026 Mentorship Program—an 8-week, cohort-based experience (August–October 2026) designed to connect emerging voice and speech professionals with established educators and practitioners. We are currently inviting applications from emerging professionals seeking mentorship and established practitioners interested in serving as mentors.

To apply and learn more information, find the Mentorship Program under Member Resources on our website! 🗣️

In celebration of VASTA’s 40th anniversary, and our ongoing commitment to our values of collaboration and access, we are proud to launch a new Mentorship Program in 2026. At VASTA, we believe in the power of long-standing members lifting the next generation of voice and speech professionals, providing access to resources, connections, and opportunities for all.

This inaugural program is designed as an 8-week, cohort-based experience connecting emerging professionals with established educators and practitioners across the field. Through guided conversations, structured topics, and meaningful exchange, participants will gain practical tools, industry insight, and a stronger sense of professional identity.

🗣️ To apply and learn more information, find the Mentorship Program under Member Resources on our website! 🗣️

Applications open: May 6, 2026
Applications due: May 31, 2026
Review of applications: June 2026
Acceptance notifications: July 1-15, 2026
Program dates: August – October 2026