Summary
Katherine Parker is grateful to serve as the coordinator of the voice area and artistic director of Nevada Opera Theatre at the 91ԭƬ. She is a vocologist, cross-trained performer and vocal pedagogue with over 18 years of experience as a music educator and professional performer. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from the 91ԭƬ (UNR), School of Music, Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Bachelor of Music Education from DePaul University, and is a National Center for Voice and Speech Vocologist through the University of Utah. She holds K-12 music teaching certification in Illinois and Massachusetts.
Professor Parker has held faculty positions at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Salem State University, Phillips Academy Andover, and Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Originally from Chicago, IL, she spent eight years as a middle school and elementary public school general music and choir director in the Greater Boston Area before transitioning to higher education. She is highly sought after as a guest artist and clinician. Her research focuses on establishing access and equity to vocal arts through a voice science-framed lens.
Professor Parker strongly believes in the importance of providing access to vocal health screenings and career pathways. In 2022, she established a no-cost vocal health symposium and laryngoscopy program at the 91ԭƬ for all incoming voice students in partnership with Summit Voice and Swallowing and Dr. Katie Allen. In 2024, the symposium expanded to include the entire School of Music to educate future voice educators, conductors, and instrumentalists about hearing and vocal health. Her research on developing universal access to vocal baseline assessment programs in public university systems was presented at the 2026 Pan-American Vocology Symposium along with her research partner, Madeline Harts from SUNY Binghamton University.
Professor Parker has presented research at institutions and organizations across the United States, including the Pan-American Vocology Association, Music Theatre Educators Association, NV-American Choral Directors Association, Classical Singer Magazine National Competition, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Berklee Jazz Fest, Boston Conservatory Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop, as well as the Massachusetts and Nevada Music Educators Association. She is a frequent peer reviewer for the Journal of Voice. In 2021, she was nominated for the UNR Paul and Judy Bible Teaching Award for excellence in teaching.
Her research "Broadway Belting: At the Intersection of History, Aesthetics, and Voice Habilitation," co-authored with Denis Rudisch, was featured at the NV-American Choral Directors Annual Symposium in 2026. Her presentation explored the origins of Broadway Belting in Black American roots singing traditions and as belting continues to evolve while drawing from these art forms. Her research seeks to inform applied teaching by uniting cultural context with pedagogical training.
Her career as a performer spans beyond traditional classical and musical theatre repertoire. As a voice producer, she has collaborated on four albums at the legendary recording studio Skywalker Sound. Her knowledge of acoustic science allows her to translate between engineers and performers and ultimately help performers achieve higher-quality recording studio results. She has performed as a soloist with Rochester Opera House, Reno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and Tahoe Toccata Orchestra. She has premiered works at the International Clarinet Association, Boston New Opera and the Musical Theatre Initiative, Rochester Performing Arts Center, and two seasons at the NEO Voice Festival in Los Angeles. As a dancer and instrumentalist, she spent three summers studying Ewe drumming and dance in Dagbe Cultural Centre in Kopeyia, Ghana, and with the National Dance Theatre in Accra. On stage, she has been described as “graceful, precise” and “her voice is a stunner” by the Portland Herald Press. Her favorite musical theatre credits include Miss Honey in "Matilda," Francesca in "Bridges of Madison County," Kate/Lilli in "Kiss Me Kate," and Claudia in "Nine."
As Artistic Director of Nevada Opera Theatre, Professor Parker has prioritized community engagement with the Reno/Tahoe arts community. Under her direction, NOT has established ongoing partnerships with Trinity Cathedral to provide free community performances to the Downtown Reno Community, ongoing technical and costuming partnerships with Reno Little Theatre, and connections with local galleries and artists, including performances with the Reno International Art Show, The Lilley Gallery, and an immersive performance art piece with Tahoe plein air landscape artist Phyllis Schafer. In 2025, Professor Parker spearheaded the launch of a no-cost supplemental diction and performance vocal coaching program for select voice students at the 91ԭƬ, featuring coaches from opera houses and young artist programs from around the country. The purpose of the program is to both improve performance skills and help establish professional connections for students who may not be able to afford to attend a pay-to-sing young artist program, but still would benefit from this training.
Professor Parker’s dedication to mentorship and guidance is evident in the achievements of her students, many of whom have pursued successful careers in opera, musical theatre, and academia. Her current and former students perform or have held contracts with Deutsche Oper Berlin, the National tours of Mrs. Doubtfire, Pretty Woman, Beetlejuice, The Cher Show, Broadway for Biden, and professional regional theatres and opera houses across the world. They have garnered recognition and wins at national competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, The Jimmy Awards, HGO Eleanor McCollum Aria Competition, NATS Cal-West/Boston/New England and National Competition, Classical Singer, and Hal Leonard Voice Competition. They have been accepted into esteemed young artist programs and institutions, including Boston University Opera Institute, University of Michigan, Princeton University, Merola, Bay View Music Festival, AIMS, and Opera Seme. Her teaching focuses on science-based, efficient function and expressive freedom in singing technique. She views the voice lesson as both a site of preparation for performance and self-directed learning. She aims to create a supportive environment for artistic discovery and cognitive growth.
Research interests
- Practical vocology for the applied studio
- Diversifying the Western European vocal canon
- Developmental repertoire for treble voices
- 19th-century women composers
- Cultural implications for teaching contemporary belt techniques
Selected publications
Notable exhibitions or performances
- Summer Vocology Institute, University of Utah, Participant and Graduate, 2025
- Classical Singer Competition/Convention, Presenter and Adjudicator, 2022-2023
- Nevada Music Educators Association All State Annual Conference, Presenter, May 2022
- National Association of Teachers of Singing Annual Conference, Presenter, 2020
- Boston Conservatory at Berklee Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop, Presenter, 2019
- Massachusetts Music Educators Association All State Conference, Presenter, 2017, 2014
Courses taught
- MUS 105: Vocal Techniques
- MUS 426: Vocal Literature
- MUSA 145: Voice - Lower Division
- MUSA 345: Voice - Upper Division
- MUSA 745: Voice - Graduate
- MUSE 104: Opera Workshop
- MUSE 410: Opera Theatre
- MUSE 610: Advanced Opera Performance
Education
- DMA, Vocal Performance, 91ԭƬ
- M.M., Vocal Pedagogy, Boston Conservatory at Berklee
- B.M., Music Education, DePaul University