Voice Teachers

DOROTHY BARNHOUSE (1974), sight singing, voice. BA, Linguistics, Harvard University; Voice and Vocal Pedagogy, Musikhochschule, Berlin; MEd, Education, Harvard University; MA, Music Theory, SFSU. Performed as mezzo-soprano soloist in Germany, Boston and the Bay Area. From 1988-1999, trained youth to teach music to children in barrios of Managua, Nicaragua. Resumed teaching at CMC in 1999. Also speaks Spanish.
Mission and Richmond District Branches

INA CHALIS (1966), voice. Diploma, Piano and Voice, Karlsruhe, Germany. Studied Italian, German, French and Russian opera and art songs. Performed extensively as a soloist on opera and concert stages, television and radio. Director, Ina Chalis Opera Ensemble. Former faculty, Fracassi Conservatory in Argentina and Montevideo Conservatory in Uruguay. Coaches repertoire from folk songs to opera for all skill levels. Also speaks German, Spanish, Italian, French and Russian.
Mission District Branch

MEGHAN DIBBLE (2010), voice. Meghan Dibble, mezzo soprano, has been teaching voice for 10 years. After she received a BA from California State University, East Bay she attended the master’s program at Northwestern University where she specialized in vocal pedagogy finding her influences in the pedagogies of Richard Miller and Willam Vennard as well as the writings on voice from the Bel Canto era. Ms. Dibble is a board member of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), a member of Opera American and a member of The Etude Club of Berkeley. Ms. Dibble is also a local classical singer whose roles include Ruth (The Pirates of Penzance), Old Lady (Candide), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Mercedes (Carmen), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Suzuki (Madam Butterfly), and Mrs. Page (The Merry Wives of Windsor). She sings with Lamplighters, San Luis Obispo Opera, Pocket Opera, West Bay Opera, and as a new music enthusiast, Goat Hall Production’s San Francisco Cabaret Opera. Her website is: www.meghandibble.com/vocalstudio.
Richmond District Branch

RICHARD FEY (2009), voice. Baritone, Richard Fey has performed throughout California, New York City and Germany in opera, concert and musical theater, including Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, Don Pasquale, Figaro (Rossini and Mozart) and Germont. He was in the 7th Army Soldiers’ Chorus, Heidelberg, Germany and has sung with New York City Opera Theater, Goldovsky Grand Opera Theater and Eastern Opera Theater in Baltimore and in concerts with Reno Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Chorale Society and California Bach Society and was a participant in the Merola Opera Program. He is a member of Bay Area Professional Singers’ Forum and NATS.
Mission and Richmond District Branches

JESSE FOSTER (1990), voice.
Jesse Foster studied operatic voice, piano theory and percussion. In his lessons, he focuses on teaching the singer to use his or her voice as an instrument. He emphasizes the skill of singing like an ensemble player.
Jesse also currently runs a Jazz Workshop and can be heard performing locally.
Mission District Branch

ELLEN GLIKBARG SHEA (1992-2002, 2010), Soprano. BA in Music from Pitzer College; MM in Vocal Performance from the University of Southern California. Has performed with most of the SF regional opera companies and San Francisco Opera chorus. Manager of The Merrie Olde Christmas Carolers, the oldest and largest professional caroling organization in the country. Winner of the SF Concerto Orchestra Vocal Competition in both the Living Composers and Cabaret divisions, and the Grand Prize winner of the Art Song division. Ellen has enjoyed being on the faculty at NDNU, De Anza College and The Academy of Art College. She lives an active lifestyle with her husband and their 3 kids. To keep her sanity, she also plays soccer at least once a week! www.EllenSheaSoprano.com
Mission District Branch

MARGARET GORDON (2011), voice. Coloratura soprano. BM in Vocal Performance and BA in Anthropology from the University of Washington (2008). MA in Vocal Performance from San Jose State University (2010). In 2006 and 2008 Margaret spent two summers in Italy studying Italian and vocal performance through Sessione Senese Per La Musica in Siena and The Italian Operatic Experience in Urbania. Margaret has performed various roles throughout her opera studies including, Sophie from Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Lena Finch from Mona Lynn Reese’s The Three Fat Women of Antibues, Fiordiligi and Despina from Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte, Giunone from Cavalli’s Didone, and Olympia from Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann. She is a SJSU Concerto Competition Winner (2008), a San Jose Women’s Club Scholarship Winner (2009), a San Jose Music Club Competition Winner (2009) and a second place winner of the San Jose Opera Guild Competition (2010). Ever since moving to San Francisco in 2010 Margaret has been focused on her two passions, performing and teaching. Her teaching is based on classical vocal technique, which can be used as the foundation for various singing genres. Margaret believes that with the right instruction and determination anyone has the ability to sing! www.magsvoice.com
Richmond District Branch

NICOLE LUMETTA (2008), voice. MM, Vocal Performance, San Francisco State University. BA, Interdisciplinary Humanities, Michigan State University. Has experience with a broad range of musical styles having performed operatic, concert and choral repertoire as well as popular styles such as music theater, standards/torch songs and even ska. Notable solo performances include California Opera Association, Diablo Symphony Orchestra, and Old First Church Concert Series. Besides developing a solid vocal technique, she also addresses performance practice, diction, and expression.
Mission District Branch

LICHI FUENTES (2011), voice. Lichi started her formal education at the University of Santiago, Chile. She then relocated to the US to attend Laney College Music Department in Oakland, California. Maria then came to San Francisco to study with famed vocal coach Judy Davis. Collaborations followed with Grupo Raiz, Aidavû Quartet, Le Peña Community Chorus, Colibrí in differents countries such as Eruope, Canada, Latin America, Cuba, Peru and United States. She is the current director of the chorus of La Peña Community Chorus in Berkeley, California. She has won many awards including the Women’s Foundation WOMAN OF NOTE. Also speaks Spanish.
Mission District Branch

CHRISTA PFEIFFER (2008), voice. BM, Eastman School of Music. Soprano Christa Pfeiffer enjoys an active career teaching voice and performing chamber music, oratorio, recital and opera. Solo appearances include performances with San Francisco Ballet, American Bach Soloists, Marin Oratorio, American Philharmonic Sonoma County, San Francisco Choral Society, Festival Opera, Oakland Symphony Chorus and Old First Concerts. She has also performed internationally in South Africa, Japan, Brazil and the UK. She teaches all ages, levels and musical styles incorporating breath and body alignment for optimal vocal freedom. Christa also teaches expression, performance practice, diction and sight reading depending on the student’s needs. www.christapfeiffer.com
Mission District Branch

MARTHA RODRIGUEZ-SALAZAR (2000), ear training, flute, piano, recorder, sight singing, voice, Flute Choir, Latin Music Vocal Workshop, Camp CMC, Mission District Young Musicians Program Project Coordinator. Martha was born and raised in Mexico City, coming to the United States in 1998 to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Music at Mills College in Oakland. As both flutist and mezzosoprano, Ms. Rodriguez has toured extensively in the United States, Mexico and Europe, with Classical, Baroque and folk ensembles and orchestras, winning awards in many of the countries where she has performed. In 1995 she began her conducting career, directing various ensembles, ranging from chamber music to flute and vocal choirs to operas. Ms. Rodriguez’s diverse teaching activities at CMC include flute, voice, piano, sight-reading, Latin Vocal Workshop, MDYMP, and Summer Camp. She has become a cultural leader of the Bay Area Latino community, directing and producing the annual Mexican Christmas show La Posarela at CMC, as well as curator and musical advisor at the annual Día de los Muertos Family Concert at the San Francisco Symphony. Also speaks Spanish.
Mission District Branch

JONATHAN SMUCKER (2009), voice. Jonathan Smucker, tenor, has sung more than 35 roles, ranging from baroque and classical to musical theater, operetta, and contemporary works. A graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a salutatorianat Interlochen Arts Academy, he holds Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Postgraduate degrees in voice. He received further training at the Aspen Music Festival, and was an apprentice artist for Ash Lawn Opera. A member of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale, he has appeared as a soloist with Festival Opera, Marin Oratorio, Lamplighters Music Theatre, Pocket Opera, Opera San Luis Obispo, and San Francisco Opera’s à la Carte program. Jonathan enjoys teaching in all styles of music and welcomes students from beginner to advanced.
Mission and Richmond District Branches