WELCOME TO THE NORTHWEST REGION
of the National Association of Teachers of Singing
The largest professional association of teachers of singing in the world
The NW Region of NATS includes Alaska, all of British Columbia, Western Washington, and Western Oregon.
The region is home to seven NATS chapters and over 350 NATS members.
The NW Region of NATS includes Alaska, all of British Columbia, Western Washington, and Western Oregon.
The region is home to seven NATS chapters and over 350 NATS members.
NATS Northwest Regional Officers
Governor
Nicole Leupp Hanig - Biography
Soprano, Nicole Leupp Hanig has appeared as a soloist with the Jussi Björling Festival
in Sweden, the Maggio Musicale Festival in Italy, the Pacific Music Festival in Japan
and Atelier Lyrique in France. She has performed a solo recital at St. Martin’s in the
Field in London, Berg’s Sieben Frühe Lieder at Durham Cathedral in Durham, England
and was a soloist in opera galas for Amnesty International at St. James’ Picadilly in
London and for the Cairo Opera in Egypt, which was recorded for Egyptian television.
Recent performance projects include Nuit dÉtoiles: The Forgotten Songs of Charles-
Marie Widor for Albany Records and a recital entitled “Wandering in This Place: Songs
of Emigration and Equality” for Opera Limerick in Ireland sponsored by the Irish Arts
Council. She began her professional career as a mezzo-soprano specializing in early
music working with Martin Pearlman, Christopher Hogwood, Craig Smith, Nick
McGegan and Yehudi Wyner.
Dr. Hanig holds degrees from The University of Colorado, and The University of Illinois
as well as a Post Graduate Diploma from The Royal Academy of Music in London
where she was awarded the Diploma of the Royal Academy for distinction in
performance. She currently serves as the Director of Vocal Studies at University of
Portland, and as an Artist/Teacher with Music in the Marche, an opera training program
and festival in Mondavio di Pesaro, Italy. Her students have gone on for advanced study
at The Mannes Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Indiana University, San
Francisco Conservatory, Texas Tech, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory
and Boston University among others. Dr. Hanig maintains a private teaching studio of
professional singers based in the Pacific Northwest. She serves as Northwest Governor
and National Board Member for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS.
As an evidenced-based voice teacher, Dr. Hanig teaches from both a place of artistry
and science, blending tenets of Italian bel canto technique, anatomy and physiology and
acoustical science to empower artists to meet the vocal resonance demands of music in
a variety of eras, styles, genres and languages. She was fortunate to begin her study of
vocal pedagogy with renowned vocal pedagogue, Barbara Doscher and continues to
grow through research in the fields of vocology, acoustics, neuro-science, respiratory
physical therapy and cognition. In the last two years, she began providing lectures to
professors and students in the areas of biology, psychology, physics and nursing to help
them understand how the vocal instrument behaves biologically and acoustically as well
as the ways singing affects us cognitively as both listeners and practitioners. She was
awarded a Butine Grant to fund research combining the breath and resonance
techniques used in classical singing with elements from somatic tracking, motor learning
research and Alexander technique to create the class “Finding your Voice” which is an
updated version of group voice class that sees singing through the lens of health and
wellness.
Nicole Leupp Hanig - Biography
Soprano, Nicole Leupp Hanig has appeared as a soloist with the Jussi Björling Festival
in Sweden, the Maggio Musicale Festival in Italy, the Pacific Music Festival in Japan
and Atelier Lyrique in France. She has performed a solo recital at St. Martin’s in the
Field in London, Berg’s Sieben Frühe Lieder at Durham Cathedral in Durham, England
and was a soloist in opera galas for Amnesty International at St. James’ Picadilly in
London and for the Cairo Opera in Egypt, which was recorded for Egyptian television.
Recent performance projects include Nuit dÉtoiles: The Forgotten Songs of Charles-
Marie Widor for Albany Records and a recital entitled “Wandering in This Place: Songs
of Emigration and Equality” for Opera Limerick in Ireland sponsored by the Irish Arts
Council. She began her professional career as a mezzo-soprano specializing in early
music working with Martin Pearlman, Christopher Hogwood, Craig Smith, Nick
McGegan and Yehudi Wyner.
Dr. Hanig holds degrees from The University of Colorado, and The University of Illinois
as well as a Post Graduate Diploma from The Royal Academy of Music in London
where she was awarded the Diploma of the Royal Academy for distinction in
performance. She currently serves as the Director of Vocal Studies at University of
Portland, and as an Artist/Teacher with Music in the Marche, an opera training program
and festival in Mondavio di Pesaro, Italy. Her students have gone on for advanced study
at The Mannes Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Indiana University, San
Francisco Conservatory, Texas Tech, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory
and Boston University among others. Dr. Hanig maintains a private teaching studio of
professional singers based in the Pacific Northwest. She serves as Northwest Governor
and National Board Member for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS.
As an evidenced-based voice teacher, Dr. Hanig teaches from both a place of artistry
and science, blending tenets of Italian bel canto technique, anatomy and physiology and
acoustical science to empower artists to meet the vocal resonance demands of music in
a variety of eras, styles, genres and languages. She was fortunate to begin her study of
vocal pedagogy with renowned vocal pedagogue, Barbara Doscher and continues to
grow through research in the fields of vocology, acoustics, neuro-science, respiratory
physical therapy and cognition. In the last two years, she began providing lectures to
professors and students in the areas of biology, psychology, physics and nursing to help
them understand how the vocal instrument behaves biologically and acoustically as well
as the ways singing affects us cognitively as both listeners and practitioners. She was
awarded a Butine Grant to fund research combining the breath and resonance
techniques used in classical singing with elements from somatic tracking, motor learning
research and Alexander technique to create the class “Finding your Voice” which is an
updated version of group voice class that sees singing through the lens of health and
wellness.
Treasurer
Bonnie Johnson received her B.M.Ed and M.M.Ed degrees from Western Oregon University. She worked for several years for the Salem-Keizer School District in choral music as well as serving as soloist and director of the youth choir programs at First Presbyterian and St. Paul's Episcopal Churches in Salem, Oregon. She has been teaching vocal studies at Corban University in Salem, Oregon for the last fifteen years. She sang with the Portland Symphonic Choir for twenty-four years and is an active member of the Cascade Chapter of NATS where she has served on the board as their treasurer.
Bonnie Johnson received her B.M.Ed and M.M.Ed degrees from Western Oregon University. She worked for several years for the Salem-Keizer School District in choral music as well as serving as soloist and director of the youth choir programs at First Presbyterian and St. Paul's Episcopal Churches in Salem, Oregon. She has been teaching vocal studies at Corban University in Salem, Oregon for the last fifteen years. She sang with the Portland Symphonic Choir for twenty-four years and is an active member of the Cascade Chapter of NATS where she has served on the board as their treasurer.
Auditions Chair
Soprano Hsin Yi Lin is the recipient of various awards, including Chi Mei Arts Award, Grand Prize winner of the Metropolitan International Vocal Competition, Marc and Eva Stern Fellowship and Taipei Philharmonic Foundation Vocal Competition. Her operatic and orchestral appearances include Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, Menotti’s Help, Help, The Globolinks, Britten’s Albert Herring, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Cavalli’s Giasone and L’Egisto, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, J. S. Bach’s Magnificat, and her perfect pitch memory has also enabled her to excel in contemporary vocal music. She is a National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) member and adjudicator, and has been serving as the NW Region Auditions Chair since 2017. Hsin Yi received a doctorate from the U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, prior to which she received dual masters degrees in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from New England Conservatory of Music.
Soprano Hsin Yi Lin is the recipient of various awards, including Chi Mei Arts Award, Grand Prize winner of the Metropolitan International Vocal Competition, Marc and Eva Stern Fellowship and Taipei Philharmonic Foundation Vocal Competition. Her operatic and orchestral appearances include Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, Menotti’s Help, Help, The Globolinks, Britten’s Albert Herring, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Cavalli’s Giasone and L’Egisto, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, J. S. Bach’s Magnificat, and her perfect pitch memory has also enabled her to excel in contemporary vocal music. She is a National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) member and adjudicator, and has been serving as the NW Region Auditions Chair since 2017. Hsin Yi received a doctorate from the U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, prior to which she received dual masters degrees in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from New England Conservatory of Music.
NATSAA Coordinator
Holly Boaz: A self-identifying "voice geek", soprano Holly Boaz enjoys a varied and rewarding career as a teacher and performer. She performs regionally in opera, oratorio, chamber music, and small vocal ensembles, specializing in music of the Baroque period, but she also loves a good Romantic art song, especially one in Russian. In addition to serving on the music faculty at Pacific Lutheran University and Tacoma Community College, she maintains a private voice studio in the Tacoma area and online. As a teacher, she loves working with any student for whom singing is meaningful, whether they be a career-bound college student, a future music educator, or an individual who sings simply for the joy and community it can bring. She is the District Governor of Western Washington for NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), an organization dedicated to advancing excellence in singing through teaching, performance, scholarship, and research. In her home community of Vashon Island and as president of the Vashon Choral Boosters, she advocates for access to choral education for all K-12 students. http://www.boazvoicestudio.com
www.hollyboaz.com
Holly Boaz: A self-identifying "voice geek", soprano Holly Boaz enjoys a varied and rewarding career as a teacher and performer. She performs regionally in opera, oratorio, chamber music, and small vocal ensembles, specializing in music of the Baroque period, but she also loves a good Romantic art song, especially one in Russian. In addition to serving on the music faculty at Pacific Lutheran University and Tacoma Community College, she maintains a private voice studio in the Tacoma area and online. As a teacher, she loves working with any student for whom singing is meaningful, whether they be a career-bound college student, a future music educator, or an individual who sings simply for the joy and community it can bring. She is the District Governor of Western Washington for NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), an organization dedicated to advancing excellence in singing through teaching, performance, scholarship, and research. In her home community of Vashon Island and as president of the Vashon Choral Boosters, she advocates for access to choral education for all K-12 students. http://www.boazvoicestudio.com
www.hollyboaz.com
Webmaster
Jordyn Day Palmer is a performer and voice teacher in the Seattle area specializing in pop, musical theatre, and contemporary performance styling and riffing. Her students have performed all over the United States at regional and local theatres, participated in competitive New York and Chicago based summer intensives, as well as received admittance to many of the top musical theatre and performing arts college programs. Jordyn is the sole-female member of the award-winning, pop a cappella group, Restless Vocal Band based out of Seattle; RVB performs up and down the West Coast for corporate events, fundraisers, competitions, weddings and schools. She has served on the Puget Sound NATS board as the VP of Adjudications and a Board Member at Large; she is the current webmaster.
www.jordynday.com | IG: @jdvoxstudio | TikTok (25K+ followers!): @voicestudioofjordynday | jordyn@edgeartsanddance.com
Jordyn Day Palmer is a performer and voice teacher in the Seattle area specializing in pop, musical theatre, and contemporary performance styling and riffing. Her students have performed all over the United States at regional and local theatres, participated in competitive New York and Chicago based summer intensives, as well as received admittance to many of the top musical theatre and performing arts college programs. Jordyn is the sole-female member of the award-winning, pop a cappella group, Restless Vocal Band based out of Seattle; RVB performs up and down the West Coast for corporate events, fundraisers, competitions, weddings and schools. She has served on the Puget Sound NATS board as the VP of Adjudications and a Board Member at Large; she is the current webmaster.
www.jordynday.com | IG: @jdvoxstudio | TikTok (25K+ followers!): @voicestudioofjordynday | jordyn@edgeartsanddance.com
District Governors
Mari Hahn- mhahn6@alaska.edu - Alaska - https://www.alaskanats.org/
Holly Boaz - Washington
Beverly Park - Oregon
Craig Tompkins - British Columbia
Holly Boaz - Washington
Beverly Park - Oregon
Craig Tompkins - British Columbia