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About Me

Ellen Allen, soprano, voice teacher, vocal coach in Reading, MA and online

Even when I was a very young musician, I knew I wanted to spend my life sharing music with others.

 

From starting violin at age four to singing in my church choir to studying at conservatory, music, for me, has always been a collaborative experience.  Whether I am performing or working with a student, it's always about sharing something - a message, a perspective, or simply something that's just plain awesome.

While my training and performing experience are mostly classical, I believe the voice is capable of a myriad of sounds and colors, providing us with an almost infinite palette with which to express ourselves.  As a performer, I enjoy choral singing, chamber music, art song, and new music; as a teacher, I love working with musical theater and classical alike, showing students all the different ways they can harness their vocal potential. 

What does this mean?  It means that, rather than singing with or teaching a "specific" technique, I'm willing to - and capable of - exploring the many sounds a voice can make - whether it's the high, florid coloratura of Bach or Handel; Broadway-style chest voice or mix; Palestrina-style straight tone; full-voiced Brahms or Bruckner; or the declamatory, text-centered style of an atonal art song composed by a colleague.

 

I've been building my musical skill set for a long time - over 30 years, in fact.  I take pride in my attention to detail, my excellent sight-reading skills, and my ear for intonation and tuning.  If we work together, you can be assured that I'll always bring my best.  

And perhaps most fundamentally, I believe all art requires curiosity, open-mindedness, and a sense of exploration and discovery - because it's these mindsets that enable us to collaborate and share with others.

Bio

A lifelong musician, Boston-based soprano Ellen Allen is a versatile performer of oratorio, recital, opera, new music, and chamber music. Recent solo credits include BWV 196 and selections from Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass at the 2019 MassACDA Intercollegiate Choral Festival; selections from Libby Larsen's Try Me, Good King: The Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII with Triad: Boston's Choral Collective; Vivaldi's Gloria with MasterWorks Chorale; Poulenc's Gloria with the MetroWest Choral Artists; and BWV 10 and selections from Mozart's Davidde Penitente with Calliope.  She has also performed with the Harvard Early Music Society, the MIT Women's Chorale, Calliope's Ensemble-In-Residence Program, the Gordon College Symphonic Chorale, and the Freisinger Chamber Orchestra.

An enthusiastic collaborator, Ellen is an avid choral and chamber musician, having performed in early music and new music groups alike.  She currently sings with Boston's esteemed Cantata Singers and with Triad: Boston's Choral Collective, a democratically-run ensemble of singers, conductors, and composers dedicated to performing choral works composed in the last 25 years.  

Master of Music and Teaching Artist Certificate, Longy School of Music of Bard College

Bachelor of Music, Gordon College

Member, NATS

Member, PAVA

Member, The Speakeasy Cooperative

Certified Master Coach and Certified Holistic Wellness Coach, International Association of Wellness Professionals

Ellen Allen, soprano, voice teacher, singing teacher, vocal coach in Reading, MA and online
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