Faculty Profile for Myra Vassian

Biography Section

Biography and Education

Myra Vassian grew up in the mountains of NC where some of her earliest musical influences were opera, musical theater, jazz standards and Appalachian folk music. At the age of 18 she tied for the grand-prize trophy at the Asheville Mountain Youth Jamboree, (a regional high school competition for the preservation of Appalachian music) with her rendition of “The Hangman”, accompanying herself on the auto-harp and becoming the first singer to ever win the trophy traditionally always awarded to dance teams. After receiving degrees in voice from Baylor University (TX) and Western Carolina University (NC), Ms. Vassian was awarded an International Rotary Scholarship to attend the Conservatory of Music in Zürich, Switzerland where she remained for five years and earned a Performing Artist Diploma from the Bieler Opernstudio, in Biel/Bienne. Ms. Vassian made her professional European debut in the role of “Lauretta” from Gianni Schicchi, and continued to sing leading roles such as “Norina” from Don Pasquale, “Zerlina” from Don Giovanni, the world premiere of Der Zoobär by Swiss composer Jost Meier and “Madeleine” from Le postillon du Lonjeumeau. Upon returning to the United States, Ms. Vassian performed the role of “Susanna” from The Marriage of Figaro with Opera Carolina and Piedmont Opera. While continuing to perform both in Opera and Musical Theater, Myra started her teaching career at Davidson College in North Carolina.

After moving to New York, Ms. Vassian taught Lower School Music at the Hewitt School for Girls and Convent of the Sacred Heart. She became the Director of Music at The City Church, New York where she worked for 10 years until its closing in 2007. Ms. Vassian subsequently served on the Voice Faculty of the Evening Division of the Juilliard School of Music for 10 years while maintaining a studio of private voice students, among whom are those with ongoing professional careers singing Opera and Musical Theater. Ms. Vassian’s most recent love is singing cabaret. While in Manhattan she had the pleasure of performing multiple shows at The Duplex, the Metropolitan Room and the Laurie Beechman Theater under the direction of Lennie Watts and musical direction of Stephen Ray Watkins. Currently, Ms. Vassian continues to direct a community choir in Cape May, NJ, as well as performing in various concerts throughout the year there. Most recently, she is proud to be teaching a studio of wonderful future music teachers and performers as a part of the voice faculty at Texas State University--and loves calling Texas her new home.

Teaching Interests

Classical Opera, Art Song, Musical Theater, Folk and Jazz Standards as well as the correlation of bodywork to singing.

Research Interests

Bodywork and the study of Tai Chi, Qigong, Alexander Technique and Yoga in relation to a better understanding of how awareness of breath in the body leads to a more natural and satisfying result in one's singing.