BIO

Natalie Cummings, Soprano, has been praised as having “(a) lush, full-bodied and beautiful tone” by the Austin-American Statesman and “a big voice that didn’t sacrifice purity of tone for volume” by the New Orleans Times-Picayune. A teacher and performer from Austin, Texas, Dr. Cummings holds a Bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Equally interested in solo and choral performance and pedagogy, she was awarded the Joan Frey Boytim Award for Independent Teachers from the National Association of Teachers of Singing  (NATS) and served as a section leader for the 2021 TMEA All State Treble Choir. In 2024 she served as a NATS Intern and was awarded the NATS Emerging Leader Award. She was the Independent Studio Teacher Liaison for the Texoma region of NATS as well as serving on their High School Vocal Fellowship committee. Her interests include the alignment of solo and choral pedagogy, voice science, equity and accessibility in the voice studio, and issues of gender and race in vocal pedagogy and she has presented her research on these topics to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and the Texas Choral Directors Association (TCDA).

A two-time Houston District winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards and National Semi-Finalist of that same competition, Dr. Cummings has also twice been awarded Second Place in the Texoma NATSAA Competition, as well as earning the 2023 Linda Poetschke People’s Choice and the Liederkranz Awards, along with numerous others. She enjoys making music with her husband, Austin who is also a performer and music educator, and her two very theatrical children.