Education
DMA, Vocal Performance and Literature, Cognate in Theatre, University of Illinois
MM, New England Conservatory of Music
BM, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Dr. Ellen Denham is an accomplished singer, voice teacher, director, and writer. She holds a Doctorate in Vocal Performance and Literature with a Cognate in Theatre from the University of Illinois, following a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Dr. Denham currently serves on the voice faculty of Central Connecticut State University and the Hartt School Community Division, in addition to working as a performer and director. She has previously taught at several respected institutions, including Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, where she has directed more than 15 opera and theatrical productions, Earlham College, Georgia College, and the University of Illinois. Over her two decades of teaching at the college level, her students have received awards from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), performed as soloists with community and professional organizations, and gained acceptance into competitive graduate programs in voice.
A versatile performer, Dr. Denham has lent her vocal talents to opera, musical theatre, and concert solo work. She is known for her interpretive skills, clear tone, and expressive ornamentation. Her operatic and musical theatre roles include Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, Violet in Rorem’s A Childhood Miracle, Martha Sheldon in Ward’s The Crucible, and Jenny in The Threepenny Opera. As a concert soloist, Dr. Denham has performed works ranging from the Monteverdi Vespers to Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Dixit Dominus. She has also performed the works of contemporary composers such as Adam Rudolph and Juliana Hall.