Baylor > Voice > Faculty > Dr. Deborah Williamson

Dr. Deborah Williamson

Associate Professor of Voice
School of Music
One Bear Place, Box 97408
Baylor University
Waco TX 76798-7408
Phone: (254) 710-3661
Fax: (254) 710-1191
E-mail: Deborah_Williamson@Baylor.edu

DEBORAH WILLIAMSON, soprano, holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice with a related field in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of North Texas, the Artist Diploma in Opera and the Master of Music degree in Voice from the University of Cincinnati, College/Conservatory of Music and the Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Baylor University. Dr. Williamson is a tenured Associate Professor of Voice at Baylor University, has served as a member of the Voice faculty at The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria during the summer months, and holds the office of Governor of the Texoma Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She is frequently sought after as an adjudicator and master class clinician at the state and regional levels and has recently given master classes at the Ghent Conservatory of Music in Belgium and at the Texas Music Teachers Association convention in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Williamson has performed principal roles with The Little Orchestra Society in New York at Lincoln Center, the New York Center for Contemporary Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Columbus, Lyric Opera of Waco, Columbus Light Opera, Abilene Opera, The Longview Opera, The Opera Project in Dallas and in performances of the West Virginia Symphony's fully staged production of Die Fledermaus. She has appeared as Christine in the Kopit / Yeston Phantom of the Opera, touring major cities throughout Germany and Switzerland. Her performances of Monica in Menotti's The Medium, as well as the title role in Huston's The Blind Girl, were telecast on Cincinnati PBS-TV.

In demand as a soloist with symphony orchestras, Dr. Williamson has recently appeared as a featured soloist with the Brabant Symphony in Belgium and has sung with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati "Pops" and toured Europe as soloist with the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus. She has also completed a tour of the southern United States as soloist in the World Premiere performances of James Syler's Storyville. She has performed at the Brevard Music Festival and has appeared as guest soloist with the Garland Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, Waco Symphony Orchestra, Southeastern Ohio Symphony and the Northeast Texas Symphony, among others.

A sensitive and expressive recitalist, Deborah Williamson is a noted interpreter of the works of French and American composers, in particular, and has recently appeared in solo recital in California, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, Idaho, Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and her native Texas. She has also recently appeared in recital at the Texoma Regional National Association of Teachers of Singing conference, the Hawaii International Conference for the Arts and Humanities, and the College Music Society Fiftieth National Conference in Salt Lake City presenting a program featuring the works of women composers.

Awards and Honors include winning the Metropolitan Opera Southern Ohio District Auditions in 1991, the N.A.T.S.A.A. Ohio Regional Competition in 1990, the N.A.T.S.A.A. North Texas District Competition in 1998, the Winspear Music Scholarship at the University of North Texas in 1999, the Corbett Foundation Award (1986-1989) and the Concerto Competition at the University of Cincinnati, College/Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Williamson's students are featured in principal roles with the Baylor Opera Theater and as soloists with the Baylor Choirs and Orchestra. They are frequent winners and finalists at regional and national vocal competitions, and are selected by audition for summer training programs in the US and Europe. Many current and former students are enjoying professional careers in regional musical theater, Broadway productions and national tours, regional orchestral concerts, and operatic productions throughout the United States. Additionally, many of her students are making significant contributions to the field as music teachers, church musicians, and teachers of voice at the private and university levels.