Vocal coach, Repertoire studies

Robert Muckenfuss is beginning his eleventh year on the voice faculty of Peabody as vocal coach. He coaches a full schedule of over 40 students and teaches Survey of Song Literature. He has served as pianist and vocal coach for the Cincinnati Opera, Nashville Opera, West Virginia Opera, and the New York Pala Opera companies. He has also been a vocal coach, chorus master, and pianist with Wolf Trap Opera and Music Administrator and Assistant Conductor at Glimmerglass Opera. Most recently he was the Coordinator of the Young Artist Program and Head of Music Staff at Lake George Opera in Saratoga Springs, NY. He has also served as a voice coach for the Washington Opera Institute for Young Singers and has been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland, College Park, for the Maryland Opera Studio.

Dr. Muckenfuss received his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, and his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Ensemble Arts from the Peabody Conservatory. He embodies a wealth of experience as a collaborative pianist, and has accompanied, in concert, renowned singers John Shirley-Quirk, William Sharp, Benjamin Luxon, and Phyllis Bryn-Julson. He has also enjoyed extensive coaching and repetiteur work with notable performers including David Daniels, Benita Valente, Vinson Cole and Frederica von Stade. He has served as a resident vocal coach at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival in Maine, with Ms. Bryn-Julson, and accompanied Mr. Shirley-Quirk on a recital tour of Hawaii and in master classes in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Dr. Muckenfuss is regularly engaged by the Kennedy Center in Washington serving as pianist for their productions of Words and Music and the Broadway musicals Titanic, and The Dead. He has also enjoyed a long tenure as an orchestra musician, and has played a vast repertoire of orchestral keyboard music and chamber music. He was principal pianist and organist for the Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestras for twelve years. He was frequently featured as organ soloist in concert and on several Pops compact discs on the Telarc label. Recent recordings include Dominick Argento's A Waterbird Talk and Miss Havisham's Wedding Night on the Koch label with John Shirley-Quirk, and a recently released recording with Peabody voice faculty member Steven Rainbolt, entitled The Rogue & the Romantic on the Viva! Productions label. His work with master teachers includes Ellen Mack, Samuel Sanders, and David Bar-Illan.

He is very active in the community life of Peabody in his second, two-year term as Chairman of the Peabody Faculty Assembly. He is the organist for the First Presbyterian Church in Annapolis, Maryland.

To view Steve Rainbolt Click Here