Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Dana Lynne Varga ’05 MM
A leading voice for change in the classical music industry, Dr. Dana Lynne Varga is a career coach, clinician, lecturer and writer on a mission to transform the traditional music career. She brings extensive experience as an entrepreneur, artistic director, performer, voice teacher, lecturer, and writer to her life's work of empowering classical musicians. Dana regularly writes and speaks about creating a sustainable music career, how to build a financially stable future, entrepreneurship, and more. She has lectured for over fifty organizations and institutions including NATS, Classical Singer, New England Conservatory, Stetson University, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Cincinnati College Conservatory, Boston University, University of Illinois, Harvard University, and many more.
As a soprano, Dana is a dynamic interpreter of a wide variety of repertoire on opera and concert stages. Over the last several years she has performed as soprano soloist in the Brahms, Mozart and Fauré Requiems at Carnegie Hall. Dana has performed a wide range of opera roles including Clorinda in Cenerentola with Boston Lyric Opera, Pallas Athene in Paride ed Elena with the Odyssey Opera, Micaëla in Carmen with the MassOpera, and Alcina in Alcina with the Boston Opera Collaborative. Highlights of Dana’s busy concert career have included Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Cantata Singers, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony with the Metropolitan Chorale, and Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor with Coro Allegro.
Along with performing, Dana runs a large private studio working with professional and emerging professional singers across the country. She is the Founder and CEO of The Empowered Musician, the Founder and Artistic Director of MassOpera, and on the Voice faculty at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA.
Why did you choose NEC?
I chose to attend NEC because of its reputation, great teachers and coaches, and rigorous curriculum.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC? What projects have you been working on? Do you have any goals you are looking to accomplish?
My number one goal these days is to empower and support musicians through my work at The Empowered Musician, a business through which I offer career coachings and courses around entrepreneurship, empowerment and positive industry change. I give lectures and seminars across the country on a regular basis. I am working hard to reach more artists with my message and career guidance. A passionate vocal pedagogue, I run a large private studio, teaching professional and emerging professional classical students. I also teach graduate voice majors at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge. Shortly after graduating from NEC, I founded MassOpera, where I am also the Artistic Director. The mission of MassOpera is to cultivate experiences for artists and audiences that challenge the status quo and reflect our diverse community. My performing career remains active, though I am very selective as to which opportunities are aligned with my values. This season I will cover the challenging role of Sifare in Mitridate with Boston Lyric Opera. I am also singing the role of Magistra in the new opera The Onion by Eric Sawyer, as well as performing as the soprano soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with the Jameson Singers.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
I thoroughly enjoyed playing one of the evil stepsisters in Massenet's Cendrillon in the beautiful Cutler Majestic Theatre. Another great memory of mine was diction class with Jean Anderson-Collier ’04 DM. Lastly, a favorite memory would be helping my fellow graduate students improve their sight-reading skills while we were crammed into practice rooms.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
I remember my late coach Terry Decima ’66 MM referring to any type of practice you didn't need to be physically upright singing as "armchair work.” Examples include researching a character, translating, putting in IPA symbols, learning rhythms, speaking the words, etc. I still use this concept regularly in my career!
How have your NEC experiences shaped your artistic approach?
I learned a lot about being an entrepreneurial musician from Angela Myles Beeching ’81 MM in the "gig office.” I also really loved my pedagogy class. Even though I was already teaching, this class inspired me to make it a much bigger part of my life. NEC’s rigorous opera program was tough, and I learned to handle rejection and become polished very quickly. Through my operatic training, I decided to reject the concept of the "straight shot" opera pipeline that was focused on young artist programs and managers. Instead, I now embrace (and teach others to embrace) the MANY paths to a career in singing.
Share any other stories about what has inspired you at NEC and beyond.
Both of my parents were entrepreneurs when I was growing up and they inspired me to be my own boss one day. I found that I enjoy creating and growing in my own way. My father, Arnold Schnitzer, is a world-renowned bass maker. While deciding on a correlating career alongside performing as a jazz bassist, he explored education and found that many of the students struggled when they transitioned into the world outside of school. I took that to heart and continue to work tirelessly to empower my students, both in and out of education, to be go-getters, find their own opportunities, be financially savvy and carve out space for themselves within their industry.
Do you have any advice for young musicians/current NEC students?
Learn to embrace and prepare for a correlating career; you will need additional income streams throughout your life so you might as well enjoy them. Understand that there are endless ways to have music in your life, and nobody gets to tell you that there is one specific way to do things. You have the power to create your own path, to forge instead of follow.
Register for Dana's upcoming event!
How to Build a Successful Private Studio
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. ET
Learn More About Dana:
Current Job: Self-Employed, The Empowered Musician
Major: Vocal Performance
Degree: Master of Music
Class Year: 2005
Instrument: Voice
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