Maura O'Halloran Voice - Thursday30 Minute

Maura Donnelly O’Halloran specializes in teaching children, teens and young adults. Maura not only teaches vocal technique and musicality, but expands her focus to include the whole student. During lessons, she adapts her methods to fit each student’s individual needs. Her goal is to strengthen and fortify each student’s voice, as well as increase and improve their self-perception and self-confidence. Maura treats the whole instrument and, thus, the whole person.

Training: Maura has been teaching singing for over ten years. She studied teaching with renowned Vocal Pedagogue and Suzuki Voice Founder, Päivi Kukkamäki, in Vantaa, Finland. She studied Voice at DePaul University School of Music with Norman Gulbrandsen. She studied vocal artistry with coaches Kit Bridges and Linda Hirt in Chicago.

Maura is currently pursuing a M.A. at the Voice Centre under the guidance of Debbie Winter at the Voice Centre in the U.K. She is researching how the act of singing and vocalizing can heal and repair brain function in traumatized children. Maura has a B.A. in Philosophy and Music from St. John’s College. 

She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), both the American and European Suzuki Associations, and the Schubert Club of Fairfield County.

Technique & Literature: Maura utilizes Suzuki Voice books for her younger students (ages 3-8), teaching them to sing simple folk songs in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Finnish among other languages. She has an expansive library of vocal literature and starts older children (ages 8-12) with classic American folk songs (“25 Folksong Solos for Children”), interweaving musical theatre songs (“Kids' Musical Theatre Collection,” Volumes 1 and 2) and classical repertoire as each student grows in interest and ability. Maura teaches solid vocal technique so that each student is able to sing correctly and easily in either musical theatre or classical styles (i.e. belting correctly, controlling natural vibrato, etc.).

Success as a Teacher: Maura has performed as a soloist in Europe and the US, but her current passion is to pass down her vocal knowledge and technique to her students. Watching her students shine and succeed is her true joy. Maura has assisted singers in preparing for auditions local roles (Wilton Children’s Theater (WTC), Wilton Playshop, Crystal Theatre, etc.), as well as for Broadway, Conservatories and beyond. She adapts to the ambition of each student and encourages them to be the best version of their unique selves. Maura strives to teach each student how to release their full voices and, in doing, hopes to prepare that student for more than just the stage, but for the regular challenges of life.