Melissa Tosh

Academic Interests and Areas of Expertise

Melissa Tosh has sung extensively in opera, operetta, oratorio, recital and musical comedy, first in her home state of California and later in extended contracts with the Stadttheater Hildesheim and the Heidelberg Summer Castle Festival. After nine years of living and performing in Europe, Melissa returned to the United States to complete her doctoral studies and to shift her emphasis to vocal instruction at the college level.

Currently, Dr. Tosh is tenured as Full Professor at the University of Redlands in Southern California. Since arriving in 1999, she has taught courses in Applied Voice, Vocal Pedagogy, French, German and Italian Lyric Diction and Literature, Opera Workshop and Graduate Seminars in the School of Music.  She has adjudicated for Spotlilght, Rotary and SCVA vocal competitions.

Melissa Tosh also enjoys composing.  Her art song, Autumn Within was selected as first prize winner in the 2008 Longfellow Chorus Competition and several of her art songs and choral pieces were chosen for the international "Lullabies for Free Children" project.  She is the 2011 recipient of the "Emerging Women Compsers" award offered by the Twin Cities Women's Choir.

Dr. Tosh resides in Redlands with her husband.

Background Highlights

• Masterclasses: Dorothy Kirsten, Nan Merriman, Daniel Ferro and Blanche Theborn, 1976-1979
• Studied voice with Vladimir Shustroff, Egidia Bonessi, Paul Harms, James Miller and Jane Paul.

Courses Taught at Redlands

• Chair of Voice Area
• Graduate Advisor
• Applied Voice
• Graduate Seminars
• Vocal Pedagogy
• German, French and Italian Lyric Diction and Literature
• Opera Workshop

Education

• D.M.A. University of Oregon, Eugene, 1996
• M.A. California State University Sacramento, 1994
• B.M. California State University Sacramento, 1993
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 1990
• CSU Long Beach and CSU Fullerton, 1973-1981 

Previous Teaching Experience

• Youngstown State University, 1996-1999
  • Tenured-Track Assistant Professor of Vocal Studies
  • Applied Voice
  • Vocal Pedagogy
  • German Diction
• University of Oregon, 1994-1996
  • Graduate Teaching Fellow
• Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, January 1994
  • Artist-in-Residence
  • Vocal Instructor
  • Stage Director
• California State University Sacramento, 1993-1994
  • Assistant in Opera, Directing and Coaching
• Sacramento Visual and Performing Arts Magnet High School, 1993
  • Choral Instructor
  • Vocal Coach
• Heidelberg Patton Military Base Music School, 1988-1989
  • Voice and Piano Instruction
• Hildesheim, West Germany, 1983-1987
  • Vocal Instruction

Professional Experience

• Theater der Stadt Heidelberg Schloss Spiele, 1988-1991
• Stadttheater Hildesheim, 1983-1987
• Guestings in Hagen, Peine, Giessen, Braunschweig, Wolfburg; Freelance tour in Germany and Switzerland, 1984-1991 

Awards and Honors

• Emerging Women Composers Award, Twin Cities Women's Choir, 2011
• Longfellow Chorus: First Prize for Solo Vocal Art Song composition, 2007
• Bel Canto Award, Belgium International Competition, 1986
• Finalist San Francisco Auditions, 1982
• Finalist Orange County Met Auditions 
• Gladys Turk Foundation Grant
• Mobile Oil Grant
• Civitan Special Olympics Fund Raising Award
• NATS Orange County Chapter
• Orange County Philharmonic Society

Professional Affiliations

• NATS (National Association of Teachers Singing)
• IAWM (International Alliance of Women in Music)
• ACF (American Composer's Forum)
• Pi Kappa Lambda (Honorary Music Fraternity)
• ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

Professor Tosh has served as faculty advisor to the Musical Theatre Club and to the Mortarboard Committee for selection of Commencement soloists.

Repertoire

Opera

• Madame Flora,  The Medium
• Mother, Amahl and the Night Visitor
• Martha, Martha
• Countess and Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro
• Sophie, Werther
• Principessa and Sister Angelica, Suor Angelica
• Célie, Signor Deluso
• Miss Wordsworth, Albert Herring
• Papagena, Die Zauberflöte
• Blondchen, Die Entführung aus dem Serail
• Gilda, Rigoletto
• Gretel and Mother, Hänsel und Gretel
• Magda, La Rondine
• Prima Donna, Viva la Mamma
• Despina and Fiodilidi,  Cosí fan tutte
• Esmeralda, Die verkaufte Braut
• Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor

Operetta

• Kathie, The Student Prince
• Christel, Der Vogelhändler
• Mabel, Piraten aus Penzance
• Giro-flé and Giro-flà, Giro-flé - Giro-flà.
• Adele, Die Fledermaus
• Arsena, Die Zigeunerbaron
• Valencienne, The Merry Widow
• Laura, Der Bettelstudent

Musical

• Maria, West Side Story
• Marian Paroo, The Music Man
• Mother Abbess, The Sound of Music
• Julie Jordan, Carousel
• Mona Kent, Dames at Sea
• Tuptim, The King and I

Oratorio

• Messiah
• Weihnachts Oratorium, Magnificant: J.S. Bach
• Gloria, Vivaldi
• Lord Nelson Mass
• Requiem: Duruflé, Fauré, Weber and Rutter
• Carmina Burana
• Seven Last Words of Christ
• Stabat Mater: Pergolesi and Vivaldi

Concert and Excerpted Opera

• La Bohème
• Il Barbiere de Siviglia
• La traviata
• Linda di Chamonix
• Die Zauberflöte