Utah Vocal Arts Academy
Unleash Your Vocal Potential, Train With the Best
Our Teachers
Vocal Training at UVAA
Our specialty is providing the highest quality vocal lessons to singers of all styles, ages, and skill levels.
Teachers:
Our teachers have been hand-picked by Dr. Hurtado for their excellence in music and performing, their dedication to quality education, and their passion for strengthening others through music. They each have or are pursuing degrees in vocal performance or music education. They are also fantastic singers themselves, who perform regularly on professional, university, and community stages. They are excellent technicians and great people!
Lesson options:
Whether you want training in Classical, Musical Theater, or Popular music styles, UVAA has qualified teachers who specialize in each genre. Browse our faculty bios below to learn more about our excellent teachers.
No experience necessary:
You do not need prior experience to take lessons with us, just a desire to sing better! Our students range from professional singers and national competition winners to hobbyists and beginners of all ages.
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Pricing:
Lessons cost between $25-130, depending on the teacher and the length of the lesson. Click here for detailed policies and pricing.
To find out if lessons at UVAA are right for you, fill out our application form and a member of our staff will contact you shortly to schedule a lesson.
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Dr. Isaac Hurtado
Director, UVAA
Classical/Opera
DM, Voice Performance,
Florida State University
MM, Voice Performance,
Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
BM, Voice Performance,
Brigham Young University
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Dr. Hurtado has limited openings (by audition only) typically for high school-aged singers or adults with an interest in classical singing. Ask about scholarships!
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Dr. Hurtado's former students include 2 national winners, 4 national semifinalists/Rocky Mountain regional winners, and 4 Utah District winners in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions since 2017. His students have performed with Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Central City Opera, Des Moines Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Utah Opera, and many others. They have been admitted into nearly every major vocal program in the country including The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute, Manhattan School of Music, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory, Peabody Conservatory, Brigham Young University, Roosevelt Conservatory, Boston University, The Cleveland Institute and many more.
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Dr. Hurtado also enjoys a varied career as a professional singer, voice teacher, and stage director. He has performed over 30 operatic roles and has appeared in numerous concerts across the country and in Italy. He is best known for his 'honey-toned' voice that 'caresses the ear,' 'money notes worth every penny,' and 'convincing' and 'heartfelt' acting portrayals. Key roles have included Rodolfo in La Bohème, Romèo in Romèo et Juliette, Duke in Rigoletto, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Alfredo in La Traviata, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Werther in Werther.
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Dr. Hurtado is currently serving as Associate Professor of Voice and Director of Opera at Utah Valley University.
Marina Costa-Jackson
Opera, Classical
Academy of Vocal Arts (Philadelphia)
Marina Costa-Jackson is an Italian-American soprano of international acclaim. She's a Met winner, an Operalia winner, and a 2016 graduate of the famed Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Recently Marina was featured as Mimì (La bohème) at the Noorda Center of Performing Arts alongside local professionals and UVU students. She is a fabulous teacher and performer for those interested in the classical arts!
Ariana Abadia
General Voice, Classical, Latin Music, Musical Theatre
MM Vocal Performance, BYU
Ariana obtained her diploma in classical voice at the National Conservatory of Music in Ecuador. Later she received her bachelor’s degree in music pedagogy at the Catholic University of Quito. In April 2024, she obtained her master’s degree in vocal performance at Brigham Young University. Ariana has performed as Romilda in Handel’s Serse, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow; Martha and
Mary mother in Rob Gardner’s Lamb of God; Bastiene in Bastien und Batienne; Ilse in Spring Awakening; the First Lady in The Magic Flute; Diana in the national premiere of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. She’s been a soloist in Faure’s Requiem, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Vivaldi’s
Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, and the cantata Resurrección en Quito by Diego Luzuriaga.
Ariana has won several renowned contests in Ecuador and the United States. She can teach lessons in Spanish as well as English.
Taci Miner
Musical Theatre, Classical,
Pop/Contemporary, Jazz
BA, Vocal Performance, UVU
Taci is a musician of many talents, having studied and sung varieties of music ranging from opera, musical theater, jazz and even R&B. She has 12 years of choral experience and has performed in over 30 stage productions of musicals and plays. Her favorite roles include "Eponine" in Les Miserables, "Mabel" in The Pirates of Penzance", "Martha" in The Secret Garden and "Molly" in Ghost: The Musical.
Taci graduated in May with a BA with an emphasis in Vocal Performance at Utah Valley University, and there she was a member of the top performance Chamber Choir and commercial vocal group, Soulscape. She was also part of the UVU Opera program, with stage role credits including "Belinda" in Purcell's Dido and Aenaea, "Olympia" in Les Contes d'Hoffman" and most recently, "Gretel" in Hansel und Gretel.
"My teaching philosophy involves creating a supportive and nurturing environment in which students can explore their vocal potential. I believe in building lesson plans to meet the unique needs and goals of each student, whether they are beginners looking to start their vocal journey or experienced singers seeking to refine their skills. I provide a place where students can be excited about the things they are learning!"
Ciara Brown
Pop/Contemporary
Ciara graduated from Utah Valley University with a BS in commercial music with an emphasis in contemporary voice. She is trained in many areas including; vocal technique, performance, music theory, piano, songwriting, and music tech/studio recording. She excels in teaching contemporary/pop, jazz, soul/R&B, and musical theater. More...
BM Commercial Voice, UVU
Charlee Sorensen
General Voice, Classical.
Musical Theatre, Contemporary
BA, Vocal Performance, UVU (in progress)
Charlee Sorensen is a soprano pursuing a BA in Vocal Performance at Utah Valley University. With a background singing in various styles such as contemporary, musical theatre, and classical, she has an eclectic skillset as a teacher. Charlee loves teaching and aims to inspire her students to work hard and love singing! She began voice lessons at the age of 7 and knew that bringing joy to others through music is her calling. Charlee trained at the Utah Conservatory of Performing Arts in Music/Dance/Theater for two years and was President of the drama club at Richfield High School. At 16, she began training with Dr. Isaac Hurtado which sparked a passion for operatic singing. She performed as Nella and covered Lauretta in her first opera, Gianni Schicchi, at 18 years old for the Mediterranean Opera Festival/Studio. Since then, she has sung Spirit in Dido and Aeneas, Dew Fairy in Hansel und Gretel, and has the exciting opportunity to cover Juliette in Romeo et Juliette this summer for UVOF.
Bethany Rasmussen
General Voice, Classical, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Jazz
BA Vocal Performance, UVU (in progress)
Bethany started taking music lessons when she was five, and has loved developing and showcasing her talents ever since. Some of her favorite roles include Nancy in "Oliver!", Little Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods", and Golde in "Fiddler on the Roof". Bethany was a proud member of the Copper Hills Choirs and had the privilege of serving as their Student Director and Concert Choir accompanist during her senior year. She was also a Sterling Scholar State Finalist in the Vocal Performance category. Bethany has recently completed her Associate of Science in Music from UVU. As a part of that achievement, she was honored to be selected as the Valedictorian for the Associates Degree for the School of the Arts. During her time at UVU, she performed as Sandman in UVU's Opera production of "Hansel and Gretel" and was a member of the UVU Chamber Choir for the 2023-2024 school year.
Bethany is eager to create a healthy, welcoming environment to introduce a new generation of singers to the wonderful world of music. As an intermediate piano player, she is equipped to accompany singers when needed. She is always happy to share her tips on auditioning, overcoming stage fright, and becoming more confident as a performer.
Katherine Cox
General Voice, Musical Theatre, Pop, Contemporary, Classical
BA Vocal Performance, UVU
Katherine has recently graduated from Utah Valley University in their Vocal Performance Program. She has performed in many operas, musicals, and
competitions throughout her singing career and taught private lessons in previous years. She is overjoyed to work with her students and help them grow within their music abilities, to create vast
opportunities for their future.
Katherine is ready to put her pedagogical experience to use, and guide her students to become excellent performers and music
theorists.
She aspires to create a fun atmosphere that feels safe for her students all while building them into healthy and beautiful performers.
Anthony Ruiz
General Voice, Pop, Contemporary, Jazz, Classical, Musical Theatre
BA Vocal Performance, UVU (in progress)
Anthony Ruiz has worked with students both locally and in other parts of the country to develop their skills in musicianship, artistry and technique in a variety of styles and genres for 4 years now. Whether you are passively wanting to explore your creativity or have specific goals, he has tools that will help you expand your horizons. He specializes in Opera/Classical technique, but he also has years of experience in Pop/Indie, Jazz, Musical theater, and self-accompanied singer/songwriter music both in live performance in recording studio. This means he also can teach guitar and ukulele to those who are interested.
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In his performing career, he has worked abroad in Italy with Opera Lucca singing the role of Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini and locally. His most recent local performances include Utah Valley Opera Fest’s production of Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod as the role of Romeo and Tybalt and Utah Lyrical Opera Theater’s production of La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini in the role of Rodolfo.
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Other chorus work that Anthony has done has been in Utah Festival Opera’s production of Verdi’s Requiem singing in the chorus professionally, the hired tenor in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints production of the new Spanish hymnbook and professionally in Charleston South Carolina as a hired fellow with the Spoleto Music Festival USA.