Michelyn Wright received her Honours Bachelor of Music Education, and an Artist’s Performance Diploma from the University of Western Ontario then her Master of Music in Voice Performance at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. Through these years she studied with such great teacher’s as Bernard Diamant, Lois Marshall, Dr. Darryl Edwards and Ruth Falcon. In 1997 she worked with Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge at the Britten Pears School. Michelyn has performed as a soloist with the Guelph Chamber Choir, the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Operetta Theatre, and was a chorister with the Canadian Opera Company Chorus from 1998-2008.
Michelyn has been an active Voice Teacher in Markham since 1997. She has been a member of the National Assoc. of Teachers of Singing since 1999, and was on the Ontario Chapter executive board for 15 years. In 2001 she was selected as one of 20 applicants to attend the NATS Intensive Program, a teacher training program for young voice teachers. For NATS Ontario, Michelyn is a past V. P. of Special Projects, where she created the Workshop, “Making the Cut”, and was the Chapter Auditions Coordinator from 2007-2014.
Currently, Michelyn is a Sessional Lecturer at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, teaching Voice Education to undergraduate music education and comprehensive students. She is also the current President of the Markham Stouffville ORMTA Branch. Michelyn has been an Artist Educator with the Canadian Opera Company Education Department, Vocal Music Director for the Unionville Theatre Company and a Vocal Instructor for the Bach Children’s Chorus
Voice competition adjudication engagements include the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, South Simcoe Arts Council Music Festival, Oakville Vocal Arts Festival, Sault Ste. Maria Music Festival, Kiwanis Music Festival of Sudbury, Hamilton Music Festival, Peel Music Festival, Niagara Music Theatre and Voice Festival, Stamford Kiwanis Music Festival, Newmarket Lions Music Festival, Music Alive York Region and NATS Ontario Vocal Showcase.
Michelyn’s students have been finalists at the OMFA Provincials, ORMTA Provincials, NATS Regional Auditions, NATS Ontario Vocal Showcase, Pickering GTA Music Festival, Newmarket Lions, Toronto Kiwanis, and North York Music Festivals. Her students have been Silver and Gold Medal Royal Conservatory of Music Winners, and many have continued on in music after high school at the University level, attending such schools as, McGill University, University of Toronto, Western University and Wilfrid Laurier University, and Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music.
Michelyn’s Voice Studio in Markham is a warm, welcoming space where students can grow individually as singers and people. Michelyn’s students sing both Classical and Musical Theatre Repertoire and are encouraged to sing at Music Festivals and if appropriate take RCM examinations. Students will learn healthy technique that includes good breath management, vocal production, and body balance. They will perform repertoire that interests them to encourage expressive singing. Michelyn enjoys spending time with her husband and energetic and musical children, Tricia and Warren.