Home > Faculty > Maryann Kyle
Lyric soprano Maryann Kyle has extensive experience teaching, coaching, and performing
opera, recitals, concerts and Broadway shows. Kyle was recently named the official vocal
coach for the new musical Twist. Twist opened in Atlanta in 2010 and will open in Los Angeles
and on Broadway in 2011. The show's composer and producer Tena Clark stated, "What a
blessing it was to be able to reach down to Mississippi, instead of LA or New York, and bring
the consummate vocal trainer to Atlanta to work with the cast of Twist. Our young singers and
actors have grown leaps and bounds from her [Kyle's] training." Debbie Allen, the Director and
Choreographer of Twist, commented, "I have been telling actors and dancers for years, that if
they truly wanted to expand their vocal technique as a singer and as an actor, they need to train
in Bel Canto. And what a gift, that Dr. MaryAnn Kyle came to visit us and jumped right on the
bandwagon and trained our young actors as well as some of our veteran professionals. Within
hours, performances were greatly expanded."
Kyle's coaching talents are not restricted to Broadway musicals. Her students are successful in the classical realm as well, many of whom have performed leading roles with New Orleans Opera, Seattle Opera, Oper Frankfurt, and English National Opera. Her students have garnered numerous awards including top placements at both state and regional Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. Her students have earned apprenticeships with Seattle Opera, Lake George Opera Festival, Aspen Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Lake George Opera Festival and Operafestival di Roma; many continue to pursue their studies in major conservatories and schools including Indiana University, San Francisco Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory, Oklahoma City University and New England Conservatory of Music.
Kyle is an active teacher who maintains studios in Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta. Her students include famed New York dancer Jared Grimes and Aijia Lise, the headlining singer with the Viper Room in Hollywood and the House of Blues on Sunset Strip. She is currently Director of Southern Opera and Music Theatre Company's Outreach and Workshop program, associate professor of voice at The University of Southern Mississippi, and director of the apprentice artist program with Mississippi Opera. In the past three years, Kyle served on two international festival faculties as voice professor and coach: Operafestival di Roma, Italy and at the Faculty- Festival Musica nas Montanhas, Brazil.
Maryann Kyle is an active performer of opera, concert, and recital repertoire. Kyle has sung leading roles with the Mississippi Opera, Chattanooga Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Southern Arts Festival Opera, the University of Illinois, East Tennessee Opera, LSU Opera, Gulf Coast Opera, and The Opera at USM. Kyle's major opera roles include Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Violetta in La Traviata, Pamina in Die Zauberflote, Lady Billows in Albert Herring, the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Micaela in Carmen, Mimi in La Boheme, and many others.
Kyle has shared the concert stage with some of world's greatest artists, singing the role of Micaela in Carmen opposite internationally known mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves; performing as a guest soloist with The Miami Festival opposite famed bass-baritone William Warfield; and singing the soprano solos in Mendelssohn's Elijah opposite baritone Timothy Noble and mezzo- soprano Marietta Simpson. Kyle appeared as a soloist on the pop music stage with famed artists Patti Labelle, Patti Austin, Dionne Warwick, Ann Nesby and Vesta Williams.
While at the University of Illinois, she toured extensively with John Wustman in the "Songs of Franz Schubert Recital Series." Wustman described her as "a lyric soprano of great and unusual gifts: an extremely musical singer that brings great beauty and style to all music that she performs," and Kurt Klippstatter said that she "posesses a beautiful soprano voice which is both expressive and technically well founded. Her combined vocal and dramatic talents make her a natural..." Kyle continues her appearances on the recital stage as a Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Roster member. Kyle and pianist Theresa Sanchez make up the duo Bellescanto and perform recitals and educational outreach performances throughout the year. Bellescanto has presented several themed recitals, including "A Tribute to Leontyne Price."
Kyle has worked with notable conductors and coaches, including Mignon Dunn, Robert Bernhardt, Michael Borowitz, Dorothy Randall, Greg Ritchey, Russell Young, Paul Vermel, Robert Grayson, Greg Mason, John Wustman, and Kurt Klippstatter. Teachers have included Mark Elyn, Elizabeth Nohe Colson and Robert Grayson.
