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The American soprano and voices teacher, Shauna Beth Fallihee, received her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance (with distinction in performance) from the New England Conservatory of Music (2000-2004) as a scholarship student of Carole Haber. She pursued graduate work in Musicology at the University of New Hampshire. She obtained her Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy from Holy Names University in Oakland (2009-2011).
Renowned for her versatility and sterling vocalism, Shauna Fallihee has sung a wide range of repertoire with leading Bay Area ensembles. She made her Carnegie Hall solo debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Bernard Haitink in L.v. Beethoven's Choral Fantasie and has since enjoyed decades of solo and ensemble singing.
A frequent oratorio soloist, Shauna Fallihee has sung Monterverdi's Vespers of 1610, W.A. Mozart's Requiem, and Mass in C minor (BWV 232), Schubert's Masses in Eb and Ab, Ralph Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem, and J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor with San Francisco Choral Society under the direction of Robert Geary. Her 2015 performance of W.A. Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore was praised as "stunning, with clear tone and artful phrasing" (Be'eri Moalem, San Francisco Classical Voice). She has also appeared as the Alto Soloist in Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, J.S. Bach Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), and Soprano soloist in W.A. Mozart's Coronation Mass, excerpts of George Frideric Handel's Messiah, Camille Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, and Gabriel Fauré's Requiem with Masterworks Chorale. Additional solo engagements include works of Schubert, G.F. Handel, and W.A. Mozart with Albany Chamber Orchestra and three arias from Lisa Scola-Prosek's Dieci Giorni with the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra. Her solo recital of Wolf and Debussy was hailed as "one of the most intelligently conceived recital programs of the season; and every aspect of its execution lived up to the ambitious goals of its overall plan" (Stephan Smoliar, SF Examiner).
On the operatic stage, Shauna Fallihee’s soprano roles included Frasquita in Georges Bizet's Carmen, Barbarina in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica, Zerlina in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni. Foreshadowing her eventual shift to mezzo repertoire, she has sung Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Ma Moss in The Tender Land. Her performance of Éponine in Les Misérables with Masterworks Chorale was praised for her "extraordinary low soprano of richness and depth" (David Bratman, Daily Journal). Most recently, she has had the opportunity to create the role of Electra in Anne Hege’s The Furies: A Laptopera with Stanford Laptop Orchestra.
An enthusiastic advocate of new music, Shauna Fallihee has performed numerous world premieres including Mark Winges’ Leaves from Diana’s Tree with Empyrian Ensemble and Brian Baumbusch’s The Pressure with Lightbulb Ensemble. She enjoyed over ten years with acclaimed contemporary chamber choir, Volti. With Volti, she was a soloist in the 2015 premiere of Mark Winges's staged work Pandora's Gift as well as the 2013 West Coast premiere of David Lang's Battle Hymns. In the West Coast premiere of Olli Kortekangas' Seven Songs for Planet Earth, her "agility and incisive emergence out of the orchestral texture were both riveting" (Kaneez Munjee, San Francisco Classical Voice). With Mark Aulburger's Opus Project, she has been heard in works of Anton Webern, Arnold Schoenberg, and Samuel Barber. Additional performances include Messiaen's Le Mort du Nombre and excerpts of Argento's To be Sung upon the Water for the Nothingset Ensemble and the world premiere of Ciara Sanker's song cycle Winter is only a Small Sadness at UC Berkeley and the San Francisco Song Festival. In 2014, Shauna had the pleasure of singing with the hip-hop/classical hybrid Ensemble Mik Nawooj at the Oakland Art and Soul Festival and Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco and in 2015 at The Mint in Los Angeles. Shauna’s performance of Jenny Olivia Johnson's Reflect, Reflect, Respond, Respond with SF-based new music ensemble Wild Rumpus was recently release on Pinna records.
As an ensemble singer, Shauna has sung with Artists Vocal Ensemble (AVE), Pacific Collegium, San Francisco Renaissance Voices, San Francisco Lyric Opera, Tanglewood Festival Chorus and currently sings in the ensembles of American Bach Soloists (Director: Jeffrey Thomas), Philharmonia Baroque Chorale (Directors: Nicholas McGegan/Richard Egarr), and Cantata Collective.
Shauna Fallihee is in demand as a voice teacher and clinician in the San Francisco Bay Area (since 2005). She is currently on the voice faculties of Las Positas College and Holy Names University (since 2015), formerly holding posts at Chabot College and City College San Francisco (January 2016-2020). She has served as the Coordinator of Vocal Pedagogy and Master Voice Instructor for the acclaimed Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir (2014-2019) and voice instructor for Acalanes (2015-2018), Campolindo, and Miramonte High Schools. As a clinician, she has taught workshops to San Francisco Choral Society, Masterworks Chorale, Tactus, International Orange Chorale, Berkeley Community Chorus and Embodied Communication workshops at Stanford and UCLA Law Schools. In addition to voice instruction, she teaches alignment-based Barre and Cycle classes at The Dailey Method - Piedmont (since 2014) and Berkeley. She trains Dailey Method owners and instructors on music and voice-related topics. in 2016 she was named Master Teacher Trainer for DaileyCycle for the West Coast territory. She holds certifications in myofascial release and has over 750 hours of yoga, anatomy, alignment, and movement training. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
In 2018, Shauna Fallihee unveiled her multi-disciplinary program Embodied Singer with a sold out workshop series. Since its inception, Shauna has taught numerous workshops, clinics, and created over 100 videos of movement, myofascial release (self-massage) and meditation practices designed to help singers balance their singing minds and bodies for greater expressive artistry. She currently lives in Oakland, California. |
