Cynthia Wohlschlager

Cynthia Skelley-Wohlschlager, DMA (mezzo-soprano, voice pedagogue, stage and music director) At Cleveland State University, Dr. Skelley-Wohlschlager serves as the Voice Coordinator and Director of Vocal Theater Workshop. Dr. SW envisions a path to professional musicianship that celebrates healthy and free vocal production in every style. By seamlessly blending voice science, organic expression, and masterful musical delivery, singers can develop into well-rounded, confident performers and educators. This holistic approach unites tradition with innovation, inspiring vocalists to achieve both technical excellence and authentic artistry.

As a performer, SW has been described as applying commanding intensity to every line (Cleveland.com), with the ability to act and sing powerfully as well as act with sly humor (Cleveland Classical). Awards include the O.D. Taliaferro Opera Award, the Max Berman Award for Outstanding Vocal Performance and the Dewey and Mary Gilley Award for Distinguished Opera, Tuesday Musical Competition, and Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society. 

Dr. Skelley-Wohlschlager's scholarship interest on the works of Jake Heggie was established whilst music directing and portraying Mrs. De Rocher in Dead Man Walking. The focus of her research on Heggie's works intensified with her publication of "Shared Dramatic Pacing in Jake Heggie's Three Decembers," available on ProQuest. As the Director of Young Artist Programs and Associate Artistic Director for Nightingale Opera Theatre, Wohlschlager directed Heggie's If I Were You in Summer 2022. The program involved the composer's residency working in masterclass, conversations, and lessons.

A passion for social justice and education has led to a focus in producing contemporary and lesser-known operatic works. Directing credits include over 35 titles with production highlights including Dove's Pinocchio, Todd's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Adamo's Little Women, Moore's Gallantry, Bridger Heruth's A Certain Madness, as well as large selections of the canon including titles such as Die Fledermaus, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, La Finta Giardiniera, Menotti's The Medium, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and many of the comedies of Gilbert and Sullivan. Wohlschlager's production of Jesse Ayer's Beneath Suspicion, was a named semi-finalist for The American Prize. Summer 2024 features included a production of Pauline Viardot's Cendrillon and as well as a continuation of research on dramatic pacing and motivic development whilst directing Heggie's Two Remain at 45downstairs in Melbourne, Australia. The production of Two Remain, comprised of a collaboration between Australian and American creatives travelled to Beachwood, Ohio in September 2024. 

Dr. Skelley-Wohlschlager holds a DMA in Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature from James Madison University, a Professional Studies Diploma from The Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Masters and Bachelors in Voice Performance from The University of Akron. Prior academic positions include Assistant Professor of Voice and Director of Opera at Kennesaw State University (outside of Atlanta, Georgia) and Assistant Professor of Practice for Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Arizona) where she taught voice, directed opera, and taught Movement and Acting for Singers. Other faculty teaching includes The Cleveland Institute of Music and the Joint Music Program at Case Western Reserve University. 

As a dedicated voice teacher, studio members have achieved successes, earning top honors in prestigious national and international competitions, including Osaka International, London International Virtuoso, Schloss-Mirabell, Classical Singer, Orpheus, New York Lyric Opera, Metropolitan Opera Laffont, and Irma Cooper Competitions. Students consistently excel in NATS Competitions, with many advancing to the national level. Their artistry has graced renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Severance Hall, and Weill Recital Hall, and they have been selected for esteemed programs, including Aspen, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Opera Lucca, Emerald City, CoOperative, Ice Factory, Anywhere Festival, NISHMI, and the New York Theater Institute at Juilliard. Graduates of Dr. SW’s studio have pursued advanced studies at Yale, Indiana University, Rice University, San Francisco Conservatory, UMKC, The Cleveland Institute of Music, Royal Central School of London, Vanderbilt, and other distinguished institutions. They have gone on to establish professional careers with organizations such as The Cleveland Opera, Opera Cleveland, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, The Atlanta Opera, Opera Saratoga, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Circle, Sarasota Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Ohio Light Opera, Opera Colorado, Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and numerous regional symphonies and theaters. 

www.cynthiaskelleywohlschlager.com