Katie Bolding
Professional Opera Singer
Theatre Gera
Landestheatre Altenburg
Nancy's solid teaching technique is based on her own experience as a successful performer. She just knows what "works" and explains it clearly. Her musical and technical help has stayed with me as a guidepost through countless performances on 3 different continents. She improved my approach to singing physically, technically, and dramatically. Not only is she a great voice teacher, she's also a supportive friend and mentor. She encouraged me without end and gave me honest advice about where I needed improvement. Without a doubt, Nancy is the teacher who has made the biggest impact on my life and career goals. 

John Burrows
Conductor
I am more than happy to recommend the artistry of soprano, Nancy Elledge, whom I have known for over thirty years.

During that time, I have conducted her in many productions with both The Lyric Opera of Dallas and Shreveport Opera companies.  She is a superb coloratura soprano, utterly reliable in every way--a consummate professional.  She has an extraordinary work ethic, persistent and demanding with herself, never content until she has absolute mastery of her material, and able to turn out a perfect product 100% of the time.  Her vocal technique is faultless.  The clarity and beauty of her vocal production are above reproach.  She is immensely musical and conveys a sense of command and joyfulness in every performance.

Let me quickly add that she is attractive, charming, funny and a pleasure to work with.
Her laughter is infectious.  Her musical and dramatic focus is sharp and perceptive.  She easily adapts to the needs of every circumstance, and while she is certainly a prima donna, that in no way describes her personality.  Her Texan charm captures the hearts and minds of all who come into contact with her, and her concern for the well-being of those around her is a delightful hallmark of her personality.

Ken Martin
Professional Actor/Singer
Ernst & Young
Advisory Win Center - The Performing Agenda
I believe Nancy Elledge is responsible for keeping music in my life for over 25 years! I began studying with her in 1988 and as a result of her experience and connections found myself singing in the Dallas Opera Chorus and the Lyric Opera of Dallas in 1989. Because of Nancy, I've been singing semi-professionally around Dallas ever since! Nancy continues to help me "fight my jaw and southern drawl" and is a wonderful vocal technician. She also has an amazing repertory of music-both in her head and in her studio- that provides countless opportunities for me to learn new music and stretch my capabilities. To me, Nancy is much more than my voice teacher, she is my muse.

Beverly Griffin-Dyer
Professor of Voice
Richland College DCCCD
Nancy Elledge, my dear friend, colleague, and teacher, is an effervescent dynamo of wit, energy, talent, savvy, and charm.  She serves as a mentor, roll model, and no excuses allowed teacher of singing, whose instruction, thoughts, insights, and experience can be absorbed through the skin, and are a mine field of riches for eager, hungry students willing to dig deep for music careers.

A nationally recognized teacher, with a significant opera and concert career to her credit, Nancy is a force to reckon with in and for the world of vocal music.  Her Dallas studio sets the standard for technique and performance, and students know that lessons with Nancy guarantee a leg up to winning auditions.

Nancy is and always will be a true musical icon.  She maintains and nurtures the traditions of singing established in the golden age, and her expectations of organization, disciplined preparation, artistry, and solid vocal technique are why her students fill the rosters of local, regional, national, and international performing arts companies and organizations.

Soprano Nancy Elledge:  singer, teacher, organizer, is indeed a dynamic force in the world of vocal music.  It is she who has set the highest bar for vocal excellence in the Dallas, Fort Worth area and beyond.

Mark Miller
Professional Pianist/Coach
As a musical colleague, principle accompanist and vocal coach for the TCU Elledge studio for the last ten years, I have had the opportunity to observe Ms. Elledge's teaching style and technique. Her style is personable and includes a uniqueblend of easily understood and implemented essential techniques. She nurtures the entire student, not just the voice, by taking an interest in what that particular young person is doing-outside of voice lessons-and how they are fairing in their day-to-day life.
 
Having sung on both the national and international opera stages for many year, she draws upon her experiences to help students with real-life performing situations and programs. Each lesson is carefully tailored to the student's current learning level...always challenging but never out of reach. Her approach also includes a solid technique of vocal performance, along with the physical aspect of vocal production, she gives the student a better understanding of how to produce quality tone and diction on a consistent basis.

Her repertoire in all genres and languages is well-planned, always with an eye to the students' abilities and vocal maturity. She believes that a solid understanding and control of the various aspects of vocal productions are the first steps toward becoming a well-trained artist, music educator or performer...and she's pretty too!!!

Ashley Cutright
Professional Vocalist
Tulsa Opera
Des Moines Opera
Opera North
Skylark Opera
Pensicola Opera
Nancy Elledge is an extraordinary teacher and singer. I have evolved more than I could have ever thought possible under her instruction. She stresses the importance of the hard palette acting as your sounding board, and your soft palette maintaining height throughout the registers. 

Ms. Elledge focuses on purity of vowels and a vertical embouchure, resulting in a full, round sound that sparkles! She emphasizes the idea of having a relaxed tongue, jaw, and neck, in order to release your sound. She also prioritizes the breath, making sure you do not hold or push, but breathe in a continuous and free motion. 

Ms. Elledge has the remarkable ability to reveal your truest voice with the healthiest singing technique. She is insightful, energetic, and fully committed to helping you achieve your vocal dreams.  

Damon K. Clark
Professional Vocalist/Vocal Coach
Damon K. Clark Vocal Studio
Art in the Evening
Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual & Performing Arts
In a past music career I’d been an Opera/Classical vocalist. By the time I came to Nancy, I’d been singing Jazz and other pop genres for some years. In the back of my mind, I truly felt that I was no longer capable of singing Opera/Classical music, but I wanted to try. Recalling my first lesson, Nancy confirmed that I still had a voice and concluded with, “Well, if you can stand me and I can stand you, we can work!” And work we did! Nancy identified my vocal issues, assigned material she thought would fit my voice and temperament, made sure I was aware of opportunities that fit my skill level at the time, and most of all, supported my goal to continue singing Jazz while also reconstructing my Classical vocal ability. 
 
In less than a year of studying with Nancy, I was prepared to audition for the Dallas Opera Chorus. Not only was I accepted, but gained high praise for having an “well produced flexible tenor voice and clean runs” according to the audition panel. Since then, many doors have been open to me. I truly believe it is because Nancy believed in my ability, never allowed me to limit myself, and also pushed me to see my ideas through to fruition. One could not have a better teacher!
 
Nancy Elledge is matter-of-fact in her deliver, unerringly honest, and at the same time nurturing, caring, and genuinely concerned with her students’ development and well-being. I still laugh aloud when I recall Nancy’s concluding words in my first lesson. Needless to say, not only can I “stand” Nancy Elledge, but I love her very much! I consider Nancy a true friend and part of my family.

Alex Chambers
Singer/Actress
B.A. University of Texas
M.M. Harvard University
"Nancy has been my voice teacher since my freshman year of high school at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Visual Arts. During that time, she prepared me for a recital my junior year, where I sang musical theatre, arias, and art songs in the languages of English, French, German, and Italian. She also prepared me for solos I did with the Booker T.  Minniesingers, Opera Workshop, and Entertainers musical theatre ensembles. Outside of Booker T., she helped me with solos I sang with the Youth Chorus of Greater Dallas and at special galas with Dallas Summer Musicals. 

Culminating my high school career, Nancy prepared me for college auditions. I enrolled at the University of Texas Austin as one of nine sopranos accepted that year and studied under renowned professor, soprano Darlene Wiley. During my residence at UT and, then, my masters at Harvard (Ed.M. in Arts in Education), I continued to take lessons with Nancy when back in Dallas. Currently, because of Nancy's investment in me, I am able to pursue a masters in choral music education at Southern Methodist University. 

Nancy is an expert technician: she is able to instantly point to where my inconsistencies and problems are concerning tone, posture, and musicality. She does not just examine them, though, but methodically adjusts my habits to exhibit healthier and more beautiful singing. 
Aside from undeniable skills as a teacher, she is also a joy with which to work. Nancy really invests in the lives of her students. She genuinely wants to know what is going on with me when I walk through the door each lesson. Nancy is one of the most sincere people I have ever met!"

Martha Gerhart
Vocal Coach/Translator
Adjunct Faculty
Southern Methodist University
It's always a pleasure to recommend my good colleague Nancy Elledge to anyone looking for a voice teacher. I've observed her voice lessons and have coached many of her students. Given her impressive background as a performer as well as a teacher, she knows the repertoire and what is needed for professional quality work in the field of singing. She is a vicarious, caring, "no nonsense" teacher.
 

Jodi Crawford
Professional Singer/Actress
Southern Methodist University
Nancy Elledge is an excellent voice teacher. Using the traditional Italian method, her studio boasts of many professional singers in the Metroplex and throughout the United States. She gets right to the point when working with you to make sure you sing correctly and beautifully. Even if you're not interested in a 'classically trained voice' career, Nancy will give you the tools needed to make the most of any singing style you choose. I cannot recommend her enough. She is one of the best voice teachers around. You will not be disappointed. 

Melinda I.
Professor of Music, East field College
Artistic Director, The Women's Chorus of Dallas
Voice Instructor, Private Studio
As a voice teacher myself, I am very particular about the set of ears I want giving me feedback and instruction. Nancy is trusted by me and many other voice professionals because she is truly one of the best! As an added bonus, she genuinely caresabout all of her students and she's tons of fun to work with.

Gary Harger
Professional Opera Singer/Actor/Voice Teacher/Cantor
Back in the day, Nancy and I had the great fortune to work together---many times! Some of our favorites---Bernstein's "Candide", and Offenbach's "The Great Duchess of Greenstein" (both the Lyric Opera of Dallas) Mozart's "The Abduction from the Seraglio" for Ft. Worth Opera, and "Die Fledermaus" for Western Opera Theatre/San Francisco Opera. What serious fun we had! It really didn't seem to matter what style of music we performed: classical music theatre, operetta, opera---Nancy was always super prepared, sang with crystal clarity and ease, and was quite the little spitfire on stage! We always clicked together, personally and professionally---a great colleague, a lovely artist, a gifted teacher, and a fine friend!

Jenni Till
Professional Singer/Voice Teacher/Recording Artist
Nancy Elledge is the total package! She is a singer whose intelligence and discipline commands an extraordinary beautiful instrument. She brings superb artistic understanding to every song she sings, and her ability to instruct other singers is outstanding. Her exuberance for life combined with her superb vocal artistry enhances every musician who has the privilege to work with her. I am blessed to know her and to have her as my teacher and friend. 

Jennifer Chung
Professional Opera Singer
Zurich Opera Studio
Nancy has been (and continues to be) the single best resource for me when it comes to anything to do with my voice and skills as a singing actress. She has been my teacher, my number one fan, my agent, acting coach, counselor, and friend, from whom I can always expect an honest answer when it comes to my talent, progress, and results as a singer in a very competitive world. She's been helping me for 18 years, and I can't imagine anyone else in the DFW area who has more knowledge and expertise in vocal technique and the opera biz than Nancy! She has my devotion and gratitude for all the years of continued support and help.

Julie Navar
Professional Singer/Piano Teacher
University of North Texas
Nancy Elledge is a treasure. I feel very fortunate to study with someone who has had such an illustrious career and who is as knowledgeable and efficient as she is. She has done more for my voice in a short period time than any other teacher I've worked with-during and outside of my formal music studies. I am in my 50's and I am pleased to say that I am sounding better than ever. On top of that, she is a hoot! She is complementary and supportive, and has helped me to make valuable connections. Viva Nancy! 

Jan Juline Leeds
Professional Opera Singer
Julliard
Nancy Elledge is a rare gem. As a performer, she had delighted audiences through the years with her beautiful voice, superb acting and her meticulous study of each character.  She was always prepared for every opera, oratorio and other venues...a conductor and Director's ideal singer...always open to new ideas. She is/was a tireless colleague. Always giving and a true professional in every way. It was an honor to sing with her.

As a teacher, she has nourished and guided many students. She is as dedicated as anyone I have ever known. Her vocal technique is total perfection. She has the gift of being able to teach her students the love of singing. To learn what it means to embrace your art. To become the best you can. Anyone who studies with her is destined to reach for the stars. They can, because the foundation is set; because of Nancy's dedication. 

David Haskins
Professional Pianist
University of North Texas
I am writing this testimonial in support of my long time friend and teaching colleague Nancy Elledge. Nancy has a long standing and well-known reputation as being one of the very finest voice teachers to ever grace the city of Dallas. This can be easily seen and heard for her many students who are performing in opera stages all over the world, and also on Broadway. Nancy has been taught by some of the finest vocal technicians in the world, and she possesses the wonderful gift of being able to pass on this priceless knowledge she has learned. I am also a long time accompanist of Nancy, and also many of her students. Nancy is an exceptionally gifted singer with a very beautiful coloratura soprano voice, and she has enjoyed a brilliant career of performing leading roles on many opera stages and concert halls throughoutthe world. 

If you are looking to further your voice training in a serious way, then look no further than the voice studio of Nancy Elledge. 

Susan Campbell
Singer/Actress
I have studied voice with Nancy for many years. When I was in college years ago I took private voice lessonsat UT Austin and later some more years with another teacher in Dallas. What I learned from Nancy that I hadn't achieved before was real technique. I became a frequent solo performer and surpassed what I thought was my vocal ability. Nancy is a tough and serious teacher but so much fun you love to go for your lesson and leave feeling even better than when you arrived!!

Natalie Arduino
Professional Opera Singer
Mannes School of Music
Southern Methodist University
Chicago Lyric Opera
Studying voice with Nancy Elledge is one of the best decisions I ever made. She is consistent in her teaching and able to make corrections in a clear and concise manner. Her ear is quick to discern any adjustments that I need to make and she explains immediately how to correct things. Having had a singing career of her own, she knows what is required of singers in "the real world," and is supportive of her students in every way. She is very serious about her work and my singing, but she has such a happy disposition that it is always a pleasure to work with her. 

James Hampton
Artistic Services Manager
The Dallas Opera
Austin Lyric Opera
I firmly endorse and recommend Soprano and Voice Teacher Nancy Elledge. Her reputation as an engaging and captivating artist was well known to me through colleagues before I moved to Dallas. Since that time, I have had the pleasure of directing several of her students (for both The Dallas Opera and The Mostly Opera Theatre) and have definitely been impressed by their solid technical command and beautiful singing. I myself turned to Nancy when I needed a vocal tune-up as I trust her ears and pedagogical acumen. She provides the right balance between technician and artist; between task-master and supporter; between colleague and boss. In my opinion, Nancy Elledge is THE voice teacher in the DFW area. 


David Brock
Associate Professor & Chair of Voice
Texas Christian University
Nancy Elledge is a voice teacher of charisma and charm that holds her students to a very high standard. As Voice Chair at TCU, it is a joy to assign students to her studio and watch them grow.

Julian Reed
Voice Coach/Accompanist
The Dallas Opera
Austin Lyric Opera
Arizona Opera
I have known Miss Elledge since her student days at Sothern Methodist University. I worked with her as an accompanist for voice lessons, performances and auditions, as well as conducted performances where Miss Elledge performed leading roles. 
Nancy Elledge has always been a consummate singer and musician. I consider her performances unforgettable for their beauty, poise, and vocal freshness. Miss Elledge possesses a voice of distinctive beauty with superior projection. Her professionalism also makes her a delightful colleague.

Nancy Elledge's reputation as a highly successful teacher of singing actually predates her success as a performing artist. Somehow, she has always been able to maintain the energy to both teach and perform. This is very rare in the professional world where many established artists are very absorbed with busy performing careers, and do not develop their teaching skills until their voices are in decline. Nancy Elledge has been able to succeed very well in both worlds, and is now what I would call a "Master Teacher". 

She is a rare find, and not only that, she is one of the nicest and most wonderful human beings to ever grace this earth! I know that you will find Nancy Elledge a real pleasure!

Raymond H. Bazemore
Professional Singer
Deceased Associate Professor of Voice
Texas Christian University
Nancy Elledge is an artist of the highest musical caliber, a musician of faultlessly impeccable taste, yet with rarefied gifts of communication that can move audiences of diverse backgrounds and levels of sophistication. 

Professor Elledge is skilled at analogical imagery as well as precise explanation-in my view, the hallmark balance of a master teacher. She not only is a consummate artist teacher for advanced singers, but also is extremely successful as a cultivator and builder of young voices, catalyst for "late bloomers" and mentor for the students she has natured at Texas Christian University.

Nancy Elledge has performed extensively. Her experience has encompassed opera, oratorio, solo recitals, and appearances with orchestras and vocal chamber music. Each time I hear Nancy sing-and I have heard her in all of the foregoing genre-I am singularly impressed not only by the consistently high level she maintains, but more importantlyby the freshness and depth of interpretive insight which indicate her ongoing growth. Learning indeed is a lifelong process and it is heartening to know a colleague who demonstrates that so clearly. 

Niki Flacks
Professional Actress/Singer/Director
Acting with Passion New York, London and Paris
Nancy not only brings her talent as a musician and singer, but her years of experience as a professional performer. Her performance experience of opera, operetta, concert and musical comedy gives her a breadth of understanding of the singer's challenges across the musical spectrum.

As you well know, there is plenty of insecurity in pursuing a singing career. The whole process of producing beautiful sounds on a consistent basis is fraught with anxiety for most singers. One of Nancy's most remarkable gifts as a teacher is her ability to make this mysterious process somehow less mysterious. Her un-neurotic personality means he maintains an emotional calm as she instructs and guides a singer towards ultimate independence, always finding ways to clarify, simplify and build confidence. 

Singing is a high wire act.  The challenges and fears are enormous.  A singer needs a technique, therefore, that is dependable under stress--auditioning, performing, recording.  Nancy Elledge is that remarkable (and rare) voice teacher whose instruction is based on a technique that is replicable any time you sing.

She is also a delight:  full of laughter, insight, generosity and kindness, offering her students a respite from the cruel realties of a singing career.  Whether you are an opera singer, an actor doing musicals or a complete beginner, you will find in Nancy the flexibility and guidance you need.

Dr. Robert Barefield
Assistant Professor of Voice, Arizona State University
Nancy Elledge is well known in Texas and throughout the country as a wonderful coloratura soprano. Her voice is remarkable both for its brilliance of timbre and its flexibility. She sings with intelligence and precision and with a fine dramatic sense. Her list of operatic and concert performances throughout the country and the world are a testament to her accomplishment as a singing artist. The same intensity and commitment that defines Ms. Elledge's work as a singer is also evident in her teaching. I have often been impressed by her knowledge of and interest in the subject of vocal pedagogy and in her ongoing efforts to enhance her teaching skills. She devotes much energy to her teaching and strives to help each student realize his or her potential. Her commitment to healthy vocal teaching and her genuine concern for her students' development define Nancy Elledge as a rare and gifted voice teacher. 

Amy Hamilton, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Certified Vocologist/Singing Voice Specialist
UT Southwestern ClinicalCenter for Voice Care
Nancy Elledge incorporates her pedagogical knowledge, extensive performance experience, and lovefor singing into each voice lesson.  She is a very personable and encouraging teacher. My singing technique has improved with her guidance.  The patients I have referred to her for voice lessons have all been very pleased with Nancy's ability to move them to the next level.  She is a true joy to work with.

Dr. Lesley Childs, MD
Assistant Professor
Laryngology, Neurolaryngology & Professional Voice
Clinical Center for Voice Care
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Nancy Elledge teaches with passion and enthusiasm.  She puts her heart and soul into the experience, which puts her singers at ease and reassures them that they are in excellent hands.  She is a skilled communicator who is able to quickly identify and correct technical flaws and bad voicing habits. She has amassed a studio full of professional, accomplished performers as well as those who simply find joy in singing.  From warmups to working through repertoire, proper technique underscores the music making.  She has a wealth of performance experience, both throughout the U.S. and internationally, and she generously imparts this wisdom and industry "know how" to those in her studio.  I consider myself lucky to be one of her students.

Meredith Wallace
Professional musician/singer
Nancy Elledge has been a huge influence in my life.  She has given me the tools to grow into who I want to truly become, a successful singer.   My voice has developed even more than I could have imagined under the tutelage of Nancy.  She is a fun, loving and caring person dedicated to helping train many kinds of voices.  Her vast experience and precise knowledge of singing has helped flourish many wonderful singers.  Going to my voice lesson is honestly one of my favorite weekly activities and getting to study with Nancy is a real joy.

Scott Vollmer
Singer/Actor
Software Engineer
Nancy Elledge is a fantastic vocal coach.  As a software engineer who never before had any formal vocal training, I came to Nancy to help me prepare for a friend's wedding. I had been asked to sing and wanted to do a good job.  Nancy not only got me ready for that event, but with continued lessons, I have since been able to sing in several operas, perform vocally at the Myerson and been in dozens of musicals.  I have been a student of Nancy's for fourteen years and I truly believe that none  of this would have been possible if I had not been her student.

Kristin Spires
Singer, Actress, Music Director
Voice Professor at Texas Wesleyan University
If you're willing to put forth the work and want a voice teacher who sees your potential, who has your best interests at heart and who will lead you to your best, healthiest singing voice...you want Nancy Elledge. Nancy's vibrant teaching style and genuine care for me as a student has left an indelible mark and shaped me as a performer and teacher. The perfect combination of a coach and a cheerleader, Nancy possesses the ability to impart her knowledge with clarity and assess you with honesty all while empowering you as a performer.

Leah Edmondson Dyer, 
D.M.A., M.M. Texas Christian University Alumni
When I first came to TCU, I knew very little about singing and had never had a formal voice lesson in my life.  Nancy Elledge carefully and patiently taught me how to use my voice, how to present a piece convincingly on stage, and how to strive for more in my professional career. She also acted as a friend and confidant to help me through the stresses of life as an undergraduate student. I am forever grateful for the solid foundation and lasting friendship that have been given to me by Nancy Elledge which have enabled me to find success in a challenging field.

Tammie Woods
B.A. Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
M.M. Peabody institute of the John Hopkins University
I am finding it quite difficult to encapsulate of Mrs. Nancy Elledge. I have been a private voice student of hers for a number of years now and I can say with conviction that this"Prima Donna Assoluta" has not only changed my voice but also my life. I honestly thought my singing career was over when a colleague recommended her to me, but because she is such an outstanding vocal technician, she was able to quickly guide my spinto voice back into it's proper alignment. Most importantly, she helped me restore my confidence in me, not just as an artist, but as a divine human being. And for that, I am grateful. Although I have never had the great pleasure of seeing Mrs. Elledge perform, the education she gives to each and every one of her students has always been for me a testament to her effectiveness as a great artist.

In her studio, she always has many ideas to assist both male and female singers and is able to clearly articulate those ideas to people and groups of all ages and sizes.  She is quite simply, in a nutshell, the real McCoy.