Nancy Maria Balach

Nancy Maria Balach is a versatile soprano described by American Record Guide as "sweet and tender... projecting music, text, and character" and "sings exquisitely." Opera News states that she is "deliciously sly" and "shapes lovely phrases."

Balach's performing career includes opera, operetta, musical theatre, concert, cabaret, song recital, and chamber music. On the operatic stage she has performed and covered roles with Florida Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Cleveland, New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Ohio Light Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Tulsa Opera. She has done extensive concert work with the symphonies of Acadiana (LA), Canton (Ohio), Mississippi, North Carolina, Tupelo (MS), and Tuscaloosa (AL). She has recorded lead roles for Albany Records, Newport Classic, New World Records, VOX Classics and the Operetta Archives label.

Balach is an active recitalist performing innovative programs internationally. She is an advocate of new music and has premièred several works by American and Canadian composers. She has commissioned three works for soprano, trumpet and piano by Stanley Friedman (Fame's Penny-Trumpet), Jack Gallagher (Let me make songs) and Sara Graef (Stone).

Balach has achieved recognition with her many research projects. Most recently she was selected to present at the 2013 College Music Society Conference and was a featured presenter at the 2012 National Association of Teachers of Singing National Convention.

In September 2013 she launched an online interactive video library for singers called the Living Music Resource™ (www.livingmusicresource.com). LMR™ houses topic specific videos with acclaimed artists and pedagogues, and also produces an annual season of live stream interactive interviews called the Beat. As the host of the Beat, Balach welcomes real time participation from viewers via twitter, email and live chat.

Over the past three years she has been a featured artist on Link Up Concerts sponsored by NYC's Carnegie Hall for over 12,000 Mississippi students. Recently, she was recognized by the GRAMMY Foundation, when they selected her as one of the 222 Quarterfinalists for the 2015 Music Educator Award from 7,000 nominations.