Rate My Professor Tessa Romano

Dr Tessa Romano is Pūkenga Matua/Senior Lecturer in Voice in the School of Performing Arts within the Division of Humanities at the University of Otago, a position held since 2019 when they joined as Lecturer, later becoming Head of Voice. An internationally renowned mezzo-soprano, Dr Romano holds an AB in Italian and Music from Princeton University, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado Boulder. Their research expertise encompasses decolonising vocal pedagogy, vocal pedagogy and technique across operatic, jazz, musical theatre, and pop styles, vocal health and rehabilitation, transgender and gender queer voice, Hindustani and Carnatic classical voice techniques, Norwegian art and folk song, WWII Jewish Italian art song composers, early Jewish Italian music history, and Italian language and literature. Dr Romano's doctoral dissertation, 'The Singing Voice During the First Two Years of Testosterone Therapy: Working with the Trans or Gender Queer Voice' (2018), contributes to understanding vocal changes in transgender singers. They presented 'Waiata-in-the-dark for waiata Pākehā: Celebrating a pre-colonial pedagogical model within a Kaupapa Pākehā paper' at the University of Otago Learning and Teaching Symposium in 2025.

Dr Romano has received the University of Otago Division of Humanities Teaching Award for Excellence in 2022, recognizing their innovative teaching approach. Additional honors include the University of Colorado Boulder's Certificate of Excellence as Lead Teaching Assistant (2018), multiple Best Should Teach Silver Awards (2016, 2017), and singing competition prizes such as the Great Composers Competition Art of the Art Song Winner (2016), Florida Grieg Competition Voice Division Winner (2015), and Franco-American Vocal Academy Grand Concours Prize Winner (2014). Career highlights feature performances with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony, Hartford Symphony, and American Handel Society; opera roles including premieres in 'Lear on the Second Floor' and new works at Aspen Opera Centre and University of Colorado New Opera Workshop; and over 40 world premieres, including 16 new song works by Aotearoa New Zealand composers in the 2023 'Child of the Sun' concert. As artistic director of the Octagon Ensemble, Dr Romano advances contemporary music and decolonizing practices in vocal education.