Dr. Erica Vernice Simmons

Dr. Erica Vernice Simmons, lyric soprano, is the Professor of Voice and Director of Choir at the North Lake Campus of Dallas College. She earned her doctorate from the University of North Texas at Denton where she was a Teaching Fellow and McNair scholar. Artistically, Dallas Morning News’ review of her title role in the World Premiere of 'A Lily Among Thorns' in The Winspear Opera House with Das Blümlein Project described her “supply shaping lines and spinning out high notes with a beautiful silvery tone…with a full-bodied low register.” She was a first-place winner in the Memphis Beethoven Club 2017 Young Artists Competition. Later, she became a Studio Artist with Fort Worth Opera (FWO). Dr. Simmons made her directing debut with FWO with the World Premiere of the opera Stand Up by Joe Illick and Sheran Goodspeed Keyton. She assistant-directed the semi-staged production of Aida with FWO and was invited back to direct Amahl and the Night Visitors. She has performed in Spoleto, Italy, Graz, Austria and several opera houses across the U.S. playing the roles of The Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Sarah in Ragtime amongst other leading roles. Most recently, Dr. Simmons starred in the world premiere of the Jazz Soul Chamber Opera, Promise of the Heart by Arlington and Hope Jones. She performed the role of the Foreign Princess in Dvořák's Rusalka with Opera Arlington and was a soloist in the Black Academy of Arts and Letters 41st “MLK Concert” at the Meyerson Symphony Center which will be aired on National television. She will appear as Eve in Haydn’s The Creation with the Mansfield Philharmonic this Spring.

Academically, she received her Medical Certification in Vocal Health from the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA 2022). Dr. Simmons’ past guest lectures/presentations include: Black Heritage Recital at the Texoma Artist Series Conference (NATS 2020), Black Repertoire Guest Lecture (Arkansas State University 2020), Art Song and Aria Prep Guest Lecture (Louisiana Tech University 2020), Vocal Health and Anatomy (Tarrant County College 2019), (Voice Science and Pedagogy UNT (Vocal Arts Society 2018). Her professional memberships include: the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA),the Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA), the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Additionally, students of Dr. Simmons have gone on to receive vocal scholarships at several distinguished universities and superior ratings in solo and ensemble.

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