Executive Overview
In a joint announcement that bridges the often-siloed worlds of rigorous scientific inquiry and applied vocal pedagogy, the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and The Voice Foundation have named Dr. Nicholas Perna the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship.
This high-profile accolade—conferred annually to a dedicated teacher of singing who is actively engaged in voice science research—carries both deep historical significance and immediate material support. Perna will receive a $2,000 research stipend and a featured platform to present his findings at the 54th Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, scheduled for May 28 to June 1, 2025, in Philadelphia.
Dr. Perna, an associate professor of voice, director of vocal pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder, and an active leader within NATS, will direct the fellowship funds toward an innovative and much-needed study. His research focuses on velopharyngeal opening (VPO) variability in collegiate treble singers, specifically examining how physiological adjustments in the nasal and soft palate cavities shift across ascending pitch ranges in both Western Classical (WC) and Musical Theatre (MT) singing styles.
By analyzing the physiological intersections of nasality, nasal airflow, contact quotient, and vocal tract adjustments, Perna’s upcoming work promises to demystify the mechanics behind high-register singing. This research could fundamentally alter how educators teach treble singers to navigate the notoriously challenging "mixed voice" transition in contemporary commercial music and classical repertoires alike.
Detailed Chronology & Background of the Recipient
A Career Dedicated to the Intersection of Science and Art
Dr. Nicholas Perna’s path to receiving the 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship is the result of years of dedicated scholarship, institutional leadership, and digital communication within the global vocal arts community.
A committed member of the NATS Colorado/Wyoming Chapter (part of the West Central Region), Perna has long since established himself as a pillar of the organization. Beyond his local and regional contributions, his footprint on the national stage is substantial. He currently serves a four-year term on the NATS Board of Directors as the Vice President for Outreach (2022–2026). In this capacity, he has spearheaded initiatives designed to widen the aperture of NATS membership, bringing diverse pedagogical resources to teachers across genres. Furthermore, Perna has coordinated poster papers for major NATS national gatherings, most recently orchestrating the academic research displays at the 2024 national conference in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Amplifying Voice Science via Podcasting
Perna’s commitment to education extends well beyond the traditional university lecture hall. Alongside co-host Sarah Welch Pigott, Perna co-produces VocalFri, a weekly podcast that dives deep into the science, art, and sociology of singing. VocalFri is proudly housed within NATSCast, the official podcast network of NATS. Through this accessible medium, Perna has helped translate complex acoustic and physiological principles into digestible, actionable advice for voice teachers and performers worldwide.
A Meaningful Transition to the University of Colorado Boulder
The timing of the 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship coincides with a monumental career milestone for Perna: his first year serving as the Director of Vocal Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder.
For Perna, the convergence of this prestigious award with his new academic post carries a profound historical resonance. The lineage of CU Boulder’s voice pedagogy program is deeply intertwined with the very namesake of the fellowship. As Perna notes, Dr. Van Lawrence—a pioneering laryngologist and a founding pillar of The Voice Foundation—collaborated closely with Berton Coffin, the visionary founder of the CU Boulder voice program. Coffin’s legendary observations of the singing voice were, in part, refined through this historical cross-pollination between medical science and pedagogical practice.
Now, decades later, Perna occupies that same institutional lineage, bringing modern technological and acoustic investigative tools to bear on questions that Coffin and Lawrence could only begin to theorize.
Supporting Context & Metrics: Decoding Velopharyngeal Opening (VPO)
The Mechanics of the Velopharyngeal Port
To understand the significance of Dr. Perna’s research, one must first look at the anatomy of the vocal tract. The velopharyngeal port is the valve formed by the velum (soft palate) and the pharyngeal walls (throat tissue). When this port is open, air flows freely through the nasal cavity, producing nasal resonance (nasality). When it is tightly closed, air is directed entirely through the oral cavity.
While excessive nasality is often corrected in classical voice training, controlled management of the velopharyngeal opening is an essential, albeit under-researched, variable in dynamic vocal production. For decades, voice scientists have debated how micro-adjustments in the soft palate affect vocal fold closure, formant tuning, and acoustic output across different singing styles.
The Core Research Questions
Perna’s fellowship-supported study aims to answer three primary physiological and acoustic questions regarding collegiate treble singers:
- Pitch-Driven VPO Variability: Do collegiate treble singers systematically vary their velopharyngeal opening as their pitch increases, or does the port remain relatively static?
- Genre-Specific Mechanics (WC vs. MT): How do Western Classical (WC) singers differ from Musical Theatre (MT) singers in their velopharyngeal management as they ascend into higher vocal registers?
- Contact Quotient Correlation: Is there a measurable, correlative behavior between the velopharyngeal opening and the singers’ contact quotient (the percentage of a vibratory cycle during which the vocal folds are in contact) as pitch scales upward?
Bridging Pedagogical Tradition and Modern Science
The impetus for this specific line of inquiry stems from a combination of empirical curiosity and pedagogical observation. As Perna points out, robust anecdotal evidence suggests that treble musical theatre singers frequently expand their velopharyngeal opening as they ascend in pitch—particularly when transitioning into their "mixed voice."
In musical theatre, the "mix" allows performers to blend chest-register resonance with head-register adjustments, projecting powerfully and healthily above a pit orchestra without resorting to a strained, full-belt mechanism. If Perna’s study confirms that intentional or subconscious VPO modulation facilitates this transition, the implications for pedagogy will be profound.
Voice teachers will be equipped with concrete, data-backed methodologies to help students execute climactic high notes with greater ease, efficiency, and vocal longevity. Furthermore, isolating these differences between Western Classical and Musical Theatre aesthetics addresses a massive pedagogical gap, as MT training requires unique acoustic strategies that differ significantly from traditional operatic training.
Collaborative Scientific Framework
High-level voice science is rarely a solitary endeavor. Recognizing the complexity of measuring nasal airflow and contact quotient simultaneously, Perna has assembled a multidisciplinary team. He has received critical assistance with research design from Dr. Joshua Glasner of the renowned Lions Voice Clinic. Additionally, the hands-on data collection and analytical heavy lifting are being executed by two dedicated graduate research assistants, Alice Del Simone and Benjamin South, ensuring that the methodology meets the rigorous peer-reviewed standards expected by The Voice Foundation.
Official Statements and Industry Impact
The announcement of the 2025 fellowship has drawn widespread praise from leadership across both sponsoring organizations, underscoring the collaborative spirit that defines modern voice science.
"Investigating nasality, nasal airflow, and velopharyngeal opening (VPO) have been central to my research agenda my entire career," stated Dr. Nicholas Perna upon accepting the award. "Our fellowship research seeks to determine whether collegiate treble singers vary VPO as pitch increases. We also want to discover how Western Classical or Musical Theater singers’ VPO differs as pitch increases… If that is true, this study could aid singers and voice teachers to better understand how to execute climactic higher pitches in an easier and healthier production, specifically in MT styles."
Reflecting on the historical symmetry of his new academic home, Perna added:
"On a personal note, receiving this honor in my first year at University of Colorado Boulder as the Director of Voice Pedagogy is particularly meaningful. Van Lawrence was one of the voice scientists with whom our program’s founder, Berton Coffin, collaborated as he came to his own observations of the singing voice."
In a joint statement, executive representatives from The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and The Voice Foundation echoed these sentiments:
"Both organizations extend their warmest congratulations to Nicholas Perna for his outstanding achievements in pedagogy and research. We eagerly anticipate the unveiling of his findings regarding velopharyngeal opening variability, which promise to push the boundaries of voice science and directly benefit educators and performers worldwide."
Future Outlook: The Road to Philadelphia and Beyond
The conferring of the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship is not merely a retrospective award celebrating past achievements; it is a forward-looking catalyst designed to accelerate active research.
Over the coming months, Dr. Perna, alongside research assistants Alice Del Simone and Benjamin South and clinical collaborator Dr. Joshua Glasner, will finalize data collection and analysis on collegiate treble singers. Their work will provide a clearer, more quantifiable window into how the human body navigates the physical demands of high-register singing across diverse genres.
The culmination of this phase of research will take center stage at the 54th Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, taking place from May 28 to June 1, 2025, in Philadelphia. Hosted by The Voice Foundation, this international gathering brings together otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists, voice scientists, singing teachers, and professional vocalists to review cutting-edge discoveries in vocal health and performance. Perna’s presentation is anticipated to be a major highlight of the symposium, offering attendees actionable takeaways that directly impact studio teaching practices.
As musical theatre continues to demand unprecedented vocal athleticism, and as classical pedagogy continues to embrace empirical voice science, research like Dr. Perna’s serves as an essential bridge. By mapping the precise biomechanics of the velopharyngeal port, Perna is helping to ensure that the next generation of singers can soar into their highest registers with scientific precision, artistic freedom, and uncompromised vocal health.
