Executive Overview
In the intersection where rigorous vocal science meets practical pedagogy, few accolades carry the historical prestige and professional gravity of the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship. Jointly conferred by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and The Voice Foundation, this esteemed honor recognizes individuals who bridge the often-isolated worlds of vocal arts and scientific research.
For 2025, the fellowship has been awarded to Dr. Nicholas Perna, an associate professor of voice, director of vocal pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder, and a distinguished national leader within NATS.
The announcement, made jointly by NATS and The Voice Foundation, highlights a $2,000 research stipend and a coveted invitation for Perna to present his work at the 54th Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, scheduled for May 28 to June 1, 2025, in Philadelphia. More than a simple financial grant, the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship serves as a catalyst for empirical inquiry that directly impacts studio teaching, vocal health, and stylistic versatility in contemporary singers.
Perna’s winning research project takes direct aim at a complex physiological phenomenon: velopharyngeal opening (VPO) variability in collegiate treble singers. By investigating how nasal airflow, nasality, and velopharyngeal mechanics shift across ascending pitch ranges—and comparing these behaviors across Western Classical (WC) and Musical Theater (MT) performance styles—Perna’s work promises to fill critical gaps in modern pedagogical literature.
As the vocal demands placed on collegiate and professional performers continue to expand—spanning multi-genre expectations that require seamless transitions from classical legitim to high-belt musical theater mixes—Perna’s research offers a timely, data-driven framework for healthier, more sustainable vocal production.
Detailed Chronology and Background of the Fellowship
To fully appreciate the significance of the 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship, one must understand the legacy of its namesake and the institutional histories of the bodies that sponsor it.
The Legacy of Dr. Van L. Lawrence
Dr. Van L. Lawrence was a pioneering laryngologist whose life’s work was dedicated to the medical care of the professional voice. Long before interdisciplinary voice clinics were commonplace, Lawrence recognized that singers, actors, and speakers required specialized medical and pedagogical care that bridged the gap between otolaryngology and vocal instruction.
As a co-founder of The Voice Foundation, Lawrence championed collaborative research, encouraging voice scientists, speech-language pathologists, and singing teachers to share insights rather than operate in isolated silos.
The fellowship bearing his name was established to honor teachers of singing who are actively engaged in voice science research. It seeks to support individuals who embody Lawrence’s collaborative spirit—those who ask rigorous, scientifically grounded questions about how the human voice operates under the extreme physical demands of artistic performance.
The Institutional Pillars: NATS and The Voice Foundation
The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) is the world’s largest professional association of voice teachers, representing thousands of members across the United States, Canada, and more than 35 other countries. Since its founding in 1944, NATS has been dedicated to elevating standards in vocal education through conferences, workshops, peer-reviewed journals, and the promotion of evidence-based pedagogy.
The Voice Foundation, meanwhile, serves as the premier international organization dedicated to the care of the professional voice. Through its annual symposia, research grants, and publications, the Foundation brings together the brightest minds in laryngology, speech science, and pedagogy to discuss the latest diagnostic tools, therapeutic interventions, and artistic methodologies.
The synergy between NATS and The Voice Foundation reaches a pinnacle annually through the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship. By selecting Nicholas Perna for the 2025 award, the organizations have underscored their ongoing commitment to supporting research that directly translates from the laboratory to the teaching studio.
Supporting Context & Metrics: Inside Perna’s VPO Research Agenda
At the core of Perna’s fellowship-funded project is an investigation into velopharyngeal opening (VPO) variability in collegiate treble singers. To understand why this research is so revolutionary, one must examine the physiological mechanics of the vocal tract and the pedagogical challenges inherent in training multi-genre singers.
Demystifying the Velopharyngeal Mechanism
The velopharyngeal mechanism—comprising the soft palate (velum) and the pharyngeal walls—acts as a dynamic valve regulating airflow between the oral cavity and the nasal cavity. In normal speech and Western Classical singing, the velopharynx typically closes tightly for non-nasal vowels and consonants, directing all acoustic energy and airflow through the oral cavity. However, in certain styles of singing—particularly musical theater, jazz, and various folk traditions—controlled nasal resonance or deliberate lowering of the soft palate is utilized to achieve specific tonal colors, acoustic boosts (such as the "singer’s formant" or high-frequency spectral enhancements), and stylistic authenticity.
Perna’s research addresses a lingering question in voice science: How do collegiate treble singers manage VPO as they ascend in pitch?
Research Questions and Methodology
Perna’s fellowship project is structured around three primary investigative aims:
- Pitch-Based Variability: Determining whether collegiate treble singers systematically vary their velopharyngeal opening as pitch increases.
- Genre-Specific Comparison: Discovering how the VPO behaviors of Western Classical (WC) singers differ from those of Musical Theater (MT) singers across identical pitch trajectories.
- Contact Quotient Correlation: Analyzing whether there is any correlative behavior between VPO adjustments and the contact quotient (CQ)—the proportion of a vibratory cycle during which the vocal folds are in contact—as singers navigate higher pitches.
This multi-faceted approach combines acoustic analysis, airflow measurement, and physiological observation. Perna notes that while there is significant anecdotal evidence suggesting treble musical theater singers may incrementally increase VPO as they climb into higher registers to facilitate their "mixed voice," empirical data confirming this practice has been sparse.
Implications for Studio Pedagogy and Vocal Health
If Perna’s study confirms these anecdotal observations, the implications for voice teachers and their students will be profound. Navigating the passaggio (the transitional area between vocal registers) and executing climactic high notes safely in musical theater belt and mix styles has historically been a source of vocal fatigue, strain, and pedagogical debate.
By providing concrete data on how velopharyngeal adjustments interact with vocal fold closure and acoustic resonance, Perna’s research could offer teachers a clearer roadmap for training singers to execute high-register passages with greater ease and reduced physiological risk.
Furthermore, Perna is not undertaking this complex research in a vacuum. He has assembled a formidable collaborative team, including research design assistance from Dr. Joshua Glasner of the renowned Lions Voice Clinic, alongside the dedicated efforts of two graduate research assistants, Alice Del Simone and Benjamin South.
Official Statements and Personal Reflections
The announcement of the 2025 fellowship brought forth reflections not only on the scientific merits of the research but also on the deep historical roots connecting Perna’s current academic home to the legacy of Van Lawrence himself.
Reflecting on his career-long fascination with nasality and airflow, Perna shared:
"Investigating nasality, nasal airflow, and velopharyngeal opening (VPO) have been central to my research agenda my entire career. 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. We will analyze if there is any correlative behavior in these singers’ contact quotient as pitch increases."
Perna elaborated on the practical pedagogical stakes of the study:
"There is anecdotal evidence to suggest treble musical theater singers may increase VPO as pitch increases and move into their ‘mixed voice.’ 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. I am grateful to have received assistance with research design from Dr. Joshua Glasner with Lions Voice Clinic, and thankful for the help of my two graduate research assistants Alice Del Simone and Benjamin South."
For Perna, receiving this prestigious national recognition coincides with a major professional milestone: his transition to the University of Colorado Boulder. The alignment between his new institutional home and the history of voice science adds a poignant personal dimension to the award:
"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."
This historical continuity highlights CU Boulder’s enduring role as a cradle of pedagogical innovation. Berton Coffin’s pioneering work on vowel modification and vocal registers laid foundational stones in American voice pedagogy; through Perna’s appointment and his cutting-edge VPO research, that tradition of rigorous, scientifically informed inquiry is vibrant and expanding.
Future Outlook: The Road to Philadelphia and Beyond
As Nicholas Perna prepares to accept the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship at the 54th Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice in Philadelphia (May 28–June 1, 2025), the broader vocal arts community looks forward to the insights his research will yield.
The Intersection of Leadership and Scholarship
Perna’s receipt of this fellowship underscores a rare balance between administrative leadership, artistic advocacy, and empirical scholarship. In addition to his faculty duties at CU Boulder, Perna maintains an active leadership profile within NATS, serving on the Board of Directors as the Vice President for Outreach (2022–2026). His previous service as the poster paper coordinator for NATS national conferences—culminating in the 2024 gathering in Knoxville, Tennessee—demonstrates his commitment to creating platforms for fellow researchers and educators to share their discoveries.
Moreover, Perna’s media footprint extends to the digital airwaves as the co-host of VocalFri alongside Sarah Welch Pigott. As a weekly staple of NATSCast—the official podcast network of NATS—VocalFri translates complex pedagogical concepts, vocal science findings, and career advice into accessible, engaging conversations for teachers and singers worldwide.
Anticipated Impact on the Profession
As the data collection and analysis phases of the VPO study move forward with the support of the $2,000 fellowship award, the results are expected to generate significant discussion at future symposia and in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Voice and the NATS Journal of Singing.
By demystifying the physiological mechanisms behind high-register treble singing across both classical and contemporary commercial music (CCM) genres, Perna’s work exemplifies the exact mission Van Lawrence envisioned: science serving art, and art informed by science.
Both the National Association of Teachers of Singing and The Voice Foundation extend their warmest congratulations to Dr. Nicholas Perna on this well-deserved recognition, signaling a bright, data-driven future for generations of singers and educators yet to come.
