Executive Overview
In the highly specialized intersection where human vocal physiology meets the expressive demands of artistic performance, research often operates at the microscopic level. Every vibration of the vocal folds, every adjustment of the vocal tract, and every subtle shift in resonance contributes to the magnificent complexity of the human voice. It is within this rigorous, scientifically driven domain that Dr. Nicholas Perna has carved out a distinguished career as a pedagogue, researcher, and leader.
The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and The Voice Foundation have jointly announced that Dr. Nicholas Perna has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship Award. This coveted accolade, designed to bridge the gap between voice science and vocal pedagogy, carries a $2,000 research stipend and grants Perna a featured platform to present his findings at the upcoming 54th Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, scheduled to take place from May 28 to June 1, 2025, in Philadelphia.
Perna, an associate professor of voice and the director of vocal pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder, stands at the forefront of modern vocal science. His award-winning research project focuses on an intricate and frequently misunderstood physiological mechanism: velopharyngeal opening (VPO) variability in collegiate treble singers. By investigating how the soft palate and pharyngeal walls interact during high-register singing across different genres—specifically Western Classical (WC) and Musical Theater (MT)—Perna’s work promises to unlock new pedagogical insights. These discoveries could fundamentally change how voice teachers train singers to safely navigate demanding, climactic passages in contemporary and classical repertoires alike.
This comprehensive report examines the significance of the 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship, delves deeply into the mechanics and methodology of Perna’s current research, explores his extensive contributions to the broader vocal pedagogy community, and outlines the long-term implications of his scientific pursuits for the future of vocal health and instruction.
Detailed Chronology: A Career Built on Leadership, Research, and Outreach
To understand the weight of Dr. Nicholas Perna’s latest achievement, one must examine the trajectory of a career defined by relentless curiosity and institutional stewardship. Perna’s journey to the 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship is the result of years of dedicated service to the voice community, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to evidence-based voice teaching.
Academic Roots and Leadership Trajectory
Perna’s professional footprint spans multiple regions and leadership tiers within the National Association of Teachers of Singing. As an active member of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter within NATS’s West Central Region, he has long championed the integration of voice science into regional and national studio teaching.
Beyond his local chapter involvement, Perna has taken on major administrative and organizational responsibilities at the national level. He currently serves on the NATS Board of Directors as the Vice President for Outreach (2022–2026), a role in which he helps steer the organization’s national engagement strategies, membership development, and educational initiatives. Furthermore, Perna has served as the poster paper coordinator for several landmark NATS national conferences, including the most recent gathering in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he played a pivotal role in organizing and showcasing cutting-edge pedagogical research from across the country.
The Podcast Pioneer: VocalFri and NATSCast
In an era where digital media serves as a vital bridge for academic and professional communication, Perna has also made significant waves in audio education. He co-hosts VocalFri alongside fellow voice professional Sarah Welch Pigott. The weekly podcast dives deep into the realities of teaching, performing, and researching the human voice, offering listeners unfiltered discussions on contemporary pedagogical challenges, physiological myths, and scientific breakthroughs. VocalFri operates proudly as a member of NATSCast, the official podcast network of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, further cementing Perna’s influence as an accessible, forward-thinking communicator in the voice community.
A Meaningful Transition to the University of Colorado Boulder
Perna’s receipt of the 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship coincides with a major professional milestone: his appointment as the Director of Vocal Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder. For Perna, this transition carries a profound historical resonance that ties directly back to the namesake of his fellowship.
"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," Perna reflected. "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 underscores the unique ecosystem at CU Boulder, where decades of pedagogical tradition meet modern scientific inquiry—a legacy that Perna is now actively carrying forward into a new era.
Supporting Context & Metrics: Unlocking the Mechanics of Velopharyngeal Opening (VPO)
At the heart of Perna’s fellowship is a rigorous scientific inquiry into a physiological structure that remains a frequent topic of debate among voice teachers and laryngologists: the velopharyngeal port.
What is Velopharyngeal Opening (VPO)?
The velopharyngeal mechanism acts as a muscular valve that regulates airflow between the oral cavity and the nasal cavity. During normal speech and singing, the soft palate (velum) elevates and retracts against the posterior pharyngeal wall to close off the nasal cavity (velopharyngeal closure), directing all acoustic energy and airflow through the mouth. When a person produces nasal consonants (such as $/m/$, $/n/$, or $/ng/$), the port opens to allow airflow into the nasal passages.
However, in the context of professional singing—particularly among treble voices navigating ascending pitches and transitioning into the "mixed voice"—the management of the velopharyngeal opening is far from uniform.
The Core Research Questions
Perna’s fellowship-supported study aims to answer several critical physiological and acoustic questions:
- Pitch-Driven Variability: Do collegiate treble singers systematically vary their velopharyngeal opening (VPO) as their pitch increases?
- Genre-Specific Differences: How do Western Classical (WC) singers compare to Musical Theater (MT) singers in their VPO adjustments across rising pitch scales?
- Contact Quotient Correlation: Is there a correlative behavior between the singers’ VPO adjustments and their vocal fold contact quotient (CQ)—the percentage of a vibratory cycle during which the vocal folds are in contact—as pitch increases?
Scientific Rationale and Clinical Implications
There is substantial anecdotal evidence within the contemporary commercial music (CCM) pedagogy community suggesting that treble musical theater singers may intentionally or functionally increase their VPO as they ascend in pitch and move into their "mixed voice." This acoustic adjustment may help manage vocal tract pressures, alter formant tuning, or facilitate a lighter register balance without sacrificing perceived acoustic power.
If Perna’s study confirms these hypotheses, the implications for voice pedagogy will be profound. "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," Perna explained. By demystifying the physiological mechanisms behind high-register mixing, voice instructors can move away from ambiguous, metaphor-based instruction and toward precise, biomechanically informed training methods.
Collaborative Science and Methodology
Sound scientific research rarely happens in a vacuum. To ensure the highest level of methodological rigor, Perna has enlisted the expertise of prominent clinical and academic collaborators. He credits Dr. Joshua Glasner of the renowned Lions Voice Clinic for invaluable assistance with research design, ensuring that the study’s parameters align with current clinical standards in otolaryngology and voice care. Additionally, the project relies heavily on the hands-on contributions of two graduate research assistants, Alice Del Simone and Benjamin South, who assist with data collection, acoustic analysis, and participant management.
Official Statements: Honoring a Legacy of Collaboration
The Van L. Lawrence Fellowship holds a revered status in the professional community because it honors the memory of Dr. Van. L. Lawrence, a pioneering laryngologist who dedicated his life to the medical care of professional singers and championed the marriage of art and science in vocal arts.
The Spirit of the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship
Co-sponsored annually by the National Association of Teachers of Singing and The Voice Foundation, the fellowship is awarded to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in teaching, performance, or clinical practice, and who proposes a compelling research project that directly benefits the professional voice community. The $2,000 award acts as a catalyst, providing financial backing for equipment, participant compensation, or laboratory access necessary to bring complex voice science projects to fruition.
Institutional Recognition
Leadership from both sponsoring organizations praised Perna not only for the scholarly merit of his proposed study on VPO variability, but also for his tireless leadership within the national teaching community.
"Both the National Association of Teachers of Singing and The Voice Foundation extend their congratulations to Nicholas Perna for his achievements and look forward to findings from his VPO research," representatives from the organizations stated in a joint release.
By selecting Perna, the fellowship committee has reinforced its commitment to supporting research that directly addresses the pedagogical realities of 21st-century singers—particularly those working across diverse genres like Western Classical music and Musical Theater, which demand entirely different physiological strategies from the same vocal mechanism.
Future Outlook: The Road to Philadelphia and Beyond
As the academic year progresses, the voice science community will turn its attention toward the upcoming 54th Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, scheduled for 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 performing artists to share the latest breakthroughs in vocal health and pedagogy.
What to Expect at the 2025 Symposium
For Dr. Nicholas Perna, the symposium will serve as both a celebration of his fellowship and a crucial milestone for his ongoing VPO research. While initial data collection and methodological frameworks are currently underway at CU Boulder alongside his research team, the Philadelphia symposium will provide a prestigious academic forum for Perna to present preliminary insights, engage with international voice scientists, and receive peer feedback from top-tier otolaryngologists and voice care professionals.
Transforming Studio Pedagogy
The ultimate success of Perna’s fellowship-backed research will not be measured solely by academic publications or conference presentations, but by its practical application in the private voice studio and university practice room. As musical theater training programs continue to expand across academic institutions, voice teachers are frequently tasked with training treble voices to belt, mix, and soar above heavy orchestrations without incurring vocal pathology.
By shedding light on the precise behaviors of the velopharyngeal port during high-register singing in musical theater and classical styles, Perna’s research bridges the gap between laboratory instrumentation and empirical studio teaching. It offers teachers a clearer window into what is happening above the larynx—reminding the pedagogical community that vocal resonance is a whole-system phenomenon, involving not just the vocal folds and the breath, but the entire vocal tract and its dynamic valves.
A Bright Horizon for CU Boulder and NATS
As Dr. Nicholas Perna steps into the national spotlight as the 2025 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship recipient, he does so representing the very best of modern vocal pedagogy: a rare combination of artistic sensitivity, administrative leadership, and rigorous scientific inquiry.
With his new appointment as Director of Vocal Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder anchoring his academic efforts, and with the continued support of NATS and The Voice Foundation behind him, Perna’s work promises to shape the standards of vocal health and instruction for years to come. The singing community eagerly awaits his presentation in Philadelphia and the transformative insights his research will undoubtedly bring to studios around the world.
