Speaking Engagements

Dana Lynne Varga regularly presents lectures on entrepreneurship, career paths and correlating careers, debt and financial health for musicians and ethics in academic music programs.

She also enjoys adjudicating competitions and auditions, and serving as a panelist for a variety of topics.

Popular lecture and panel topics:

The Many Paths to a Career in Singing

Setting Up and Running a Private Studio

Dig out: Counseling students away from debt and toward a financially stable future

Ethical Dilemmas in Academic Music Programs

Entrepreneurship 101: Create, Perform and Thrive

Toxic Relationships in the Arts

Most recently Dana has given lectures for: 

The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Intern Program

NATS Boston

The Classical Singer Convention

MassOpera

Boston Singers Resource

The New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA)

The New England Conservatory-The Boston Conservatory

Harvard University Opera

The University of Massachusetts Amherst

The Longy School of Music of Bard College Multifaceted Artist Series

Converse College

….And served as a panelist or adjudicator for:

NATSAA National Vocal Competition (National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards)

NEMPAC Ask An Expert Series

NATS Boston-Arlington Philharmonic Competition

Boston University Opera Audition Feedback Session

NATS Boston Vocal Competition

Boston Singers Resource Select Auditions

Classical Singer Competition

Classical Singer Feedback Session

Boston Conservatory Audition Feedback Session

MassOpera Vocal Competition

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What Clients Have to Say

"I am so glad that Dana came to present as a guest lecturer in the New England Conservatory Vocal Pedagogy teaching practicum course. In the weeks following her lecture, multiple students approached me to express that Dana’s lecture imparted some of the most valuable information they have received during their time at NEC. Perhaps most impressive was the quantity and clarity of information that Dana managed to impart in just an hour. Her advice is always practical, and students left the lecture feeling enlightened and empowered by the clear steps they could take to build their careers. Her knowledge about the field of classical singing is invaluable for both pedagogues and singers seeking to forge a path in a competitive market."

Emily Siar

DMA student and organizer of the Vocal Pedagogy Guest Speaker Series, New England Conservatory

What Clients Have to Say

"Dana Varga spent two days at Converse College inspiring our students with her engaging presentations.  She offered a wealth of practical and sometimes unexpected advice for singers, other musicians, and students of theater and fine arts, encouraging them to create their own opportunities and discover unique personal ways to pursue a fulfilling and financially viable career in the arts.  The invaluable information she presented, with numerous specific and general examples, was both pragmatic and motivational for students grappling with the practicalities of life beyond college.  I highly recommend Dana to any educational arts institution."

Valerie MacPhail

Voice Faculty, Converse College

What Clients Have to Say

"Thank you so much for taking the time to connect via Zoom with our voice students at UMass Amherst. Your talk about career paths and your enthusiasm for helping young singers find their way in an uncertain career and in this uncertain time was inspiring to us all. You began with a vivid description of how you ended up accidentally starting an opera company while still in your 20’s, a topic I specifically asked you to open with, and how that evolved into the exciting project it still is over a decade later. You moved on to discuss the many aspects of the life and livelihood of young singers today. Although you outlined clearly the type of career difficulties all of them may face, your message was one of hope in the future through examining the many possibilities open to them as they discover their own paths. Thank you again for all you do for the talented young singers today, through your lectures and writing and, of course, through your own teaching and career coaching."

Marjorie Melnick

Voice Faculty at UMass Amherst

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