Kimberly Monzon, DMA

Applauded for her rich and radiant vocal color, soprano Kimberly Monzón has been delighting audiences in opera houses and concert halls throughout the country with charismatic character and vibrant portrayals of leading heroines. Roles to her credit include Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Magda in La rondine, Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lucy in A Room with a View, Frasquita in Carmen, Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos, Erste Frau in Die Zauberflöte, and Johanna in Sweeney Todd with companies from coast to coast, including Columbus Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Idaho, Puget Sound Concert Opera, and Opera Project Columbus. Dr. Monzón has performed a diverse range of concert and recital repertoire including Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder, several of Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne, the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana, Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, Spanish song, operatic and jazz repertoire for organizations such as Local Opera Local Artists (LOLA) in Austin, Orquesta Northwest in Seattle, Coeur d’Alene Symphony, Philharmonic Orchestra of Texas, and a variety of venues in New York City, Miami, the Pacific Northwest, and Upper Midwest regions.

Dr. Monzón is currently conducting exciting new voice research in collaboration with a Baylor University cross-disciplinary research team studying the effects of Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the singing voice. She is a frequent presenter of her research topics, female vocal health, and general vocal health and hygiene at academic institutions and voice conferences across the country. Other current research projects include studying the longitudinal effects of voice lessons on the Voice Range Profile, and an exciting collaboration with Houston Grand Opera Butler Studio Artists cross-referencing singing styles, vocal hygiene habits, and vocal fatigue in trained singers.

A passionate pedagogue and trained vocologist, Dr. Monzón travels across the country giving vocal masterclasses, as well as lecturing on general vocal wellbeing for the elite vocal athlete. Her voice students have been accepted into prestigious classical and music theater programs across the country, including Manhattan School of Music, Ball State University, Otterbein University, Binghamton University SUNY, and the University of Puget Sound. They are performing mainstage roles in professional theaters and companies throughout the nation, as well as roles with national and international young artist programs.

Dr. Monzón holds degrees from the Ohio State University, University of Houston, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and maintains full memberships with PAVA, NATS, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, and TMEA.

Academic Interests and Research

Effects of omega-3 supplementation on the singing voice, vascular changes of the vocal folds in varying conditions, effects of cyclical female sex hormones on the singing voice, barriers to maintaining vocal health for vocal athletes

Selected publications, presentations, and features

• Perrine, B.L., Monzón, K., Weber, L.M., and Funderburk, L.K. “The impact of fish oil supplementation on self-perception of the voice in vocal performers: A randomized, single blind placebo-controlled study.” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, Vol. 64, Issue 12, 2021.
• Presenter, Texas Music Educators Association, 2023 
• “Vocal Health for Music Educators: The pitfalls of pushing through and the possibilities for prevention” with B.L. Perrine, L.M. Weber, J. Hathway
• Research Highlights
• Baylor Magazine ­– Summer, 2022
• Baylor Connections Podcast, Season 5, Episode 501   
• KWBU Waco Public Radio ­– January 7, 2022
• “Baylor Research Sheds Light with R1 Recognition and Omega-3 Study”     
• KWBU Waco Public Radio ­– December 17, 2021
• Artist Series Lecturer, Texoma Region NATS Conference, 2022 
• “Bridging the Gap: Cross-disciplinary conversations to benefit the singer” with B.L. Perrine, L.M. Weber, J. Hathway
• Poster Presentation, The Fall Voice Conference – Miami, FL, 2021 
• “A randomized, single blind placebo-controlled trial to determine the impact of fish oil on young vocal performers’ self-perception of their voice” with B.L. Perrine, L.M. Weber, L.K. Funderburk