New Faculty Member Q&A: Carlos Santelli

Assistant Professor of Voice Carlos Santelli is an opera singer with an impressive career that includes winning the 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has performed with many opera companies, including San Diego Opera, Dayton Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera and Minnesota Opera. He is a graduate of the Los Angeles Opera’s Young Artist Program. Santelli holds an M.M. from the University of Michigan and a B.M. from Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Tell us about the classes you’ll be teaching this year.

This fall, I will be teaching voice lessons and leading studio class for my applied students. In addition to this, I will teach a diction class in the spring. These classes teach singers rules of pronunciation for the languages which they will be required to sing in and hopefully, help them sound like native speakers.

What attracted you to the Butler School of Music and The University of Texas at Austin?

I have been aware of the prestige of the Butler School of Music for a long time, and it has honestly been a dream of a faculty appointment for me. Performing-artists-in-training learn through action; by getting on stage and doing the thing that they are training for. There has always been such a strong culture here of learning by doing at BSOM whether it be through the robust opera season or the many ensembles and collaborations available to students. Visiting campus and meeting the fantastic students and faculty really sealed the deal. The Butler School of Music is a place where talent has the opportunity and resources to grow exponentially! It’s very exciting to be a part of that legacy.  

How did your professional pathway lead to your current artistic focus?

My journey was quite unique in that even as a dedicated performer, I began my studies knowing that teaching was something very important to me. When I completed my apprenticeship with the LA Opera and started my career as a freelance singer, I found that I was more and more curious about how my colleagues’ voices felt, functioned, and developed. This ultimately led me back to school as a doctoral student and to dive full time into teaching. Helping someone develop their voice gives me the same excitement others might get from being on stage. I am very fortunate to have had the career as a performer that I have had, and I believe it has made me a more empathetic teacher.

What’s something that students and colleagues should know about you?

Believe it or not, I was a competitive gymnast when I was much younger. Although my days as a competitive athlete are behind me, there was something very satisfying about the intense focus and repetition the sport required. In a way, it is very similar to singing.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not teaching/performing/working?

Outside of work, you’ll find me spending time with my wife, Ashley and Mochi, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I’m a third-wave coffee fanatic and we are a family that travels a ton for mine and my wife’s performing. On a day off, you’ll probably find the three of us scouting out a new coffee shop in whatever city one of us is performing in. I’m very excited to explore Austin’s coffee scene!