Teaching Artist Statement
My biggest goal as an educator is to work with my students to find their own unique voice so they may fully express themselves as both artists and human beings. I strive to create a safe space in my studio so that students feel comfortable singing the music they like the most, while also encouraging them to make their own musical choices and artistic decisions. This allows us to more easily identify any technical obstacles that students may be facing as well. I value each individual student’s perspective, and my focus as their instructor will be to promote healthy singing technique, mutual collaboration, and above all, a love and appreciation for music.
Teacher Bio
Juan Suarez received his BM in Voice Performance from Stetson University in Deland, Florida in 2018. He earned a Master of Music in Voice Performance with a concentration in Voice Pedagogy from New England Conservatory (NEC) in May of 2020. While at NEC, Juan worked closely with Dr. Ian Howell on the unique mind and body coordination required for singing.
Juan has been teaching private voice lessons since 2016. Though he has a background in classical voice, he teaches a variety of other styles, including Jazz, Musical Theater, Pop, and Latin-American Folk music. Juan also became fond of Baroque music, specifically that of J.S Bach and G.F Handel. In the second year of his masters, he wrote a research paper on the two composers, comparing and contrasting their use of biblical scripture in two of their respective major sacred works. He joined South Shore Conservatory as a teaching artist fall of 2022.
Performer Bio
Juan Suarez is a lyric baritone currently based in Quincy, MA. A recent graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, he performed several roles in main stage opera productions with NEC, appearing as Betto in Puccini’s great comedy Gianni Schicchi, Antonio in Mozart’s well known opera, The Marriage of Figaro, and most recently, Mercurio in La Calisto, a dramatic opera by Baroque composer, Francesco Cavalli. During quarantine in the Summer of 2020, Juan performed in a one-of-a-kind virtual performance of Humperdinck’s opera, Hansel und Gretel, staged using the popular video game, ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons,’ which received coverage from several publications including OperaWire and the Boston Globe. Juan has also sung with MassOpera, Odyssey Opera, and with the Community Engagement Programs at NEC, touring two children's operas for two consecutive years at several schools and venues in the greater Boston area.
Juan sings with Nightingale Vocal Ensemble and The Choir of the New Jerusalem at the Church on the Hill, both as a member of the ensembles, and as an occasional soloist. He joined South Shore Conservatory as a teaching artist fall of 2022.