Mississippi native Dr. Meredith Melvin Johnson trains future music educators in diction, pedagogy, and vocal literature while coaching collegiate singers across multiple genres. Specializing in both classical and belt techniques, she is an active adjudicator, clinician, and workshop leader for choral ensembles, show choirs, musical theatre programs, and church groups. An assistant professor of voice at The University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Johnson also maintains a diverse private studio. Her online programs, Virtual Vocal Academyand Audition Bootcamp, extend her teaching to students worldwide, reflecting her commitment to accessible, high-level vocal training.

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Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, mezzo-soprano Myka Murphy has been praised as “a vocal powerhouse…with an abundant quality of strength” (OperaWire). She has appeared as the Alto Soloist in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Natchez Festival of Music and FestivalSouth and in the world premiere of Waiting Rooms by Trey Makler. Other engagements include Venus in Tannhäuser, Alto Soloist in Messiah, and roles with Opera Mississippi and the Jackson Symphony. A Juilliard alumna, Murphy holds degrees from The Juilliard School and The University of Southern Mississippi and is managed by Wade Artist Management.

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Tenor Derek Meler has appeared in operas, musicals, and concerts with Nashville Opera, Nashville Symphony, Opera Naples, Belle Meade Baroque, Vocal Artists Nashville, and as a Young Artist with Seagle Music Colony. He made his professional debut with Nashville Opera in the world premiere of Elmer Gantry and later collaborated with Stephen Schwartz to premiere the role of Mr. Clayton in Séance on a Wet Afternoon. Favorite roles include Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), and Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Derek is currently pursuing a conducting degree at The University of Southern Mississippi and lives in Hattiesburg with his wife, Brianna.

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Bass-baritone Paul Houghtaling has performed a wide-ranging repertoire across the U.S. and internationally. Highlights include recording Philip Glass’s Naqoyqatsi for SONY; multiple solo appearances at Carnegie Hall; U.S. tours with the Waverly Consort, including the Kennedy Center; and Lincoln Center’s Meet the Artists. He has appeared with Opera Mississippi as Ko-Ko (The Mikado) and the Major General (The Pirates of Penzance), and with companies including Anchorage Opera, Opera Saratoga, Nashville Opera, Mobile Opera, Opera Las Vegas, and Opera Birmingham. Currently Director of Opera at the University of Alabama, he has also performed with Central City, Boston Lyric, Santa Fe Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild.

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Jay Dean is Artistic Director of Opera Mississippi and the Natchez Festival of Music and Founding Artistic Director of FestivalSouth. He served as Director of Orchestral and Operatic Activities at The University of Southern Mississippi from 1988 to 2018 and also held roles as Director of the School of Music and Associate Dean for Arts and External Relations. He continues at Southern Miss as Executive Director of the Arts Institute of Mississippi. An internationally active conductor and educator, Dean led the USM Symphony Orchestra’s transformation into a multinational ensemble through innovative recruiting and partnerships, earning global recognition and the motto “Bringing the World to Mississippi.”

 

Dr. Joel A. Dunlap serves as the Chair of Choral Activities and Performance at William Carey University's Winters School of Music.  Dr. Dunlap earned his Doctor of Musical Arts with an emphasis in Choral Conducting at the University of Southern Mississippi.  He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Vocal and Piano Music Education and a Master of Music degree from the University of Mississippi. Dr. Dunlap’s choirs have given solo performances in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy; St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy; Notré Dame Cathedral in Paris, France; Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent; Salzburg Cathedral in Salzburg, Austria; St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria; Basilica St. Michael in Mondsee, Austria; Reformed Church of Lucerne, Switzerland; and the Haydn Recital Hall at the Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria.