PRESS RELEASE: Journal of Singing Welcomes New Members to the Editorial Board

Editor in chief Matthew Hoch has recently announced two appointments to the Journal of Singing editorial board:

Anna Hersey, professor of voice at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, has been appointed associate editor of the Recent Research in Singing column. Long steered by its founding associate editor, former NATS president Donald Simonson, this column was introduced in the September/October 2012 issue of the Journal of Singing and has appeared in every issue of the journal since its debut. Hersey begins her tenure this month with an article that marks seventy-first installment of Recent Research in Singing. She will comanage the column alongside Simonson until the conclusion of volume 83, taking the reins on her own beginning in September/October 2027.

In addition to Hersey’s appointment, Kourtney Austin will be joining the editorial review board. Austin currently serves as assistant professor of voice and choir and the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and brings a wealth of experience in the discipline of performing arts health and voice pedagogy. Austin will be applying these areas of expertise as she reviews articles for the Journal of Singing.

“I am pleased to welcome Anna Hersey and Kourtney Austin” to the Journal of Singing editorial board, Hoch said. “I cannot think of two finer additions to our team. Hersey’s and Austin’s respective skillsets will ably equip the journal as we continue to evolve to meet the demands of twenty-first century pedagogical scholarship.”

About Anna Hersey and Kourtney Austin

A noted expert on Scandinavian repertoire and diction, Anna Hersey was a Fulbright Scholar at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm. She conducted research at Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium and Københavns Universitet, on a postdoctoral fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation. Hersey’s articles have been published in the Journal of Singing, Voiceprints, and the Opera Journal, and her translations have been published by Carnegie Hall. Her first book, Scandinavian Song: A Guide to Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish Diction and Repertoire, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2016. Recent performances have been sponsored by Finlandia Foundation, American Scandinavian Foundation, Sons of Norway, and the Grieg Society. She is an active member of professional organizations in her discipline, presenting regularly at regional, national, and international conferences, and is an alumna of the NATS Intern Program. She holds master’s degrees in performance and musicology from the University of Minnesota and pursued advanced studies at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. Hersey earned a doctorate from the University of Miami and has taught at Iowa State University, Barry University, Broward College, University of Miami, Eastern New Mexico University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. She is currently professor of voice at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh.

Kourtney Austin is a mezzo-soprano, educator, and performing arts health advocate. She currently serves as assistant professor of voice and choir at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. She holds a PhD in music from the University of North Texas with concentrations in performing arts health and voice pedagogy, along with degrees from UMKC Conservatory, Northwest Missouri State University, and postgraduate work in vocology and speech-language pathology at the University of Iowa. Austin’s research focuses on phonatory onset, voice fatigue, and performing arts health curricula. She has presented her work at major national and international conferences and has delivered guest lectures and workshops across the United States, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Australia, and China. Her recent publication in the Journal of Voice reflects her ongoing commitment to evidence-based pedagogy and long-term voice wellness. Austin’s recent performing credits include Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and Mozart’s Requiem. She is an active member of PAMA, PAVA, the Voice Foundation, and NATS.