The National Association of Teachers of Singing lost a giant of the profession figuratively and literally with the death of the association’s past president Roy Delp on June 24 following a brief illness.

Delp had the unique distinction of serving as president of NATS twice. His first term from 2000-2002 was unique in that he was asked to take office in 1999. After completing his first term, Delp was then pressed into service to serve a second term when his successor, William McIver, resigned in September 2003 due to failing health. Delp served the remainder of McIver’s term until 2004 when he was succeeded by Jane Dillard.  

During his first term in office he oversaw the committee that selected Richard Sjoerdsma as Editor in Chief of Journal of Singing, a position Sjoerdsma continues to hold today.  In addition, a revised agreement was negotiated among the members of the International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) and approved in 2001 at the ICVT held in Helsinki, Finland. The Association’s bylaws were also revised during his term.  During his brief second term, Delp served concurrently as president, past president, director of the NATS Intern Program and as chair of the nominating committee.  Prior to serving on the Board of Directors as president he also served as governor of the Southeastern Region of NATS and served the association in many other ways.  He completed his service on the NATS Board of Directors in 2006.

"Roy Delp was a leader who led NATS with authority and excellence," NATS Executive Director Allen Henderson said. "His love of the organization and its mission often led his colleagues and others to dub him 'Mr. NATS.' Many NATS activities were punctuated by Roy’s humor and resonant laughter."

Delp's enthusiasm for training singers never wavered, and even after his retirement from Florida State University he returned to teach there part-time up until his death. Until recent weeks, Delp was planning to attend the NATS 53rd National Conference in Boston, scheduled for July 5-9.

Delp began teaching at Florida State in 1976. Previously, he held positions at the University of Wyoming and Augusta College in Georgia. He received his musical education at the Oberlin and New England Conservatories in the United States and at the Akademie Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. 

A graveside service was held on Saturday, June 28, in Tallahassee, Florida, and a memorial event at Florida State University is being planned for September.  

Roy Delp Obituary

NATS members can leave their remembrances of Delp on this page by selecting the "comment" section at the bottom of the page.