David Sabella

Style: Opera; Jazz; Classical; Pop; Musical Theatre

Title: Private Studio Owner: Sabella Voice Studio

Bio:

David Sabella: Performer, Voice Pedagogue, Author, and Arts Executive

David Sabella is an award-winning singer, actor, internationally renowned voice teacher, and author with a distinguished career spanning over four decades in musical theater, opera, and cabaret. A pioneer of the "American tradition" of the classical countertenor voice, Sabella made history as a winner of the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, where Maestro Pavarotti famously stopped him, mid-audition to declare him "excellent, not good. Excellent!" He subsequently won the New York Oratorio Society Competition at Carnegie Hall and has performed in opera and concert halls around the world, and as a principal soloist at both Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

On Broadway, Sabella originated the starring role of "Mary Sunshine" in the 1996 revival of CHICAGO, remaining with the production for nearly a decade. He recently returned to the Broadway musical CHICAGO in August 2025 to recreate the role he originated 29 years prior, making Broadway history in the process. Before his starring turn on Broadway, Sabella toured for 5 years with the legendary La Gran Scena Opera Company, performing as Mirella Frenzi, and singing great arias, duets and scenes from Aida, Lakme, Madama Butterfly, and others.

His expansive four-octave range has also led to voice-over work for Disney and Fox Animation. An accomplished solo concert artist, Sabella regularly performs at premier venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center and Feinstein’s/54 Below, and he has won multiple MAC Awards as well as a Fresh Fruit Festival Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his Off-Broadway work.

As a leading voice pedagogue and recognized Singing Voice Specialist (SVS), Sabella works alongside medical professionals to retrain singers recovering from injury, illness or surgery. He is the co-author of So You Want to Sing Cabaret (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020) and has presented groundbreaking research on Contemporary Commercial Music at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) conferences. A two-term past president of the New York Singing Teachers’ Association (NYSTA), Sabella has served on the voice faculties of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Fordham University, Montclair State University, and others.

Based in New York City, with seasonally appearances in Puerto Vallarta, Sabella teaches internationally through Sabella Voice Studio. He is also the Founding President and Artistic Director of the Bella Vox Foundation, a US 501(c)(3) dedicated to cross-cultural performing arts exchange.

Voice Type: Countertenor

Music Styles Taught: Opera; Jazz; Classical; Pop; Musical Theatre

Availability: I am available as a performer; I am currently accepting private students; I offer lessons in a group environment; I have a wait-list for private lessons; I am available as a clinician or presenter; I accept students through a college or university program

Contact Information