“Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap.”
― St. Hildegard of Bingen
I am a singing artist, a teacher of inhale, an impassioned arts education founder and entrepreneur who is fervent in her commitment to sharing the story of truth. I am a determined seeker of the continual veracity and evolution of the craft of our art and the art of our craft.
What I do
Executive Director and Founder of the International School of the Voice, International Soprano, former President of the Executive Board of Directors of Joy In Singing, the Art Song Institute, voice faculty member at The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where she received an award in 2021 for her excellence in teaching, currently, a voice faculty member of Houston Christian University, and Co-Founder of the Mozart Opera Studio in Vienna, together with the European Music Institute and the illustrious Mexican Tenor, Francisco Araiza.
Rachel Elizabeth is trailblazing a new path in the sphere of classical voice, and through the International School of the Voice, is revolutionizing the way the art form is taught.
Ms. Watkins is a consummate soprano and recitalist, having sung extensively in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Ms. Watkins' students are frequent first place winners and finalists in competitions such as the Monserrat Caballé, the Fausto Ricci, Maria Caniglia, Neue Stimmen, Belvedere, the Metropolitan Opera Laffont, and several more. The first graduate of the ISV Principal Artist program, Monica Conesa, recently made her debut at the esteemed, historic Arena di Verona as Aida and Gioconda, (one of the youngest artists to debut there, since Maria Callas, who debuted as Gioconda). Rachel Elizabeth's technical work is increasing in demand, and she regularly gives masterclasses worldwide, and is also devoting time to writing, vlogging, recording with her duo partner, Cristina Stanescu, Founder and Chair of the Collaborative Piano graduate program at Mannes Conservatory, at the New School in NYC.
Ms. Watkins has worked with leading conductors and has appeared as a guest soloist with many orchestras in halls such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, with distinguished ensembles like the Marinsky Orchestra, the Orchestra Verdi, the Orchestra Now, the Oratorio Society of NY, the National Chorale, and more; some of these works include the Verdi Requiem, Carmina Burana, the U.S. premiere of Raff’s Te Deum, the De Profundis of Lili Boulanger, Mahler’s Symphonies, No. 4 and 8, Beethoven 9th Symphony and Mass in C, Bach, Brahms, Fauré and Mozart Requiems, and numerous Rutter works conducted by the composer himself. Ms. Watkins made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Berg’s Lulu; and her career has given her the opportunity to perform the roles of Norma, Violetta, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donna Anna, Gilda, Marguerite, Fiordiligi, Die Königin die Nacht, Adina, Poppea, Juliette, Musetta, Giulietta, and Cleopatra, and the role of Rosina in Anton Coppola’s epic opera, Sacco and Vanzetti; for which an aria was composed for her. Rachel Elizabeth attended Loyola University where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance, and Yale University, earning her Master of Music. Post graduation, Ms. Watkins joined the International Opera Studio of the Opernhaus Zürich. Rachel Elizabeth can be seen on the EMI Classics DVD of Der Rosenkavalier under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst and on the Veritas recording label, performing Wenn Ich an Hiroshima denke, of Udo Zimmermann, with Cristina Stanescu.