About
Her Story
Here’s the story of how Ann became one of the foremost innovators of performance and presentation education and training.
Early in her career as a coach and collaborative pianist, Ann was hired to play for staging rehearsals at opera companies. While the mainstage singers sang well, she noticed something unsettling:
They didn’t look like real people.
There was a disconnect between their movement and expression and the music they were singing. Something was happening in their minds and bodies that was disrupting the natural look and flow of human being and doing. It was hard to connect with them, because what she saw didn’t match the story they were telling. And she knew if she felt that way, audience members would, too.
The more singers she worked with, the more she noticed the same issues: restricted expression, self-doubt, low self-confidence. Capped potential. Fear.
She knew it wasn’t a lack of talent. Her intuitive sense knew these singers possessed so much more potential than what she was witnessing.
So one night, with colleagues around a kitchen table, an open conversation took place. Ideas were exchanged, and Ann walked away with a pile of notes that would become the foundation of OperaWorks™, a training program based in a holistic, supportive approach to creative expression and performance presentation
Fast forward and that little seed of desire to help others tap into their potential became a world-renowned organization, providing new, tangible technical skills and giving singers permission to explore, discover, and breakthrough barriers since 1987.
It was Ann’s background in traditional training, combined with her unconventional approach to delivery that helped transform the lives of thousands of performers and presenters over the years, resulting in professional careers, career advancement, and personal creative freedom for so many.
Background
Born into a musical family in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ann became an accomplished collaborative pianist, playing extensively on tour with Columbia Artist Concerts and Minnesota Opera. An important part of her training came from her time as a coach in the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera, where she received the Otto Guth Award for Outstanding Coach.
It was there she first worked with visionary director Wesley Balk, who would become a large influence in her work with singers. She also served as music director of his Minnesota Opera Institute.
As the founder of OperaWorks™, she has amassed over 2,000 alumni worldwide, provided pedagogical training for teachers and coaches, and had the success of her teaching methods documented in the International Journal of Music Education.
Ann's Values
Investing in Potential
What people have yet to discover within themselves is a source of excitement and joy. Giving people the opportunity to explore that potential is giving someone one of the most valuable gifts life has to offer.
Providing a Safe Environment
Open hearts and minds create a powerful force. When a person feels safe enough to discover and explore without fear of judgment, curiosity and instinct take over and breakthroughs occur.
Commitment to the Individual
Every individual deserves the same attention, care, and respect, regardless of age, race, gender, profession, social status, or level of training and experience. We are all possess unique qualities that deserve a chance to be understood and appreciated.
Community and Connection
Ann believes in the power of genuine connection through communication, regardless of form. Coming together and expressing authentically, whether for an audience or for a social movement, can change lives.
Interested in Bringing Innovative Training to You?
Thousands of singers, voice teachers, coaches, pianists, directors, and presenters have benefited from Ann's exceptional training, which is both positive and affirming.
Connect with Ann to discuss the potential of bringing her work to your students and/or faculty.
While Ann excelled as a pianist during her education, she was taught in a traditional style of right/wrong feedback, where her teacher’s well-intended priority was to fixate solely on the mistakes. As a result she developed a skewed perception of her own talent, thinking she must not be doing anything right. While that was far from the truth, it wasn’t until she was hired and sought after that she recognized she had much to bring to the table.
When Ann decided to teach others, she was determined to eradicate the traditional feedback models rooted in negative criticism. She created a balance between positive reinforcement of what was working and empowering and constructive feedback about could be improved. This was not only mentally and emotionally healthier for students - it also produced better results.
TESTIMONIALS
"Working with Ann Baltz is an incomparable experience. Her knowledge in traditional styles and out-of-the-box thinking is exactly what academia and the industry needs to elevate young artists."
Alice Chung, mezzo | San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, winner - Loren Zachary National Competition 2024
"What Ann Baltz does in a three hour class is a bit of a miracle. …Her ability to instill immediate trust with the students is inspiring. I saw my students take risks that I never expected...In my years as a director and educator, my evening watching Ann work was one of the most magical I have spent."
David Gately | Director of Opera, Boston Conservatory at Berklee