Selected Student Bios

• Marvin Avila
  Marvin Avila is a Second Year Graduate Student studying in the Classical Voice performance program at NYU's Steinhardt School.
  
  From 1998-2000, he was the youngest member of PINTIG – an organization dedicated to presenting traditional Philippine Culture through the performing arts -- and has performed with them in various halls such as Alice Tully Hall, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Bruno Walter Auditorium.
  
  Marvin received his B.M. from NYU Steinhardt in Vocal Performance/Music Theatre.  At NYU he appeared in the productions of A Chorus Line (Paul San Marco), The Merry Widow (St. Brioche), Riders to the Sea (Bartley), as well as the ensembles of Street Scene, Ragtime and Pirates of Penzance.
  
  In February of 2006, he had the honor of representing the Vocal Performance program in a Master Class with Barbara Cook at Lincoln Center. He also participated in a tribute to NYU alumnus and 8-time Oscar winning Alan Menken at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, featuring an appearance by Mr. Menken. Martin was the inaugural recipient of the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star/NYU Steinhardt Musical Theatre Scholarship. Recently in the graduate program, he has played the role of Luiz in The Gondoliers, John Styx in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, and Donald in Douglas Moore's Gallantry.
• Jay Armstrong Johnson
  Jay Armstrong Johnson is a native of Fort Worth, Texas currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance/Music Theatre.  At NYU Steinhardt  he has been seen in the title roles of King David in Alan Menken and Tim Rice's King David and as Floyd in Floyd Collins.  Other NYU credits are Next Thing You Know, 110 in the Shade (Jimmy), Urinetown (Hot Blades Harry/dance captain), ODIN: The Opera (Baldar) and the Player's Club production of Romeo & Juliet (Romeo).
        
  Professionally, Jay was seen in the first national revival tour of A Chorus Line (Mark).  Regional credits include Hairspray (Link) at the Weston Playhouse, A Chorus Line (Mark), Godspell (Jeffrey), West Side Story (Baby John), Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan (John Darling) all at Casa Mañana, Disney's Beauty & the Beast, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Little Shop of Horrors (dance captain), and Summer of '42 with Celia Keenan-Bolger and Rachel York.  Jay is a proud member of Actor's Equity Association.

  
  
• Crystal Mosser
  Crystal Mosser is a Master's Candidate in the Program in Vocal Performance at New York University. Favorite roles include Christine in Maury Yeston’s Phantom and Casilda in The Gondoliers (under Dir. Doug Hodge), Anna Glawari in The Merry Widow, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance (Dir. Bill Wesbrooks), Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld (Dir. Martha Collins), u/s Amber in Hairspray, Ragtime, Titanic and singing “Glitter and Be Gay” with the NYU Symphony Orchestra at the Skirball Center under the direction of John Simpkins.  Last summer, she worked at the regional Schoolhouse Theatre on Sanibel Island, Florida as well as performing Marty in Grease with American Idol alum John Stevens in Buffalo, NY. She has also appeared with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the Keller Competition.  
• Gregory Williams

  Gregory Williams is a senior in the Vocal Performance/Music Theatre program in NYU Steinhardt. From Long Island, New York, Gregory studies voice with Prof. Michael Ricciardone. At NYU, Gregory has been a member of the Student Advisory Council, All University Gospel Choir and he is an MLK Spirit scholar, a Peer Educator, and a Resident Assistant. He was also recently accepted into the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program dedicated to the betterment of conditions in student affairs.

  In June 2008, Gregory spent two weeks at NYU Florence (Italy) studying with Steinhardt's Vocal Performance Program abroad. His NYU stage credits include Pierre in The Boyfriend, Chorus in Magic Flute, Ensemble in 110 in the Shade, Mr. Erlanson in A Little Night Music, Ed Bishop in Floyd Collins and Flick in Violet.

• Maurice Parent
  Maurice Parent was born and raised in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Maurice’s mother, an accountant for the federal government and father, a drafter, encouraged his love of the arts since the age of 5. He began performing in his church and school community and continued to do so through High School. Maurice began his study of voice while pursuing a B.S. in Business Administration at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Upon completion of his degree, Maurice was accepted into the Program in Vocal Performance at New York University’s Steinhardt School where he currently is working towards a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance with a concentration in Music Theater. Mr. Parent’s professional credits include Storyville – (Southwestern Premiere, Galveston Island Musicals), Violet (Newman Theater), and Ragtime (Music Theater of Wichita and The Fulton Opera House). His NYU credits include Fiorello (Ben Marino), Babes in Arms (Ivor), Street Scene (Dick McGann), God Lives in Glass (Original Cast member), Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr.) A Chorus Line (Ritchie) and Parade (Jim Conley). As a soloist, Maurice has performed with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, the Neighborhood Opera Co, (Pittsburgh. PA) and sung the National Anthem for a Major League Baseball exhibition game. He performed the role of Andre in Ain’t Misbehavin’ in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for the Malaysian Royal Family and other dignitaries.  Mr. Parent began studying dance at Carnegie Mellon Univ. and continued his studies at Broadway Dance center, Steps on Broadway, and the Dance Theater of Harlem. He has worked with chorographers such as Baayork Lee and Karen Azenberg. Maurice was accepted into an acting intensive at the Atlantic Theater Co. founded by David Mamet and William H Macy.