Justin John Moniz

A recipient of the Yamaha Corporation Top 40 Music Educator Award and a Musical America Top Professional of the Year, Dr. Justin John Moniz serves as Associate Director of Vocal Performance and Coordinator of Vocal Pedagogy at New York University’s (NYU) Steinhardt School where he holds the rank of Music Associate Professor. At NYU, Moniz leads the graduate vocal pedagogy program, teaches courses in pedagogic theory, practice, applied voice, independent research, and directs the DownBeat Award-winning NYU Pop/Rock Ensemble, a group he founded in 2019. He also serves as Program Director of the Contemporary Vocal Summer Workshop. In addition to his appointment at NYU, Dr. Moniz is a member of the Vocal Arts Faculty at Manhattan School of Music where he teaches Vocal Wellness & Physiology. He previously served as Chair of Vocal Studies at Millikin University and Visiting Instructor of Opera at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Moniz's current and former students regularly appear on Broadway, international tours, national television, and in regional theaters and opera houses including Central City Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, Virginia Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Portland Opera, and the New York Philharmonic. The scholarly work of his graduate students has seen nearly two dozen publications in the Journal of Singing, Journal of Voice, Voice and Speech Review, Australian Voice, Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies, and VOICEPrints. Recent graduates of the program have joined the faculties at NYU, Temple University, Syracuse University, Texas State University, Sam Houston State University, and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. 

Under Dr. Moniz's vision and leadership, the NYU Vocal Pedagogy Outreach Program (VPOP) has reached over 1,500 students from nearly 25 underserved communities across the continental United States. His paper, “Assessing the Impact of Vocal Pedagogy Outreach Activities on Geographically, Culturally, and Economically Disadvantaged Communities,” was presented at the 13th Annual Conference on Visual and Performing Arts, hosted by the Athens Institute for Education and Research. In addition, has recently been invited to present the finding of his voice research at conferences in Tokyo, Paris, Barcelona, and Philadelphia.

A leading expert on vocal pedagogy and wellness, Dr. Moniz is regularly engaged as a guest clinician and consultant for organizations including the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the National Opera Association (NOA), The Royal Conservatory of Music, New England Conservatory, Boston University, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Barry's Bootcamp, among others. Dr. Moniz is also a mentor teacher for the NATS National Mentoring Collaborative and the NATS Mentored Teaching Experience. He has served as a faculty member for the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Locally, Dr. Moniz is an active member of the NATS-NYC Chapter where he serves as President, having recently concluded work as Vice President and Chair of Student Auditions. In addition, he is a full voting member of the Pan American Vocology Association. Most recently, Dr. Moniz finished four years of service as Co-Chair of the Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee for NOA. 

A widely recognized researcher and accomplished author, Dr. Moniz serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Singing, where he is the author of “The Versatile Voice” column. He has written numerous scholarly articles and reviews for the Journal of Singing, The Opera Journal, and VOICEPrints. Dr. Moniz is currently working on his new book, Your Pop/Rock Prescription, which highlights a vowel-driven approach to contemporary vocal styles. In addition, he is concluding work on a second book entitled, A Fight for the Light: Underrepresented Journeys to the Stage, alongside co-author Minnita Daniel Cox. The piece celebrates trailblazing performers and highlights the trials and tribulations of prominent Black opera singers including Denyce Graves, Martina Arroyo, George Shirley, and many others. Most recently, Dr. Moniz was awarded Steinhardt’s prestigious Faculty Development & Diversity Innovation Grant for his project, Paving New Paths: Understanding Trans Identities On-Stage & Off. 

A three-time winner of The American Prize in Vocal Performance, Dr. Moniz’s “superb high tenor” (South Florida Classical Review) and “commanding stage presence” (TalkinBroadway.com) has been thrilling audiences in opera houses, theaters, and concert halls across the nation, among them Opera Grand Rapids, Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, Sarasota Opera, Florida Grand Opera, The Columbus Philharmonic, Opera Company of Middlebury, Opera New Jersey, DreamCatcher Theatre/Adrienne Arsht Center, Orchestra Miami, Gulfshore Opera, Palm Beach Dramaworks, The Orchestra of Northern New York, Panama City Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Center. His unique style and versatility have afforded him an active career in opera, concert, and musical theatre, having sung over 90 roles to date. Most recently, Dr. Moniz’s star turn as Prince Karl Franz in The Student Prince with Opera Grand Rapids (Wilde Award Nominee) received high praise and great acclaim, the press hailing his performance as “simply outstanding…glorious” (Encore Michigan). Moniz is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists and the Actors’ Equity Association. His debut solo album, Along the Way (2021), is available on all streaming platforms.

Dr. Moniz also serves as Executive Director of Hawaii Performing Arts Festival (HPAF), a training and performance program on The Big Island of Hawai’i. His diverse and innovative programming has earned HPAF global recognition and multiple awards from the National Opera Association, The American Prize, and BroadwayWorld. Throughout Dr. Moniz’s administrative tenure, he has won the organization two million dollars in public and private grant funding, increased the annual operating budget by nearly 40%, and yielded the highest student enrollment in the festival’s 20-year history. 

Dr. Moniz holds four degrees from Florida State University, the University of Miami, and SUNY Potsdam, and certifications from Harvard Business School, Duke University, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He has received young alumni awards from all three of his alma maters and was previously named one of Florida State University’s Notable Noles, University of Miami’s 30 Under 30, and a SUNY Potsdam Rising Star. As a voice teacher, researcher, and NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Moniz is particularly passionate about identifying the parallels between the worlds of voice science and sports medicine, more specifically concerning vocal load, efficiency, and sustainability. His article, "Regulating Vocal Load in High Impact Production," was identified by NATS as the most-read Journal of Singing article of 2022.