Biography
Rachel Hurtado Dunbar is a mezzo-soprano from El Paso, Texas who enjoys performing in a variety of styles. Recent operatic engagements include Mercedes in Carmen and the Hairdresser in In the Rush. She has also performed with the Hawaii Opera Theater as a member of the Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio in their productions of Le Nozze di Figaro, Romeo et Juliette, and Eugene Onegin. As a soloist, she performed with the Charles Ives 150 Festival, Indiana University Chamber Orchestra, University of Hawaii Wind Ensemble, and the IU Latin-X Artist Showcase. When she isn’t singing classically, she enjoys performing mariachi, gospel, rock, and pop music in venues large and small.
Dr. Dunbar is also a skilled and enthusiastic voice teacher. She runs a private voice studio and taught as an Associate Instructor at Indiana University. Her pedagogy centers voice science to elicit measurable change. Additionally, she recently presented her paper on the mariachi voice at the New Voice Educators Symposium and hopes to continue to publish works that blend ethnomusicology and voice science. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from BYU-Hawaii, a Master of Music from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and a Doctor of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.