2025 Educational Events
What is the
VCMF
Art Song Chicago’s Vocal Chamber Music Fellowship functions as a project incubator: Fellows will build a project from the ground up, with the support of Art Song Chicago’s institutional framework and professional staff. Vocal Chamber Music Fellows will be asked to balance the multiple demands and needs that established arts organizations contend with daily: Which venue? Should I print the program in color? Should we commission a piece? How much should we - the artists - be paid?
Fellowships are tailored to candidates’ interests and project proposals. During the two-year residency Fellows receive:
An annual budget of approximately $5,000 to use as you see fit during your two-year residency, toward project planning and implementation
Regular mentorship, planning, and coaching sessions, provided by Art Song Chicago staff and guest artists
Logistical and programmatic project support.
Who is Our 2025-2026
Season Fellow
Alannah Spencer, soprano
Soprano Alannah Spencer is a Chicago based singer who is equally at home in solo, choral, and chamber repertoire. In the 2023/24 season she toured with Opera for the Young performing Tooty Fruity in Beauty and the Beast with and for hundreds of elementary schoolers across the Midwest.
As a Studio Artist with Madison Opera in the 2022/23 season she covered the roles of Salome in Salome and Countess Le nozze di Figaro and sang in the Jazz Trio for Trouble in Tahiti and Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro). Other recent roles include Rodolfo La femme Boheme (Ouroboros Opera); Countess Le nozze di Figaro (BrewStreet Opera); First Customer She Loves Me (Madison Opera); and Luise Die Abreise (Evanston Chamber
Opera).
As a choral singer, Alannah sings with the Grant Park Music Festival Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. She is a founding member of the vocal quartet the Liederspiel Society, and half of the voice/percussion duo VoxBox. She is also a founding member of the feminist opera collective The Valkyrie Ensemble.
Alannah is passionate about promoting the work of living composers and has premiered over a dozen song and chamber pieces. She was a member of the second place team at the inaugural Chicago SongSlam competition in 2019, and is featured on the CD “A Horse With Wings: the Shakespeare Settings of Elizabeth Rudolph.”
When not singing, Alannah works in Public Relations for arts and non-profit organizations throughout the Chicago area. In her free time Alannah enjoys reading, playing D&D, and attempting to craft the perfect cheese plate.
Check Out Our
CCPA Partnership
During the 2025-26 season, Art Song Chicago is thrilled to partner with Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts.
This partnership brings CCPA's Professional Diplomatists (artists pursuing post-graduate studies in operatic voice and coaching) into Art Song Chicago's educational fold - working with our artists and team to learn more about the curation of art song recitals as they grow in their careers.
Throughout the season, these artists will work with Art Song Chicago staff and artists to develop, market, and perform up to two themed art song recitals.
Our thanks to the piano and vocal faculty, as well as administrative staff at Chicago College of Performing Arts for renewing this partnership this year.
Songs @ Six
CCPA Professional Diploma Partnership
During the 2025-26 season, Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago is thrilled to partner with Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts.
This partnership brings CCPA's Professional Diplomatists (artists pursuing post-graduate studies in operatic voice and coaching) into CAIC's educational fold - working with our artists and team to learn more about the curation of art song recitals as they grow in their careers.
Throughout the season, these artists will work with CAIC staff and artists to develop, market, and perform two themed art song recitals.
Our thanks to the piano and vocal faculty, as well as administrative staff at Chicago College of Performing Arts for embarking on this partnership this year.
Join soprano Hayley Fox, tenor Jose Vargas Ramirez, bass-baritone Louise Floyd and pianist Paula Gelpi, CCPA's Professional Diplomatists in Opera, and CAIC for a 19th century salon experience featuring song, poetry, conversation, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages in the beautiful Sullivan Room in Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Building
Hear selections by Benjamin Britten, Francesco Paolo Tosti, Viktor Ullmann, María Grever and more!