Faculty Profile: Heidi Melton
Growing up in Spokane, Washington, Heidi Melton's music journey began early—at her insistence. At four, according to family lore, she convinced her grandmother to teach her piano, despite being told she was too young. “Try me,” she challenged. Melton continued piano lessons for many years while also singing in choirs and learning to play the organ in church. But at fifteen, Heidi stumbled upon her vocation. Following a disappointing experience with a soccer tryout, her sister suggested she try singing lessons. “After the first lesson,” she recalled, “I knew I was doing this for the rest of my life.”
Melton’s musical education took her to some of the most prestigious institutions in the country, including the Eastman School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music. She honed her craft further through programs like the Merola Opera Program and the Adler Fellowship at the San Francisco Opera.
While Melton’s career as a Wagnerian soprano has taken her to stages around the world, teaching has always been central to her identity. “I’ve always loved the sharing of knowledge,” she said, recalling how, even as a child, she would play by teaching her Cabbage Patch kids, typing out lessons for them. For Melton, the most exciting part of performing is the preparation—the rehearsing, the researching, and the deep dive into the roles. Teaching, therefore, is a natural extension of her passion and intellectual drive.
Melton’s professional highlights read like a who’s-who of classical music royalty. Among her career milestones are performances at the BBC Proms in London with Donald Runnicles, singing Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene with the Vienna Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev, portraying Sieglinde in Die Walküre at Bayreuth (Wagner’s personal Valhalla), and performing Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre with Sir Simon Rattle, Peter Sellars and the Berlin Philharmonic, her “hometown band” during the decade she lived in Berlin. She also won a Grammy for her part in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of the Ring cycle, directed by Robert Lepage. “I’m one of the luckiest people I know,” she reflected. “I’ve sung everywhere I’ve wanted to sing, with every orchestra I’ve wanted to.”
Now, as a member of the voice faculty at Lamont, Melton has found a role that allows her to balance her stage career with her passion for education. “It’s an amazing amalgamation where I can perform and teach,” she says, noting that her new position has afforded her a more stable home life. Previously, she spent most of each year traveling, often being home for only a few days at a time. This new balance, she believes, enhances both her teaching and her performing, allowing her to pick projects that “invigorate” her.
At Lamont, Melton is particularly proud of the supportive atmosphere within the voice department. “Every Friday, we have a performance class, and getting to hear all the voice students gives my heart such a huge boost,” she says. “It’s not the case everywhere, but here, there’s a real sense of community and support.”
Looking ahead, Melton is eager to see Lamont continue to be a leader in the field, producing graduates who are not just exceptional musicians but well-rounded individuals who can contribute meaningfully to society. For herself, she is excited to continue learning and growing as both a performer and a teacher. This summer, Heidi took a well-deserved break—the first in her adult life—focusing on yoga, spending time with family, and preparing for her upcoming debut at La Fenice in Venice, where she will perform Schoenberg’s Erwartung.
Melton is also excited to sing alongside her students in this year’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem by the Lamont Symphony Orchestra and Choirs. And we will be looking forward to hearing this opera star on our own stage.
