Holly Boaz is a performer, educator, artistic producer, and community leader whose work spans the operatic stage, the college classroom, the independent studio, and the heart of her local arts community. Praised for her “lovely soprano” (Quad City Times), “vivid stage presence” (Seattle Gay News), and “expertly sung” performances (Seattle Times), she has performed more than 30 operatic roles across the U.S., including engagements with Seattle Opera, Pacific MusicWorks, Connecticut Opera, Tacoma Opera, and the Seattle, Tacoma, and Hartford Symphonies. Internationally, she has appeared at England’s Aldeburgh Festival, the Vancouver Early Music Festival, and on tour with UK-based Caritas Chamber Choir.

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A member of the voice faculty at Pacific Lutheran University for over 18 years, Holly is also the founder of a thriving private voice studio where she mentors students in classical, musical theatre, and contemporary commercial styles. Her students have gone on to win national competitions, gain admission to top-tier graduate programs, and build successful careers in both performance and music education. Her pedagogy emphasizes cross-training, body awareness, and stylistic authenticity — preparing singers to be flexible, expressive, and career-ready.

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As a certified yoga instructor (RYT-200), Holly teaches workshops in Yoga for Singers, vocal anatomy, and performance wellness, and has led masterclasses and presentations in topics ranging from Mozart recitative to vagal tone to entrepreneurship, for universities, NATS chapters, summer programs, K–12 schools, and professional studios. A passionate advocate for inclusive and holistic voice training, she creates space for singers to explore and grow with confidence, curiosity, and physical freedom.

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Holly is a longtime member of and a leader within the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), where she currently serves as the Northwest Regional Coordinator for the NATS Artist Awards (NATSAA) and Auditions Chair for the Puget Sound Chapter. Her past roles include Membership Chair, Board Member, NW Conference Committee, and two-terms as District Governor of Western Washington. She frequently adjudicates competitions and both attends and leads professional development workshops and presentations for music educators throughout the region.

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She is also a visionary arts entrepreneur and co-founder/co-director of Rising Waters Collective, a women-led chamber opera company rooted in the cultural and ecological landscape of the Puget Sound Region. Dedicated to telling relevant, resonant stories through intimate, socially conscious productions, Rising Waters is working to bring opera to new audiences and lift up voices that have traditionally been left out of the standard operatic canon.

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On her home island of Vashon, Holly has served as music director, co-producer, and artistic advisor for Drama Dock Theater Company, recently music directing the acclaimed production of Sister Act. She is a frequent collaborator with Vashon Opera, where she has performed leading roles and also served as children’s chorus master, vocal coach, casting advisor, and supertitles operator. The independent fundraiser Songs of Hope raised over $10,000 for pediatric medical research through a multi-genre outdoor concert event she co-produced, staged, and emceed.

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A lifelong advocate for K-12 music education, Holly founded Vashon Choral Boosters, supporting music teachers and public school choral programs through fundraising, curriculum development, and program enrichment.

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Holly holds a B.M. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (Hilldale Undergraduate Fellow) and an M.M. from The Hartt School, where she was awarded the Berkowitz Opera Scholarship and served as a Teaching Assistant. She is an alumna of the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, and earned fellowships to the Aspen Music Festival and Music Academy of the West, with further specialized training at the Britten-Pears Programme, Baroque Performance Institute (Oberlin), and Accademia d’Amore.

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Through all of her work — as performer, teacher, director, producer, community organizer, and lifelong learner — Holly Boaz is dedicated to nurturing empowered, versatile artists and creating meaningful musical experiences that connect, inspire, and evolve with the world around us.