Michelle Vought has recently joined the women’s and gender studies (WGS) program’s affiliated faculty. Vought is a professor in the College of Fine Arts who specializes in contemporary music, opera, operetta, and musical theater.
Vought graduated from Gettysburg College with a bachelor’s degree in music education (flute) and taught public school music education for four years. She earned a master’s degree in music at Converse College and a doctorate in vocal performance at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
Vought grew up in a musical family, and she credits her upbringing for her passion for the arts. She has sung and performed in Italy, Ireland, Canada, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and, most recently, Brazil. Vought believes she is “blessed to be able to work in what she considers her life’s passion.”
One of her biggest accomplishments is the creation of her trademark one-woman-show, Madam Monsieur, which has become a staple performance at Provincetown’s Women’s Week. In this musical showcase Vought appears as Madame Diva during the first half of the show. After intermission she returns in dapper, dashing male attire performing arias/songs from the standard male repertoire. Vought explained that her show “underlines messages about crossing gender roles and the need for unisex tones in the musical arts industry.”
Vought is currently creating a course focusing on women in the musical arts industry. Her goal is to educate students about the gender politics of the music industry and representations of women in musical lyrics, and to introduce students to the career opportunities in musical arts.
Vought was diagnosed with sarcoma, a form of cancer, during the early stages of her career. She won her battle with sarcoma and now regularly performs benefit concerts for cancer patients. Vought strongly believes that she would “not have had a successful career had it not been for her optimistic personality and belief in self-healing.”
For more information about Vought, visit her website.
