Elizabeth Hynes

Elizabeth Hynes is an Associate Professor of Vocal Arts at the University of Southern California (USC) Thornton School of Music, where she has been a faculty member since 1995. She served as Chair of the Vocal Arts/Opera Department from 2005 to 2012, shaping the program's direction and mentoring students. Beyond USC, she has taught at the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2003, where she was elected to the Aspen Music Festival Corporation, and at Oberlin in Italy. Hynes is a respected adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and frequently leads master classes nationwide.

• Specializes in vocal training and opera performance
• Active in professional opera adjudication and mentorship
• Endowed three students for study at Aspen Opera Theater Center

Her students consistently achieve success in competitions and perform with leading opera companies. She has also performed globally in major opera houses, interpreting iconic roles such as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Mimi in La Bohème, and the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro.

Scientific Awards & Grants

• National Opera Institute Grant
• William Sullivan Foundation Grant
• Liederkranz Foundation Scholarship
• Affiliate Artist with the Ft. Worth Opera

Hynes has extensive experience in concert performances, collaborating with renowned orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (under Georg Solti), Cleveland Orchestra, and orchestras in Madrid, Barcelona, and Vienna. Her recordings include roles in Kurt Weill’s Silverlake and Wagner’s Das Rheingold. On campus, she has performed in Mahler’s 4th Symphony, Britten’s War Requiem, and Górecki’s Third Symphony with the composer conducting.