A Well-rounded Music Education: Will Tanski, Alumni and Musician

When Will Tanski started voice lessons at age 12 with UVMC voice instructor Jennifer Hansen, he was only interested in musical theater.

“She went along with my wishes and I sang only show tunes,” said Tanski, a resident of Grantham, New Hampshire and UVMC student from 2013-2023. “But soon she started slipping some classical work into my training. I had been introduced to classical music by my mom and dad, and had always loved singing, but it was Jennifer’s ear that helped me connect the two and helped me find my life’s work.”

Tanski, now 24, received a bachelor of music in voice from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. He is about to finish his master’s degree in voice and opera at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and, during the summer of 2025, he’ll be performing in Rigoletto, Tosca, and Fiddler on the Roof with Cincinnati Opera. 

Although he is embarking on a career as a professional opera singer, Tanski, a tenor, notes the diversity of offerings at UVMC gave him a well-rounded education in many genres at all levels. 

“UVMC set me on the path I’m on today,” Tanski said. “It’s where I picked up all my foundational musical knowledge and skills; the beginnings of vocal technique, musical literacy and sheet music reading; and all my early performance experience and where I began preparation for competitions.”

Tanski remembers singing with the Eastman Family Singers in Grantham. He attended with his mom, Sue, and he was the only singer who wasn’t an adult. He’s also sung the tenor solo in eight Messiah Sing performances, UVMC’s annual holiday event in December, and participated in the Friday night Slow Jam sessions. 

“UVMC was a wonderful place to meet other musical friends,” he said. “And UVMC is for everyone — whether you want to play piano in your living room for your kids, do community theater, play with the Chicago Symphony, or make your debut on the Met stage, they have a place for you and can help you along your musical journey.”

Tanski would advise today’s UVMC students to “work hard on the exercises your teacher gives you and study the required repertoire. You need all that.  But don’t stop there or it will become a chore. Always make time to keep doing the music that you love — that’s how you develop your individual style and how you’ll stay motivated no matter what happens with competitions, auditions, and performances. All of those things go wrong sometimes but if you sing and play what calls to you, your music will always be right.” 

Tanski feels lucky his first exposure to music was at UVMC. 

“For someone in love with music, there’s nowhere better in the Upper Valley to make a home than UVMC,” Tanski said. “It’s a fabulous, warm, encouraging place to help people fall in love with music and learn how to create it themselves. UVMC is filled with kind, brilliant people who know exactly how to draw out the unique wonder in each student.”