2020 Outstanding Teacher: Wendy Hillhouse

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David Dehner, who nominated Wendy, had this to say about her, "I am honored to nominate Wendy Hillhouse. Wendy has had a substantial career as a professional vocalist. As a voice teacher she has taught in the San Francisco conservatory, Stanford University and her own voice studio. She brings her expertise to the NATS organization as a leader. She has served on the SFBAC NATS board and at the Western division level. She continues to serve and assist in all activities. As well as being a fantastic performer, a leader in the Nats organization, she is also a wonderful voice teacher with significant results. Her students have received many accolades with NATS and they demonstrate healthy technique taught by a expert voice teacher."

"Like any great teacher, she has a thorough knowledge of breath  

movement, posture, diction, emotionality, and style. What makes her  

an extraordinary teacher, though, is that she applies this breadth of  

knowledge with her philosophy of singing as a form of personal  

expression such that her students are both comfortable and  

passionate. She has an intensely positive attitude that rubs off not just  on her students, but on all those around her.  For all these reasons,  

being in her studio, both as her student and singing with fellow  

students, has been without a doubt my favorite experience at Stanford."

"Wendy realizes a singer's full potential and beyond. She loves finding  

what makes a singer unique and develops the voice with an attention  

to her students as individuals."

"Wendy continually goes above and beyond for her students and works  

with them on technique & musical pieces in a way that is purely  

enjoyable and personalized. Outside of teaching she is involved in  

many artistic endeavors including her own musical research, and she  

works to engage the greater community and administration in the arts  

and advocacy of musical programming. She has a wholistic  

understanding of what the music and arts communities need at  

Stanford and what students actually want. As such, she works to bridge  

the gaps between artistic communities. I am so grateful for my time  with her."