Dr. Chad R. Payton, countertenor, made his Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center debuts in Michael Ching’s opera, Corps of Discovery: A Musical Journey. Internationally, he sang his Brazilian debut in Carmina Burana, and Italian debut with his professional ensemble, Payton and the Pipes, which has also presented at numerous conferences throughout the United States. He serves as Associate Dean for Student Success, Associate Professor of Voice, and Voice Area Head at Capital University’s Conservatory of Music, where he teaches voice and vocal pedagogy. Previous to Capital University, he taught at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. Payton has presented audition masterclasses and career development workshops at programs such as The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Westminster Choir College, University of Alabama – Birmingham, and Utah State University. His university students are leading their own choral programs and private studios, and are continuing their education in graduate programs of note across the country. He is honored to have received The Praestantia Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2022 and the Cotterman Award for Faculty Service to Students in 2023 from Capital University. Payton was a 2014 NATS Intern Program participant. During the summers, Dr. Payton teaches in New York on the voice faculty at Seagle Festival, the nation’s oldest training program for opera and musical theatre. Since 2016, his Seagle artists and his New York City private studio artists have placed in various levels of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and are singing with Merola Opera Program, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wolf Trap Opera Company, Chautauqua Opera Company, Sarasota Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Saratoga, Opera Theatre St. Louis, Opera Philadelphia, Opera Delaware, Middlebury Opera, and have received Career Blueprint Awards from Opera America.