Artistic Director

DEIRDRE LOBO

Of Indian origin, now based in San Francisco, California, USA, acclaimed International Concert Artist, Vocal Coach & Consultant, Deirdre Lobo comes from an extremely artistic family with her mother Celia Lobo, India’s only living Opera Diva. Deirdre is winner of the GRAND PRIZE in the Messiah Soloist Competition, San Diego, California (Dec 4, 2011), and SECOND PRIZE in the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition, New York (Dec 19, 2011). A versatile artist, Deirdre has performed and continues to do so as soloist in concert, and in recital internationally. She has performed close to 100 concerts in her musical career, having performed in Europe, the Philippines, United States, and India.

With more than 35 years of experience in the music business, Deirdre has coached, and directed singers, choirs, actors, and speakers in classes, presentations, productions, and workshops worldwide. Some of Deirdre’s students have gone on to have international careers in singing, acting, and dance, including Tara Sutaria, Pia Sutaria, Meher Mistry, Shiamak Davar, Dhawal Chandawadkar, Hannah Bautista, Aditi Paul, and Abhilasha Chellam, to name a few.

Deirdre works with students from the ages of 6 years and up and at all levels of vocal and musical development. Some of her students have performed on Broadway or in major productions such as SOUTH PACIFIC, LES MISERABLES, GREASE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, SCROOGE, MONSOON WEDDING, etc. It is with her versatile and holistic technique, and approach to vocal coaching that students are able to sing ANY genre of music (Pop, Broadway, Hip Hop, Blues, Jazz, Western Classical, Indian Classical, Bollywood) or speak with elegance and finesse when it comes to her speaking courses

Deirdre has done over 65 workshops worldwide; and directed over 17 musical and stage productions worldwide including: Aladdin Junior, Annie Junior, Godspell Junior, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, and many others. In 2014, Deirdre was hired as Vocal Director for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in India, where she worked with 45 singers and actors, and had the honor of working with India’s leading theatre director and actor, the late Alyque Padamsee.

In 2015, Deirdre founded the Celia Lobo Academy of Voice (CLAV) to carry on the musical legacy of her mother CELIA LOBO, India’s ONLY Opera Diva! In 2019 CLAV collaborated with the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), Toronto, CANADA making available to students, a very high standard curriculum, and music examinations in the areas of all Instruments, Musicianship Subjects, and Speech Arts & Drama (Deirdre is representative for Speech Arts and Drama for RCM in the United States). Students in the USA and Canada can receive credit towards High School, and College studies. In 2019 seeds were being sown for the formation of a Performing and Visual Arts Institute to serve students globally online and offline as a Pre-College Performing Arts program.

In Dec 2020 One Voice Institute of Music and Art (OVIMA Global) was born, with CLAV becoming the Vocal Department of the institute.OVIMA Global currently serves students from India, the USA, UAE, and Europe. OVIMA Global offers Non-Certification and Certification courses for students in all areas of the performing arts in Group and One-on-One classes.

Deirdre has been coaching students virtually via her ONLINE VOICE STUDIO from 2010, and currently has a huge presence in India, Germany, and the United States. She prepares students for Trinity College of Music, London College of Music, and Royal Conservatory of Music examinations remotely in the areas of Western Classical, Rock & Pop, and Musical Theatre.

As a wellness coach, Deirdre has worked with students with special needs, and speech impediments. She has also worked with Stroke & Parkinson’s patients to regain their speaking & singing voices. As a speech coach, Deirdre has done workshops for Toastmasters in the United States, and Canada providing vocal technique to speakers and executives, training them to project their voices better, reduce their accents, and to speak with elegance and finesse.

Deirdre is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music (USA) – GRADUATE PERFORMANCE DIPLOMA; University of Colorado (USA)-MASTER OF MUSIC DEGREE; University of Santo Tomas (Philippines) – BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE; and University of Bombay (INDIA) – BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE. She is also a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC).

deirdre-lobo-n-celia-lobo

Mentor

Celia Lobo

Celia Lobo trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where she studied with her teacher, Sumner Austin. On returning to India, after five years in London, Lobo’s Opera career took off. At that time the Bombay Madrigal Singers Organization (BMSO) staged operas in Bombay. Celia played the leading lady in the following operas: Lucia di Lammermoor (1965); La Traviata (1962); Norma (1965); Rigoletto (1967); Tosca (1968); and in later years, two One Act operas Bastien und Bastienne and La Serva Padrona. Due to the heavy costs of doing these productions and lack of funding, the BMSO disbanded in 1970. That is when Celia began her solo operatic recital career with her fabulous accompanist, the late Tehmie Gazdar. In the 1980s, Celia along with Leon D’Souza put together a musical called Cascades which kick started her career as a director. More plays followed including They’re Playing Our Song, and Best of Broadway. Here is when she started her teaching career and trained many stars including Ella Castellino-Attai, Farid Curim, Shiamak Davar, Sunidhi Chauhan, Neethi Mohan, Shweta Shetty, Sunita Rao, Francois Castellino, Darren Das, Sachin Tendulkar (speech), to name a few.

Operations

Priyanka D Bangera

Priyanka has been part of the Performing Arts industry for over 10 years now, handling operations and events for The Danceworx Performing Arts Academy. While she enjoyed being a part of her work journey, she knew there was something missing ! A voice from within her drove her towards entrepreneurship and she took the bold step of listening to it and moved on. While working she always had this idea of a more structured and accessible way of ART education in India. That is when she met Deirdre and her idea of spreading ART education globally. Priyanka knew instantly, that this is what she needed to be part off. She calls herself an observer and loves to watch how everything in life is so beautifully intertwined. If you believe in yourself, you can become whatever you wish for…….and the journey continues.

PRIYANKA D BANGERA

Operations

Teachers / Instructors

KIRIT MASCARAHES

Instructor - Violin

ABHILASHA GAUTAM

Instructor – Hindustani

DANIELLE D’SILVA

Assistant Instructor - Voice

JESSIE LOUIE SINGH

Instructor - Piano

ASHLEY DO REGO

Instructor - Violin

BERNARDO SOLER

Instructor - Guitar

BRUCE WEINBERG

Drama & Speech Arts

JESSICA WALD

Instructor - Voice

DR. ALVINA RANSAW

Music Therapy / Voice

AURITRA GHOSH

Guest Instructor - Dance

MIHIKA MIRANDA

Guest Instructor - Dance

AZULE NIXON

Guest Instructor - Dance