Teaching
Paul Houghtaling joined the University of Alabama faculty in the fall of 2007; he is Professor of Music and Director of Opera. In 2015, he was awarded the Morris Lehman Mayer faculty award, an honor given to “one member of the Alabama teaching faculty for exemplary teaching, leadership and service to the UA community as demonstrated in the life and career of Morris Mayer.” Also in 2015, Dr. Houghtaling was awarded the Druid Arts Award for Music Educator of the Year by the Tuscaloosa County Council on the Arts & Humanities, and the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award (OCTA) given by the National Alumni Association of the University of Alabama. In 2019 he was the recipient of the President’s Faculty Research Award and the Blackmon-Moody Outstanding Faculty Award, one of the university’s highest faculty accolades.
Dr. Houghtaling is a frequent presenter at national and regional conferences such as the College Music Society (CMS), National Opera Association (NOA national and regional conferences), various NATS regional conferences, AMTA (Alabama Music Teachers Association, MTNA Affiliate) and the Classical Singer National Convention and College Expo and he is in demand as an adjudicator (state and regional NATSAA, MTNA, AFMC, Alabama Vocal Association, Distinguished Young Women [formerly America’s Junior Miss]) and master class clinician. He previously served on the faculty of Hunter College in New York (CUNY), and has given residencies, master classes, and recitals at dozens of universities and companies throughout the United States.
He holds degrees from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA (B.A.), the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston (B.M.), Hunter College (M.A.), and the City University of New York (D.M.A.). His students are performing with young artist programs and opera and musical theater companies across the country and are frequent finalists and winners at state and regional competitions including MTNA State, Division, and National Young Artist Voice finals, NATS, NATSAA, Vann Vocal Institute, National Federation of Music Clubs, and Birmingham Music Club Guild. Dr. Houghtaling’s current and recently-graduated students are performing, or have recently performed with, Mobile Opera, Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, Brevard Festival, Opera Huntsville, Opera Birmingham, Natchez Festival of Music, Mobile Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Mississippi Opera, Opera in the Ozarks, Charlottesville Opera, and others. In addition, his former students are teaching at Baylor University; Tabor College, Kansas; University of West Georgia; Mississippi State University; Samford University; McNeese State University; Mars Hill University, North Carolina; Sheridan College, Wyoming; Hinds Community College, Mississippi; the University of Central Arkansas, and others.
Additionally, Paul was the Artistic Director of the Druid City Opera Workshop in 2010, an intensive opera training and young artists program and performance opportunity for singers, pianists, and directors. After 10 nationally-recognized seasons, the Druid City Opera Workshop changed course in 2022, becoming Druid City Opera, the first professional opera company in Tuscaloosa and West-Central Alabama.
The UA Opera Theatre has won prizes and recognition from the National Opera Association, the American Prize, and Opera America, the latter for the programs community-based offerings to National Opera Week.
Dr. Houghtaling is a Past President of the National Opera Association (2018-2020), and previously served that organization in a variety of other capacities, including Board member, VP for Regions, and Chair of the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition.
