Faculty & Staff
The hand-picked faculty at OVAA is comprised of seasoned professionals from NYC and Dresden, Germany at the top of their game. We offer a stunning array of skill emphasis, and you'll be in masterful hands with the chance to work on everything from Baroque performance practice and conversational German to bel canto technique and achieving a healthy belt.
FULL OVAA FACULTY 2026 TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
CHECK BACK SOON FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING NEXT SUMMER’S FACULTY!
ALAN DORNAK
General Director & Voice Instructor
COUNTERTENOR & VOICE FACULTY - AMERICAN MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC ACADEMY, NYC
Alan Dornak (General Director and voice instructor) In addition to a successful international performing career, Alan has been a sought-after vocal pedagogue, both Stateside and in Europe, for over twenty years. He has consistently pursued both careers simultaneously and with equal passion, bringing his knowledge of the stage into the studio. Alan is currently on the faculties of Wagner College and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy NYC (AMDA), and has been on the teaching rosters of several top summer training programs including Musica Coeli (Graz, Austria), Festa Lirica Italiana (Ischia, Italy), and the renowned American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) (Graz, Austria). In the US, he has been a frequent guest lecturer at New York’s Columbia University and Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.
His students have graced the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna and Modena, Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as Broadway, National and International Tours.
In Germany and throughout Europe and South America, Alan has sung leading opera roles as a tenor and countertenor, and in 2006 joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera. In 2010, he co-founded the critically-acclaimed ensemble Opera Feroce with whom he performs as both countertenor and baritone. Opera Feroce’s mission is to develop entertaining and accessible conceptualized performances of obscure works and lesser-known composers primarily of the Baroque era.
In founding his own summer program, the Orfeo Vocal Arts Academy, Alan chose the magnificent city of Dresden, Germany as the program’s home. Alan was a resident of the Saxon capitol for most of his time in Germany, pursuing multiple degrees at the Conservatory and launching his European performing career. He continues to enjoy a tight-knit relationship with many of his longstanding German colleagues, many of whom are now valued OVAA collaborators. Alan is proud to call Dresden his second home and is passionate about sharing its rich cultural heritage with every new group of students. In return, OVAA has been embraced by the people of Dresden, and each summer sees a growing amount of enthusiasm and support.
To view Alan's performing history, CLICK HERE!
“[Alan] combines an intimate knowledge of the physiology of the voice, with a passion for discovering each singer’s unique qualities and strengths.”
“[Alan] is by far one of the greatest vocal coaches I have ever worked with.”
“The work I did with Alan Dornak turned my voice around in such a short amount of time. He was able to break down technique difficulties quickly and offered several easy to understand solutions. ”
“The lessons learned from Mr. Dornak were akin to finding the Fountain of Youth…for vocal chords!”
“Alan Dornak’s training encourages flexibility in the singer’s voice allowing for the absolute versalitility of style.”
“I now have a technique that works specifically for me, based on his vast knowledge of both the anatomy and the range of style and emotion in the voice.”
“Alan is a world-class educator, who has helped me build the foundations of my countertenor voice. His clear, concise and educated approach to vocal technique is universally applicable across genre and voice type, and he is able to easily navigate all of these worlds.”
KELLY MENGELKOCH
Dramatic Coach
DRAMATIC COACH
Kelly Mengelkoch As an acting coach, Kelly believes that rules are made to be learned, so they can be broken!
When an individual finds discipline in the work, they are then allowed to play in-, and more importantly OUTSIDE of the box of so-called “rules”. What we seek through the work (which if done right is also PLAY) is finding honesty in performance, be it in musical theatre, a heightened comedy, a classical tragedy, or a raw moment of simple film acting.
Be it coaching for showcases, college auditions, general auditions, film sides, commercial work, improving one’s skills at cold reading, or ongoing personal development in the craft, Kelly seeks to make an individual not only prepared for a simple project, but encourages them to find self synthesis in the teaching. Her goal is that one goes forward with a set of skills for life.
While always an active performer, she has frequently coached individuals through her career, finding that one on one time is educational not only for her students, but also for her. Kelly works with teenagers, young adults and adults.
Kelly Mengelkoch is one of the leading actors in Cincinnati and the Tri-State area. Acting since the age of five, she has worked professionally since 2002. After hailing from Kansas, and moving to New York, she quickly found her artistic home in Cincinnati. Since 2004, she has been a resident ensemble member of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She has also been seen onstage locally at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Know Theatre Cincinnati, The Human Race Theatre company, Xavier University and The UC College Conservatory Of Music Theatre. She has performed Off-Broadway with the New York Classical Theatre, as well as regionally around the US.
With a BGS in Theatre from the University of Kansas, she is trained in classical theatre and musical theatre, but finds modern and new works to be important to education and her own career. Classical training is an excellent window into working with any text and performative form.
She is also a film actress, having worked with renowned directors like Andy Goddard (Downtown Abbey, Doctor Who), Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Carol), and David Lowery (The Green Knight, Pete’s Dragon).
For more information on her professional career, please visit kellymengelkoch.com
NICK FERLA
Coach/Accompanist
ACCOMPANIST & MUSIC DIRECTOR - NYU STEINHARDT, MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE, & THE AMERICAN MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC ACADEMY, NYC
Nick Ferla joined the OVAA faculty in 2025 in the role of coach/accompanist. He is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but currently resides in New York City where he is in demand as a coach, collaborative and concert pianist, and music director. He has accompanied such notable Broadway performers as Melissa Errico, Rachel York, and Jason Gotay, performing in many of New York’s most prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the American Museum of Natural History, the Peoples Improv Theater (the PIT), and the Metropolitan Club.
As a music director, Nick’s credits include regional and New York productions of SEUSSICAL, ...SPELLING BEE, MISS SAIGON, RAGTIME, INTO THE WOODS, 42ND ST., THE WIZ, HELLO, DOLLY!, ORDINARY DAYS, and I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE.
Nick is a graduate of the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design and is now on faculty as a staff accompanist and music director at such top-drawer schools as NYU Steinhardt, Marymount Manhattan College, and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). He recently served as staff accompanist with Broadway Artists Alliance and Musical Theater College Auditions and also serves as the rehearsal and performance pianist of the Collegiate Singers of New York and plays for their community outreach initiatives. Other career highlights include performing with the Pittsburgh Symphony and working as a film editor, most recently editing the prize-winning documentary short, “Beneath Paradise.”
JÜRGEN HÜBNER
German Language & Director of Operations in Dresden
CO-FOUNDER & INSTRUCTOR AT THE MUNDWERK LANGUAGE INSTITUTE (DRESDEN, GERMANY)
Jürgen Hübner was born in Dresden in 1970. After high school, he worked in the south of France as an au-pair for 9 months. From 1991, he was a university student in Halle and Dresden, intending to become a high school teacher for languages. During this time, he spent 7 months at the University of St. Petersburg, Russia, where he took courses in Russian and French literature. In 1995 he began a second qualification at the University of Leipzig to become a simultaneous interpreter. These studies also took him to Geneva, Switzerland. In addition, he won a scholarship to attend a university summer course in human rights in Paris, and made regular visits to Brussels and Edinburgh.
In addition to his work as a conference interpreter and translator, since 1999 he has been teaching English, French, Russian and German to companies as well as to private individuals and groups. Every year, he organizes language trips to Great Britain and Ireland.
Jürgen regularly interprets for both of Dresden’s great orchestras, the Staatskapelle and the Dresden Philharmonic, as well as for the Shostakovich Festival in Gohrisch. Together with his partner Derek Henderson, he founded Mundwerk, a collective focused on the art of language and vocalization.
Jürgen is also the Orfeo Vocal Arts Academy resident Coordinator and overall Knight in Shining Armor. OVAA owes Jürgen a great big Dankeschön for all he’s done!!
DEREK HENDERSON
Pianist & German Tutor
COLLABORATIVE PIANIST & CO-FOUNDER OF MUNDWERK LANGUAGE INSTITUTE (DRESDEN, GERMANY)
Derek Henderson was born in the small town of Thurso, in the north of Scotland, in 1970.
At an early age he began music lessons in oboe and piano. He studied mathematics at Edinburgh University, while also taking piano lessons privately with the pianist and organist Michael Lester-Cribb.
In 1997 he moved to Germany for personal reasons, thereafter pursuing a variety of careers, while continuing to study the piano privately with Prof. Rieko Yoshizumi at the Carl Maria von Weber Conservatory of Music in Dresden.
Today Derek is a successful translator, working regularly for the Semperoper Opera House, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Kurt Weill Festival in Dessau, the Shostakovich Festival in Gohrisch, the University of Vienna and the Technical University of Dresden. In addition he teaches English to a diverse range of private students and scientific institutions. Together with Veronika Streitwieser he has written a Business English Trainer published by Haufe Verlag (Munich).
Simultaneously Derek enjoys a successful career as an accompanist, chamber musician, rehearsal pianist, arranger and sound engineer. He is a member of Trio Cantiamo and performs regularly with the singer/songwriter Annette Richter and the singer Uta Hauthal, with whom he has released two CDs.
MESTRO PETER FEIGEL
Master Class Instructor
CONDUCTOR - SAXON STATE OPERETTA (DRESDEN, GERMANY)
Peter Christian Feigel studied at the Detmold Music Conservatory and Bielefeld University with an emphasis on conducting, as well as organ, piano and percussion. Other studies included school and church music, and Theology and Philosophy. Upon completion of his studies, he worked in Vienna with Dennis Russell Davies, Valery Gergiev and Lutz Herbig.
Maestro Feigel’s initial professional engagement was as a coach/conductor at the Brandeburg State Theater Cottbus. From 2002-2010, he was deputy chief conductor of Berlin's Friedrichstadt-Palast and, until 2013, the Musical and Artistic Director of the youth ensemble. Since 2010, he has also been the 2nd Kapellmeister at the Dresden State Operetta.
At the Operetta, Peter conducted the acclaimed German premiere (and subsequent CD recording) of Stephen Sondheim's "Passion". He has also led new productions of "Kiss Me, Kate" and "The Rocky Horror Show", "Planet of the Dragon" and "The Wizard of Oz", and "The Little Shop of Horrors" and "Evita". Most recently, he was the Music Director of the German premiere of "Catch Me, If You Can", slated to be released as a live recording on CD.
Maestro Feigel is a regular guest conductor at the Komische Oper Berlin, the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. Other engagements have been with the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the State Philharmonic Rhineland-Palatinate, the Robert Schumann Philharmonie Chemnitz, the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt, the RIAS Youth Orchestra and Rundfunkblasorchester Leipzig.