Hello! In addition to performing and researching, I actively work as a voice instructor and coach. I recently completed 4 years as Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera at The University of South Dakota, where I taught since the fall semester of 2021. In the spring of 2025 I made the decision to return closer to home to family and relocated to Coralville, IA, and have been teaching at Kirkwood Community College, Knox College, as well as maintaining private studios in Muscatine, IA, Coralville, IA (through Dynamic Music Studios) and Tiffin, IA. I began my collegiate teaching career in 2011, and have enjoyed it ever since. Previously, I taught at Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Drake University (Des Moines, IA), Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, IA), Knox College (Galesburg, IL), and Monmouth College (Monmouth, IL). I also maintained a studio of non-majors as part of my Teaching Assistantship at The University of Iowa prior to my start in college-level teaching. View my teaching CV here: https://www.jcmendozatenor.com/s/Website-CV.pdf

My private studio includes teaching virtually via Zoom, and I accept students on a rolling basis.

Language and interpretation coachings are also offered, so please feel free to contact me for further information. I coach Italian, French, Spanish, and English diction, with some comfortability in Russian.

For inquiries about private lessons, please email me at: juanclmendoza@gmail.com.

For an example of my teaching, please watch the videos below, and feel free to read my Teaching Philosophy below the video!

My Teaching Philosophy:

I believe the work in the applied studio is a collaborative effort between the instructor and the student, with the goal of training a singer to be self-sufficient and confident in their abilities based on what they have learned in our time together.

I give students the freedom to explore and discover their individual sound and voice within a framework of clear instruction and structured guidance tailored to the individual, working together towards the clearly established goal of healthy phonation.

When giving feedback in the voice studio, I explain why I'm asking for changes and why these adjustments will make the student's singing more efficient, followed by clear instructions for execution of the vocal task. 

Establishing a healthy vocal foundation and clear understanding of the individual voice has always been the core principle behind my teaching. Emphasis is placed on breath, vowel formation, clarity of tone, and resonance striving for balanced phonation, as felt by each individual. I often incorporate the written vocalises of Abt, Panofka, and Vaccai, depending on the needs of the individual student.

I actively work to create an inclusive, safe space in the studio free of judgment for students to be their genuine, authentic selves, which enables them to be open to instruction and willing to make mistakes. In training artists that will be active citizens in the global community, I encourage individuality, respect, and professionalism in the spaces I work in, amid striving for artistic excellence.