Performer

James Dalton, Times Union 07/20/22

Tenor Overboard, The Glimmerglass Festival

“Soprano Reilly Nelson, as Gianna, sang with purpose and beauty and also spoke with a Brooklyn accent straight out of ‘Moonstruck.”

David Shengold, Opera News 10/22

“The revelation on July 31 was Canadian soprano Reilly Nelson as Mimi’s sister, Gianna, disclosing a superb timbre and technique plus real comic flair in dialogue.”

Roland H. Dippel, conceri.de 12/28/21

L’amico Fritz, Tiroler Festspiele Erl

“Reilly Nelson balanced her few tones with the same elegance as when carrying the pizza boxes.”

Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati Business Courier 06/28/19

Roméo et Juliette, Cincinnati Opera

“Also making an impression was Reilly Nelson as Romeo’s page, Stephano, in the charming song, ‘Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle.”

James Harvey, Jay Harvey Upstage 06/28/19

“And in another one of the opera’s few lighter moments, Reilly Nelson shone in the solo spotlight as Romeo’s page, Stephano.”

Cashman Kerr Prince, Boston Music Intelligencer 07/11/13

Closer to my own life (Harbison), Tanglewood Music Center

“The vocal line, ably sung by Nelson, unfolds more like recitatives than arias. Nelson brought great support, tone and enunciation to this part. Her command of the music is impressive, as she handily dispatched leaps and jumps in the voice part. Kirov and the TMC Orchestra collaborated with Nelson to offer a solid reading of this work.”

Teacher

  • "Edith Piaf once said, “Singing is a way of escaping. It’s another world. I’m no. longer on earth…” Finding a vocal coach that can help you on that journey makes the “other world” of singing that much more magical… and I have found that with my new vocal coach, Reilly Nelson. We clicked immediately and in just a few lessons, she has helped my singing soar. She mixes musical knowledge with a strong intuition for how the body, mind, and heart can support song. She is always fully present during our lessons and listens with a careful ear to find ways to build on technique and pathos. I look forward to our lessons each week and can’t wait to see how much further our work together will enhance my singing. Thank you Reilly for sharing your expertise with me and I think anyone looking for a vocal coach would find time with you will help them on their vocal journey to “another world”.

    — James B.

  • "Reilly has been an unbelievably positive force in shaping my voice and artistry. Through our meetings my entire life has been better. Reilly has gone above and beyond expectations by not just tailoring each lesson to personalize the vocal toolset she provides, but also through connecting with the client on a personal and human level. Through her compassion and understanding I have learned to expedite my vocal learning through not just skill and practice alone, but also through helping me to transform my perspective. Not only am I becoming a noticeably stronger vocalist through her teaching, but I am learning to further accelerate my artistic progress by shaking off any pitfalls of self-doubt and fear. Her presence has been nothing short of a blessing. Thank you Reilly for helping us to achieve our dreams."

    — Kenneth W.

  • "Reilly is a wonderful coach and person. I have a background of vocal damage and her patience and understanding of my vulnerability were beyond meaningful. She has incredible intuition and is so articulate, she listens and understands and then communicates in a way that really hits home. I learned so much in the few months that we had lessons together. Reilly helped me prepare for my first audition after 10+ years away from singing. She opened up my voice (and my heart!) to singing again and it changed my life! I can't understate how great it was to work with her! And I hope there will be more in the future :)"

    — Bree C.

  • “Reilly is an extraordinary communicator. She is extremely skilled at conveying ideas in clear ways, and communicating her thoughts about the abstract processes involved with singing into real and tangible advice, in order to yield powerful results. Her prowess in that area allows her to be an excellent teacher, and a mentor.”

    -Audrey

  • “Though my daughter has only been working with Dr Nelson for 9 months, we've seen her transform from a shy singer into a strong mezzo-soprano, who was recently accepted into the Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts for vocal music. Reilly teaches strong technique, but is also warm, lively, patient and fun for my daughter.”

    -Emily B.

  • "Working with Dr. Nelson was one of the most empowering and enlightening things that I could have done for myself. She worked with me to develop my voice. Dr. Nelson was patient with me and understood the anxiety that I had singing in front of others. We worked on different techniques weekly and each time I could see the improvement. I have been so fortunate to study under such talent."

    Megan S.

  • "Reilly is fantastic, full of energy, and overall fun to learn from. I'd highly recommend anyone interested in improving themselves to take lessons from her. From the first session (and even before that), it was clear that Reilly was knowledgeable and passionate about her work. She had a clear lesson plan in mind, and was able to adjust it according to my strengths and weaknesses, taking into account the specific skills I wanted to work on. What sets Reilly apart is her ability to connect with her students. She truly cares about her student's progress, and goes above and beyond to help them grow their abilities. Lessons were educational but also entertaining, while being tailored to the practice I personally needed that session. I strongly recommend partnering with Reilly on any vocal work, whether you are a beginner or an experienced speaker. "

    -Leon L.