Deborah Jackson has taught #14, the vocal technique class and #150 private voice instruction at UC Berkeley for the past 28 years. She was an instructor of voice at San Francisco State University for twelve years, and Dominican University for 6 years, as well as conducting the opera workshop and musical theater classes.
For the past ten years, Ms. Jackson has been music director, cantor and conductor at St. Patrick’s Catholic church in Larkspur. With West Marin Players, she has conducted 4 Gilbert and Sullivan light operas, “Most Happy Fella,” “Acis and Galatea” by Handel, and this winter, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” by Carlo Menotti. With Marin Musical Theater Company, she has conducted “Kiss me Kate,” and “The Pajama Game.” She also conducts the High Holy Days for Rodef Shalom at the Marin Civic Center, (for the past 15 years) as well as a busy private voice studio, with many singers from the SF Opera chorus and young professionals. Featured this year, is Merrill Gravis, of Tuneyards, who wrote the sound track for the Oakland film, “Sorry to Bother You,” and sang the vocals. Ms. Jackson is also Choral Contractor for Skywalker Recording Studio, singing in and contracting for movies and video games. Ms. Jackson has just been named Director and Conductor of the Marin Barbershop Chorus.
Ms. Jackson holds a master’s degree in voice from The New England Conservatory of Music. She sang for thirteen years with the San Francisco Opera Chorus, apprenticed with Santa Fe Opera, Portland Opera and Long Beach Opera, and has performed operatic roles with Berkeley Opera, West Bay Opera and Diablo Light Opera, and the San Bernadino Opera Festival on the West Coast, while singing leads with multiple opera companies on the East coast. Her recital schedule included many noon concerts at UC Berkeley, frequent programs at Dominican University and San Francisco State University, as well as other independent venues throughout the Bay Area.