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Turkish-American baritone Serdar Ilban has performed with numerous prestigious opera companies across the United States, Europe, and Israel. Equally at home in opera, oratorio, and recital repertoire, he has appeared with organizations such as the New Israeli Opera, , , Opera Manhattan, , and Il Piccolo Teatro dell’Opera–New York. His notable roles include Escamillo in Carmen, Silvio in I Pagliacci, The Professor in Carl Nielsen’s Maskarade, Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, and the title role in Gianni Schicchi.

Dr. Ilban earned a Bachelor of Music in Opera Performance from the University of Istanbul, a Master of Music from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee (where he studied on a full scholarship), and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In 2011, he joined the faculty at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University as Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera, where he currently serves as Vocal Area Coordinator and Director of the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Opera Theatre. His previous teaching appointments include Southern Utah University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he served as Interim Director of UNLV Opera.

Dr. Ilban’s students have been accepted into esteemed young artist programs, including the Aspen Music Festival, the , , and the Opera Festival of Rome. Many of his current and former students actively perform and teach throughout the United States and abroad.

An internationally acclaimed performer, director, and clinician, Dr. Ilban has recently shared his expertise and research on several global platforms. He presented on choral-vocal relations at the 15th Pan European Voice Conference in Santander, Spain; toured with the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University Choirs in South Korea, where he performed and gave master classes at universities in Seoul and surrounding regions; and in 2018, was awarded an honorary professorship by Henan Polytechnic University in China during his residency as a visiting artist. He also delivered a lecture on practical voice pedagogy and voice psychology at the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017. Most recently, Dr. Ilban was invited as a master teacher to deliver master classes and work with young professionals at the Dobrin Petkov International School of Music and Dance in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

A recipient of the 2010 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Emerging Leaders Award, Dr. Ilban is an active member of NATS, the European Voice Teachers Association, and the Pan European Voice Conference. His current research interests include Holocaust-related vocal literature and the dramatic revival of underrepresented operatic repertoire suitable for college-age performers.