Shelby R. Tipling is an enthusiastic and versatile Philadelphia-based performer whose work spans a wide range of vocal interests. Her artistic focus centers on German Lieder and Bel Canto opera, with a particular passion for collaborative performance. In addition to her work as a vocalist, Shelby is an accomplished piano technician, tuning and maintaining instruments with the same precision and care she brings to her musical artistry. Her technical work has served renowned institutions including The Curtis Institute of Music and the Peabody Conservatory.
Shelby is perhaps best known for her highly sought-after Opera Salon Series, created in collaboration with pianist Dina Kasman and restaurateur Tony Foreman. These intimate evenings pair opera repertoire with specially curated Northern Italian cuisine, offering audiences a unique and immersive artistic experience. Other recent highlights include performing in Nick Hersh’s arrangement of Hansel and Gretel through Peabody Outreach Opera in partnership with Annapolis Opera; serving as the Musicologist in Steven Stucky and Jeremy Denk’s The Classical Style: An Opera (of Sorts), where she also hosted sonata seminars; and continuing her Baltimore Opera Salon Series with Tony Foreman.
A frequent soloist and ensemble performer, Shelby has held soloist positions at Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA, St. Mary’s Episcopal in Wayne, PA and has regularly appeared as a soloist with Doylestown Presbyterian Church. Wherein she soloed in works like Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living. She has also performed with numerous ensembles throughout the Philadelphia region, including the Haverford-Bryn Mawr Chorale under the direction of Nate Zullinger, The Choristers, and Saint Clement’s Church under the direction of Peter Conte.
Her performance experience extends well beyond the concert stage. Favorite operatic roles include Meg March in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, and La Contessa di Almaviva in her international role debut with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar’s production of Le nozze di Figaro.
(Shelby’s complete performance history is available in the résumé linked below.)
Shelby holds a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Iowa in Vocal Performance (B.M.) and German Studies with Honors (B.A.). While at Iowa, she became a published scholar through Iowa Research Online with her paper, “The Use of ‘Wienerisch’ in Der Rosenkavalier: A Dialect Analysis.” She also studied and performed at Middlebury College’s esteemed Deutsch für Sänger Summer Program in 2018 and 2019.