Patrick Newell

Dr. Patrick Newell is an esteemed vocal instructor, music director, stage director, choral conductor, and performer with a resume including over eighty Musicals and Operas and more than 25 years of teaching experience. 

Currently, he is the Choral Activities Director and Instructor of Singing at Western Nebraska Community College as well as the Artistic Director for Theatre West Nebraska. With a diverse teaching portfolio in the areas of Opera, Musical Theatre, and Art Song, he has guided his students into successful careers as performers for Disney, Off-Broadway, National Tours, military bands, cruise lines, regional theatres, and amusement parks. 

Newell is a nationally and internationally recognized teacher of the Sweetland Singing Technique and has given presentations and workshops for several music and theatre conferences and festivals in America and Europe. As his newest project, in June 2024 Dr. Newell opened the bi-yearly Sweetland Singing & Teaching Institute in Italy to teach singing teachers the pedagogy of the Sweetland Singing Technique as well as to teach Belt and Legit singing to students.

Dr. Newell has held academic positions at the University of Wyoming, where he received the Seibold Excellence in Teaching award and founded a BFA in Musical Theatre, and as the Director of Opera at Eastern Kentucky University. He has also served as both stage director and music director with numerous theatres across the United States from Washington to Pennsylvania, Los Angeles to St. Louis, and many places in between. Although he enjoys directing and performing, Dr. Newell considers himself primarily a Teacher of Singing.

Newell began his studies in vocal performance at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne where he was a student of Dr. Joseph Meyers. He received his Bachelor of Music with Distinction and immediately began his Master of Music in the esteemed music program at Indiana University, studying with Dale Moore. Newell received his Doctor of Music from Indiana University in Vocal Performance and Song Literature under the instruction of Dr. James McDonald. Newell continued his education post-graduation by studying voice with Steve Sweetland in Los Angeles and teaches the Sweetland Singing Technique with Steve’s blessing.