National Association of Teachers of Singing
American professional association serving singing teachers and the wider voice-teaching community.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) is a United States–based professional association for singing teachers and one of the largest organizations of its kind worldwide. Its membership is concentrated in the United States, with additional members in Canada and more than twenty-five other countries. The organization supports teachers of singing through professional networking, educational activities, ethical standards, competitions, conferences, and resources related to vocal instruction and performance preparation. NATS emerged from a longer history of organized professional activity among voice teachers. An early predecessor was incorporated in New York on November 27, 1906, by a group of singing teachers working in the tradition of the broader Music Teachers National Association movement. That organization held its first annual meeting at Steinway Hall in New York City on January 7, 1908. In 1917 it adopted the name New York Singing Teachers' Association. Other local and regional bodies developed during the following decades, including the Los Angeles Guild of Teachers of Singing, which received its charter in 1922, and the Chicago Council of Teachers of Singing, organized in 1930. The Los Angeles organization published a code of ethics in 1924 that later influenced the national association's professional standards. The national organization was created in 1944 during the Music Teachers National Association convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Representatives of several existing organizations met at the Netherland Plaza Hotel on March 23, 1944, and established the National Association of Teachers of Singing. The association subsequently developed a national governance structure supported by regional, state, and local organizations. Its national office is in Jacksonville, Florida, and its affairs are overseen by a national Board of Directors. Members are organized across fourteen national regions, each led by a Regional Governor, while state and local chapters generally have their own governors or presidents. NATS's activities combine professional development with opportunities for singers taught by its members. The association holds a national conference every two years, with the host city and sponsoring region changing from one conference to the next. Conferences provide a setting for educational sessions, professional exchange, auditions, and the later stages of national competitions. Students of NATS members may participate in Student Auditions, while advanced singers can enter the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards, commonly known as NATSAA. NATSAA began in 1955 as the Singer of the Year Scholarship Auditions. It is intended for singers approaching professional careers and uses a sequence of district, regional, and national rounds. The program combines recognition with financial and performance opportunities, with preliminary stages conducted regionally and semifinals and finals held in connection with NATS conferences. Through this structure, NATS extends its role beyond teacher membership to the development and evaluation of emerging singers. The association also articulates professional expectations through a national Code of Ethics. The current code was written in 2006 and addresses personal ethical standards, responsibilities toward students, and standards governing relationships with colleagues. These provisions reflect NATS's effort to promote responsible teaching, honesty, professional conduct, and a supportive educational environment. With more than 6,500 members reported in reference material, NATS remains an active international professional network centered on singing pedagogy, teacher development, and the transition of talented singers toward public performance and professional work.
History
The history of NATS is rooted in the early twentieth-century professionalization of music teaching in the United States. As music teachers formed national and local associations, singing teachers also began creating organizations devoted specifically to voice instruction. A predecessor to the modern national association was incorporated in New York on November 27, 1906. Its first annual meeting took place at Steinway Hall in New York City on January 7, 1908. In 1917, the organization changed its name to the New York Singing Teachers' Association, reflecting its regional rather than national scope. The development of local organizations elsewhere helped create the institutional base from which a national association could emerge. The Los Angeles Guild of Teachers of Singing received a charter in 1922 and published a Code of Ethics in 1924. The Chicago Council of Teachers of Singing was organized in 1930. These groups, together with other singing-teacher organizations, provided models for professional governance, member interaction, and standards of practice. Their growth occurred within the broader influence of the Music Teachers National Association, whose conventions later served as an important setting for discussions about national coordination. The decisive step occurred in Cincinnati in 1944. During the Music Teachers National Association convention, representatives of the various singing-teacher groups met on March 23 at the Netherland Plaza Hotel. Their discussions resulted in the creation of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. The association's founding placed singing pedagogy within a dedicated national professional framework while retaining connections to the broader music-teaching community. Over time, NATS developed a layered structure consisting of a national office, a national Board of Directors, fourteen geographic regions, state organizations, and local chapters. Regional Governors lead the national regions, while State Governors and chapter presidents coordinate activities closer to members. This structure allows the association to combine national programs and standards with local professional relationships. The national office is located in Jacksonville, Florida. Conferences became a central part of NATS's professional life. The national conference is held every two years and moves among different cities and sponsoring regions. Listed conference locations include Chicago in 2016, Boston in 2014, Orlando in 2012, Salt Lake City in 2010, Nashville in 2008, Minneapolis in 2006, New Orleans in 2004, and San Diego in 2002. The conference format also provides the setting for major stages of the association's national artist competition. NATS's competition program began in 1955 as the Singer of the Year Scholarship Auditions. It later became the NATS Artist Awards, or NATSAA. The program is designed for singers whose artistic preparation suggests that they are approaching professional careers. Participants progress through district, regional, and national elimination rounds. Regional preliminary competitions lead to semifinals and finals held with the biennial national conference. Awards can include monetary prizes and performance engagements, giving the program both developmental and professional purposes. The association's work also includes professional ethics. The Code of Ethics developed from earlier regional efforts, including the 1924 Los Angeles code. The current version, written in 2006, is divided into personal ethical standards, standards relating to students, and standards relating to colleagues. It establishes a framework for responsible teaching and professional conduct rather than functioning as a commercial product. NATS is active internationally as well as nationally. Its membership is primarily based in the United States, but members are also reported in Canada and more than twenty-five additional countries across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Latin America. The association therefore operates both as an American professional body and as an international network for teachers of singing. Its continuing activities center on teacher support, educational exchange, ethical practice, student auditions, professional competitions, and the preparation of singers for public and professional performance.
- 2006
Current Code of Ethics written
[1]NATS organized its current ethics code into standards concerning personal conduct, students, and colleagues.
- 1955
National artist competition launched
[1]NATS began the Singer of the Year Scholarship Auditions, the predecessor of the NATS Artist Awards.
- 1944
National Association of Teachers of Singing founded
[1]Delegates meeting during the Music Teachers National Association convention in Cincinnati established NATS.
- 1930
Chicago Council of Teachers of Singing organized
[1]The Chicago Council became another local foundation for organized professional activity among singing teachers.
- 1924
Early regional Code of Ethics published
[1]The Los Angeles Guild published a professional ethics code that later influenced the national association.
- 1922
Los Angeles Guild of Teachers of Singing chartered
[1]A significant regional singing-teacher organization was chartered in Los Angeles.
- 1917
Name changed to New York Singing Teachers' Association
[1]The regional organization adopted a name identifying its New York focus.
- 1908
First annual meeting at Steinway Hall
[1]The predecessor organization held its first annual meeting at Steinway Hall in New York City.
- 1906
Early predecessor incorporated in New York
[1]A group of singing teachers incorporated an organization in New York that became part of the institutional history leading to NATS.
Products and positioning
A member-led professional association that connects singing teachers, establishes ethical and educational standards, and creates structured development and performance opportunities for singers.
Professional association membership · 1944
NATS Membership
Membership connects singing teachers through national, regional, state, and local structures. It provides access to professional association activities and supports participation in conferences, auditions, educational exchange, and the association's ethical framework. NATS membership is primarily based in the United States but also includes teachers in Canada and numerous other countries.
Professional education and networking
NATS National Conference
The biennial national conference is the association's principal gathering for professional exchange and educational activity. The event rotates among cities and sponsoring regions. It also serves as the venue for the semifinal and final stages of the NATS Artist Awards competition.
Student vocal competition
Student Auditions
Student Auditions give students of NATS members a structured opportunity to perform and receive recognition in a competitive setting. The program forms part of the association's broader educational mission and links teacher development with practical performance experience for emerging singers.
National vocal competition · 1955
NATS Artist Awards
The NATS Artist Awards, known as NATSAA, is a biennial competition for singers preparing to enter professional careers. It developed from the 1955 Singer of the Year Scholarship Auditions. Contestants proceed through district, regional, and national stages, with finalists appearing at a NATS conference and eligible for monetary and performance awards.
Professional standards · 2006
NATS Code of Ethics
The Code of Ethics sets expectations for members' professional behavior. Its current structure addresses personal ethical standards, responsibilities toward students, and conduct in relation to colleagues. It is intended to encourage honesty, responsible teaching, and professional standards across the association.
Brand decisions
2006
Revise and organize the national Code of EthicsOtherBackground
Earlier regional ethics work had established a precedent for professional standards among singing teachers.
Action taken
NATS produced the current Code of Ethics in three sections covering personal conduct, responsibilities to students, and relationships with colleagues.
Aftermath
The code became the association's principal statement of expected professional behavior for members.
1955
Launch a national artist scholarship competitionOtherBackground
NATS sought to support singers whose training and artistry indicated that they were approaching professional careers.
Action taken
The association introduced the Singer of the Year Scholarship Auditions, the predecessor of the NATS Artist Awards.
Aftermath
The program evolved into a recurring national competition with regional preliminary rounds, conference-based finals, monetary prizes, and performance opportunities.
1944
Create a dedicated national association for singing teachersStrategyBackground
Local and regional singing-teacher organizations had developed in several parts of the United States, creating a basis for national coordination within the broader music-teaching movement.
Action taken
Representatives meeting during the Music Teachers National Association convention in Cincinnati established the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Aftermath
The decision created the national professional body that later developed regional, state, and local governance structures and international membership.
Sources2 sources
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