About the BVC Team
How we came up with BVC is a funny, full-circle kind of story. Here's the scoop.
Cynthia Kortman Westphal
BVC Co-Founder
Cynthia Kortman Westphal is a music director, voice teacher, vocal coach, and professor who is equally comfortable in both the professional Broadway community, and the academic world.
Most recently, Cynthia music directed the first North American tour of COME FROM AWAY. With her husband and two children in tow, she conducted over 400 performances in over 30 cities across the US and Canada. Additional Broadway shows include: THE LION KING, (where she was an original company member, associate music director, conductor, and keyboard player for seven years), A CHRISTMAS STORY—THE MUSICAL (written by former students Benj Pasek and Justin Paul), THE GERSHWIN'S FASCINATING RHYTHM, and MISS SAIGON.
Regionally, she has music directed at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, where she was part of the very first all-female creative team in the history of that historic theatre. Additional regional theatre work includes Randy Newman’s FAUST at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, as well as productions at Hartford Stage Company, and Arizona Theatre Company.
She toured as a pianist with opera singer Andrea Bocelli on two U.S. tours, and has been an orchestral pianist for many other orchestras including American Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and EOS Orchestra.
As a local keyboard player, she has played for over a dozen Broadway national tours including: WICKED, SISTER ACT, IN THE HEIGHTS, SPAMALOT, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, The 25th Anniversary Tour of LES MISERABLES, PETER PAN with Cathy Rigby, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, THE KING AND I, and ANNIE.
She is a tenured faculty member in the University of Michigan’s prestigious musical theatre department where she teaches performance classes, works one-on-one with singers, and created a rock/pop vocal styles class. She is also a Certified Master Trainer in Estill Voice Training.
While Cynthia wears many hats, she is passionate about working with singers—especially in helping them discover their ability to sing in the multitude of vocal styles that are happening today—and her current and former students can be seen in nearly every Broadway musical each season, as well as in regional theaters across the country, and in film and TV.
Chelsea Wilson
BVC Co-Founder
Chelsea Wilson is a voice teacher and vocal coach, providing unparalleled voice training to singers all over the world via online lessons. Her students have starred on Broadway and in Broadway national tours, have been featured in national commercials, and are pursuing independent musical careers in all genres.
Chelsea became the official associate vocal coach for the Broadway companies of SCHOOL OF ROCK in 2017, and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in 2018. She was also the associate coach for the national and international tours of SCHOOL OF ROCK, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. She also had the pleasure of coaching for the off-Broadway production of ROCK OF AGES in 2020.
Chelsea graduated from the University of Michigan’s prestigious Musical Theatre Program, earning her BFA in 2012. Although she specializes in musical theatre, Chelsea is an expert in contemporary pop music and uses her strong background in technique to teach vocal skills in any style of music.
Chelsea began her voice teacher training in 2007 with Speech Level Singing. In 2013, she joined the newly formed Institute for Vocal Advancement, where she has since earned her Mentor-level certification after 10+ years of rigorous education. Chelsea has been able to travel the world (Seoul, Mexico City, Edinburgh, Vienna) teaching singers and voice teachers from all backgrounds. One of her greatest joys is helping to create “lightbulb moments” for her students, when they realize something is possible within themselves that they’d never imagined before.
After eight years living and working in New York City, in 2020 Chelsea found her way to to Wisconsin, then Washington State, and now North Carolina! She now lives in Raleigh with her musical-theatre loving, piano-playing husband. They have one daughter and another on the way.
Erin Wilson
BVC Studio Coach
Erin Wilson grew up in Southern California, playing outside barefoot and in and out of the pool as much as possible. She eventually grew into a Broadway performer, TV/Film actor, Voice Specialist, Acting Coach, University Professor & owner of Erin Wilson Studio.
Erin has had the honor of performing on Broadway, in numerous National Tours and has worked for the Hallmark Channel, Netflix, TBS, TNT.
Erin studied Musical Theater at Brigham Young University then moved to NYC. Early on, she worked for many lovely theaters across the US before originating the role of Shen Shen and understudying Madame Morrible in the record-breaking show of Wicked (2nd National Tour). She went on to play Madame Morrible, the Midwife, and Shen Shen in all three Wicked US companies: 1st National, 2nd National, and Broadway!
Some favorite roles include Sister Mary-Martin-of-Tours in the national tour of Sister Act and Sister Mary Patrick for NCT, The Witch in Into the Woods, Cha Cha in Grease (x's 3!), Dolly Tate in Annie Get Your Gun and every show at THE MUNY to name a few. TV/Film: Public Morals (TNT), directed by Edward Burns, Tales of the City (Netflix) with Laura Linney, Holiday for Heroes (Hallmark Channel), The Last OG with Tracy Morgan (TBS).
Erin is a certified voice teacher through the Institute for Vocal Advancement, as well as a professor in Theater and Music for Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. And yet, as much as she loves performing and teaching, she is most obsessed with her role as Auntie Erin to her nieces and nephews!
Julie Kavanagh
BVC Aspire Program Director
Julie Kavanagh is originally from St. Louis, MO and a graduate of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s Musical Theatre Program in 2011. As a performer, she has toured with the Broadway First National tours of Hello, Dolly! and La Cage Aux Folles and has performed at major regional theatres all over the country!
Alongside performing, Julie has worked in arts education for the since 2014 with various programs as a college audition coach, teaching tap dance, musical theatre master classes, and more. Julie continues to both perform professionally, and work with young performers across the country.
Julie is based in New York City with her husband, but currently resides on the road, as she is traveling the country with the First National Tour of Mrs. Doubtfire appearing in the ensemble and as the Dance Captain.
