American baritone Justin T. Swain serves as an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Classical/CCM/Musical Theatre Voice & Lyric Diction within the School of Music and Faculty Fellow within the Center for Learning, Teaching, and Assessment at Ohio University (Athens). Now pursing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Pedagogy with a specialization in Voice Research through the Shenandoah Conservatory at Shenandoah University, Swain has also earned the Master of Music in Vocal Performance, Master of Arts in Vocal Pedagogy, and Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degrees from The Ohio State University. Prior to his time at Ohio State, Swain also earned an Associate of Arts degree from Columbus State Community College where he was also awarded “Man of the Year” for his contributions in the piano lab and around campus in various student organizations.

As a pedagogue, Swain was recognized by the National Association of Teachers of Singing and was privileged to serve as a NATS Intern (2023-2024) at Florida State University where he worked with Master Teacher Mike Ruckles and performed in a myriad of vocal masterclasses and workshops.

A Columbus native, Swain has served as a teaching artist for Opera Columbus, and has performed extensively throughout the region including engagements with Opera Columbus, featured in the Columbus Italian Festival, in concert with Harmony Project Columbus, the New Albany Symphony Orchestra, Opera Project Columbus, Capriccio Chorus, and has performed several world premiere works in and around Central Ohio. Of the dozen roles Swain has performed, most notable among them include Maximilian in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, McCarthy in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers, Aedeta in the world premiere of Charles Wakefield Cadman’s Ramala: Land of Misty Water, Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème, and Junius in Benjamin Britten’a Rape of Lucretia. Oratorio and chamber credits include Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, the Schubert Mass in G, Bach’s Magnificat and other cantatas, Last Breaths by Armando Bayolo, and Of a Smile’s Echo by Thomas Wells, Swain was recently featured on 10TV WBNS in Columbus, OH in celebration of Black History Month, as well as in the culture section of Athens News.

As an academic, Justin owned and maintained the free database of phonetic transcriptions website, IPA Resource Center (IPAResourceCenter.com 2014-2024), has contributed the full breadth of digital transcriptions of vocalises for Dr. Robin Rice’s book, “Great Teachers on Great Singing,” available through Inside View Press (VOXPed.com), has guest lectured at Notre Dame University, The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Columbus State Community College, and has served as a clinician in the Central, OH region of choral programs of area middle and high schools. He has presented at the Ohio Music Teacher Association State Conference and at the Ohio University School of Music on topics ranging from contemporary vocal pedagogy, updating one’s bio, and self-marketing.

A strong advocate of the art of the song recital, Justin has performed several solo recitals and is a champion of the vocal music of Afro-English composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Mr. Swain maintains an active performance career in the Central Ohio region and maintains studios in both Columbus, OH and Athens, OH.