Thomas Bastable

Thomas Bastable (Tommy), originally from Chapel Hill, NC, has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from UNC-Chapel Hill (go Tar Heels!) and a Master of Music in Opera Performance from Oklahoma City University.  A sought after vocal coach, Thomas also taught piano/voice and music directed in Chapel Hill for almost 20 years, before moving to the Omaha area.  

Equally comfortable on the stage or behind the piano, his favorite performed opera roles include the title role in Don Pasquale and Papageno from Die Zauberflöte.  His time in graduate school gave him a deep appreciation for the musical theater repertory, and he has music-directed regularly since then, working on countless musicals.  In 2022, his work with Kenan Theatre Company on Urinetown: The Musical received an Outstanding Music Direction award, and in 2023, he music-directed Hidden Voices’ first staged reading of A Good Boy, a new musical about the effect of the death penalty on the accused, the family members, and the officers involved. 

A versatile pianist, Thomas has accompanied countless recitals, concerts, and productions.  He spent several seasons as pianist with the Young People’s Performing Company, CHSMA’s Broadway-In-Concert series, TheatreQuest, and Tarheel Tale Tellers, as well as UNC’s Carolina Choir, Chamber Singers, Glee Clubs, and Opera Workshop.  During his undergraduate degree, he studied with classical pianists, Dr. Thomas Otten and Gerald Stofsky, and jazz pianists Dr. Steven Anderson and Ed Paolantonio.

Thomas’ highschool students have continued on to complete collegiate degrees in music business, education, and performance.  His collegiate students have gone on to graduate schools in voice and regularly perform at the local, regional, and national levels.  As an educator, Thomas promotes finding your natural poise/voice and using that as a baseline to explore whatever style interests you.  He believes all singers are actors and that acting the song and communicating are primary performance goals.  Thomas loves helping students on their musical journey no matter the path.