Clarissa Ocampo is a Filipino-American mezzo-soprano. She is best known for her album Cradle Songs and sings professionally in the United States and Asia.
Clarissa Ocampo was born in the Philippines to a concert pianist mother and an obstetrician father who sang opera as a hobby. She graduated from high school in 1986, and planned to attend college in the United States until the People Power Revolution against the Marcos regime took place.
As a result, she enrolled as a pre-medical student at a local university. During this time, she decided to transfer to the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. It was her time here that cemented her calling to music. "I was able to build a singing career in the Philippines while in college, and I think this was when I knew that singing was going to be my profession," she said.
A short time later, Ocampo was accepted into Juilliard for graduate school. It was then that she began her career in the United States.
From May 2012 - March 2013, Clarissa accepted a 10-month position as Artist-in-Residence with The Philippine Opera Company in Manila, where she mentored Young Artists of The Philippine Opera Company through private studio lessons, master classes and workshops. She also assisted the Artistic Director with development, planning, and coordination of the monthly Young Artist Series, which ran from October through March. She performed regularly as Guest Artist in the company's Young Artist Series, Main Stage productions, special performances, and high-profile events as contracted by producers and music directors affiliated with the opera company.
In September 2015, Clarissa obtained a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders, Speech-Language Pathology. Clarissa is now a licensed and ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist and Voice Specialist, mentoring elite performers, coaching singers and actors with articulatory precision, and teaching them mastery of good vocal hygiene, as well as, the use of proper vocal techniques for optimum performance. Over the years, Clarissa has conducted numerous lectures, workshops, and masterclasses in singing and voice performance techniques for Opera and Theater singers, TV and radio actors, and other individuals who use their voice for their profession (i.e. radio announcers, lecturers, teachers, etc.).
Clarissa's ultimate goals are to integrate her knowledge in music and vocal performance with her clinical Speech practice, as she continues honing her clinical skills and expertise through advanced learning, as well as, participate in evidence-based and empirical research to further enhance the knowledge and skills in the treatment of Voice and Swallowing disorders for the adult neurological population, and the treatment of voice disorders found in professional voice users.