Hugo Kerth is an appreciated Brazilian singing teacher, actor, and researcher in the field of voice, as well as a translator, song versionist, and writer. He was born in an inland city in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Voice Performing Arts from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), researching in the fields of voice, articulatory phonetics, and theatrical acting, with a focus on the actors’ vocal preparation. He was a Ph.D. student in Linguistics at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais; his research interests include Phonetics, Phonology, and Education, with a research focus on Linguistics and Cognition.
His career as a teacher has earned him awards as “Personality of the Year”. Hugo worked as a Musical Theater teacher for the vacation courses at the Casa das Artes de Laranjeiras drama school (CAL, in the Portuguese acronym); he is also a teacher at the Center for Studies and Training in Musical Theater (CEFTEM). He was a professor at VOCE Studio for 5 years. VOCE Studio is a school specialized in spoken and sung voice, whose director is Professor Mirna Rubim, Ph.D. in Musical Arts in Performance (Voice) from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
As an actor, he starred in the musical The Book of Mormon, which was a hit with audiences in the state of Rio de Janeiro over seven seasons and had about 40,000 spectators between 2013 and 2014. His latest works in the Brazilian theater include: Copacabana Palace, o Musical (Copacabana Palace, the Musical) (2022); Nosso Lar (Our Home, online, 2020); Rapsódia, Um Novo Musical (Rhapsody, a new musical - 2021/2019/2018); Zeca Pagodinho, Uma História de Amor ao Samba – O Musical (Zeca Pagodinho, a history of love for Samba – The Musical, 2018); Thomas e as Mil e Uma Invenções (Thomas and a thousand and one inventions, 2018); Chacrinha – O Musical (Chacrinha – the musical, Brazil Tour, 2017); O Primeiro Musical A Gente Nunca Esquece (Our First Musical We Never Forget, 2016/2015); Politicamente Incorretos - Uma Revista De Ano (Politically Incorrect - A Year in Review, 2015); Fazendo História (The History Boys, 2014).
Hugo supports his profession’s causes: he is a founding member of PROCANTO (Brazilian Association of Teachers of Singing), and affiliated with VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association), one of the most important Voice Teachers Associations worldwide, LabPhon (The Association for Laboratory Phonology), the Brazilian Society of Speech Therapy (SBFa), the Brazilian Association of Musical Education (ABEM), and the Order of Brazilian Musicians (OMB).