Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Megan began singing at a young age under the careful tutelage of acclaimed baritone, Stephen Totter (Carnegie Mellon University, Civic Light Opera Academy). Hailed as a prodigious mezzo-soprano, she gained admission to the prestigious Pennsylvania  Governor's School for the Arts and was the recipient of the WQED-FM Young Artist of the Year Award as well as the Gene Kelly Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. 

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Having made the choice to study with her teacher's teacher, Megan went off to The University of Akron (OH) to study vocal performance, but after less than a semester, she discovered that a traditional education in bel canto repertoire was not for her. It was at that time that she took her first acting class with Professor James Slowiak. This particular class was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

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Slowiak's work centered around the ideologies and actor training techniques of experimental Polish theatre director, Jerzy Growtowski. Megan soon became fascinated with the exploration of her physical and vocal limits. Due in large part to the extreme athletic rigor demanded of the training, Megan gained a unique functional understanding of the mind/body/voice connection, and became fascinated with the principles of kinesthetic pedagogy, which has continued to shape her work as an educator and director. 

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Following her undergraduate studies, Elk joined Slowiak's professional theatre ensemble, The New World Performance Laboratory. Under the direction of Slowiak and Co-artistic director, Jairo Cuesta, she composed original music for the company, toured performances, and facilitated voice and movement workshops throughout Europe and The United States.

 

While still working with the company, Megan joined the voice faculty at the Aurora School of Music and quickly became one of the most sought after voice teachers in the Cleveland area. In her nine years in residence there, she helped hundreds of students to find their authentic voice, many of whom are now working successfully in New York, Nashville, LA, and beyond.

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Although she had become greatly skilled as a private teacher, she longed to continue performing herself. In 2013 she gave birth to Miss Alexandra Huntingdon, a cabaret alter ego and nom de plume whose scandalizing 2015 album of original cabaret songs, LIVE at Survival Kit, earned her the distinction of being named Best Singer and Best Musician 2015 by Cleveland Scene Magazine.  She also appeared professionally throughout the region with Cleveland Public Theatre, Opera Cleveland, The Cleveland Orchestra, Opera Circle, The Downtown Upstairs Opera, Sugar Creek Symphony and Song, and reVoice Contemporary Vocal Ensemble.

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In 2016, Megan relocated to Chicago, IL. She frequently appears in the front room at Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret and currently serves as a Teaching Artist for Lyric Opera of Chicago's "Opera in Our Schools" residency program. 

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Please see her curriculum vitae here for contact information and more a detailed history of performance and collaboration.

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