Ms. Schukis (She/her) has had a multi-faceted career as a character mezzo, actress, standup comedian, stage director, choreographer, vocal coach, educator, author, and administrator. She has sung a wide variety of operatic, oratorio and broadway repertoire to great critical acclaim and has performed roles with the Boston National Company of Nunsense starring Pat Carroll and Alice Ghostley, Boston Lyric Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera Providence, New England Light Opera, Intermezzo Chamber Opera, Raylynmoor Opera, Wheelock Family Theater; Lyric Stage Company of Boston; New Opera and Musical Theater Initiative, Opera New England, Longwood Opera Company, Northeastern Repertory Theater, Boston Publick Theater, The Greater Boston Stage Company, Fine Arts Chorale in Weymouth and Newton Symphony.
 Ms. Schukis has been a soloist/section leader for the historic Old North Church, Boston, Massachusetts for 34 years and continues to perform in theater, opera and concert engagements throughout the United States and has performed in Austria. Special performances that deserve mentioning are: National Anthem at a Boston Red Sox Game at Fenway, National Anthem on the U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) turn around, National Anthem at New England Dragway, Epping, NH and the National Anthem at Lebanon Valley Speedway, MA and a televised performance with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Salt Lake City, UT. 
In addition to being a performer, Vanessa is an award winning teacher with over thirty-five years’ experience in performing arts education. Currently Vanessa teaches music at The Murphy School, Dorchester, MA and The Harvard-Kent School in Charlestown, MA through the community engagement program of The Community Music Center of Boston. In 2014, Vanessa received the MacDill award for excellence in teaching. Ms. Schukis has been member of the guest faculty at New England Conservatory, Boston, MA and visiting faculty at Longy School of Music Cambridge, MA.