Biography

V

anessa Bousay is a talented songstress specializing in Broadway show tunes and classic American standards. Hailed by the Bay Area Reporter as “The Chanteuse of The Barbary Coast”, Vanessa Bousay is created by proud San Franciscan and classically trained baritone, Erik Chalfant. Mr. Chalfant was a private student of the esteemed American operatic soprano, Phyllis Curtin. His characterization of the glamorous Vanessa Bousay is a loving tribute to his teacher, mentor and friend.

Mr. Chalfant holds the Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from Boston University College of Fine Arts and the Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice Performance and French Literature from Olivet Nazarene University. He is an alumnus of the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA, The Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies in Aldeburgh, England and the Gregynog Music Festival, in Tregynon, Wales.

In July 2014, Vanessa Bousay made local history by becoming the first drag artist to appear at San Francisco Opera’s “Opera Night At The Ballpark”, singing the national anthem live before an audience of 30,000 opera fans at AT&T Park. Subsequently, Ms. Bousay has appeared at The Sydney Goldstein (Nourse) Theater with the San Francisco Civic Symphony Orchestra, Feinstein’s At The Nikko, Yoshi’s, Oasis, with Society Cabaret at Hotel Rex and monthly at Martuni’s Piano Lounge.

Ms. Bousay’s beloved charity is The Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners, where she appears each Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. Sharing songs of joy and hope with the needy citizens of the Tenderloin neighborhood, Vanessa is proud to continue the over forty year tradition of this worthy humanitarian cause.