VANNESSA HULME SILBERMANN

VanNessa Hulme Silbermann is an accomplished arts administrator, educator, director, and performer with deep expertise in leading student-centered programming, guiding visioning and strategic planning, and shaping innovative arts initiatives. With a career spanning nonprofit arts organizations, independent schools, and community-based arts programs, VanNessa combines artistic insight with strategic acumen to develop programs that are both creatively ambitious and operationally sustainable, while emphasizing community, equity, and access as staples of artistic creation. Her work encompasses producing and operations, board and volunteer engagement, marketing, fundraising, and financial planning, enabling organizations to thrive while advancing equity, collaboration, and community impact.
VanNessa has held leadership roles at Hillbrook School (Los Gatos, CA), Rossinca-Carden International STEAM Academy (Campbell, CA), Phoenix Ranch School (Simi Valley, CA), The Laurence School, Founder’s Forum, and Beyond the Stage (Los Angeles, CA), The Verdi Chorus (Santa Monica, CA), and Silbermann Studios (Santa Clara, CA). Across these institutions, she has built and grown programs in music, theater, and dance, produced and directed more than 2,000 theater, concert, and educational events, and consistently fostered inclusive and collaborative creative cultures. VanNessa is recognized for her ability to translate vision into actionable strategies, build robust infrastructure, and create environments where students, artists, and communities can fully engage in meaningful creative work.
Originally from Kansas City, MO, with professional roots in Los Angeles, VanNessa is also an accomplished professional vocalist, having performed over 150 leading and supporting roles across theater, opera, and chamber productions. Her performance repertoire spans classical, opera, gospel, R&B, and Broadway, reflecting her versatility and dedication to cross-genre artistic excellence. She is a three-time Western Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was named Music Theater Singer of the World at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in Wales.
VanNessa holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice from Grand Canyon University and a Master of Music in Opera Theater from California State University, Northridge, where her studies focused on interpreting modern opera and the African American Spiritual, emphasizing historical context, cultural significance, and responsible artistic practice. She also holds a degree in Accounting from Foothill College, providing a strong foundation in financial planning and operational oversight. She is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at San José State University, where her research explores precarity and institutional periphery in arts education, emphasizing courage and risk-taking as a critical element of arts leadership.
Outside of her professional life, VanNessa is deeply committed to animal rescue, having served in volunteer leadership with the Humane Society Silicon Valley and fostering over 100 kittens and hospice cats. She also enjoys independent films, values the daily ritual of coffee, and practices meditation as a path to happiness and health. Across all aspects of her work and life, VanNessa brings a combination of strategic insight, artistic excellence, and a passion for cultivating inclusive, creative communities, where belonging and artistry change lives.




VanNessa Hulme Silbermann is an arts administrator and educator with deep experience leading student-centered programming, guiding visioning and strategic planning, and shaping innovative arts initiatives. VanNessa’s work spans producing and operations, board and volunteer engagement, fundraising, marketing, and financial planning across nonprofit arts and educational organizations.
She has held arts leadership roles at Hillbrook School, Rossinca-Carden International STEAM Academy, Phoenix Ranch School, The Laurence School, Founder’s Forum, Beyond the Stage, and The Verdi Chorus. Across these roles, VanNessa has produced and directed more than 2,000 theater, concert, and educational events, while advancing equity-centered practice and fostering collaborative creative cultures in diverse environments.
VanNessa holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice from Grand Canyon University, a Master of Music in Opera Theater from California State University, Northridge, and a degree in Accounting from Foothill College. She is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at San José State University, with a focus on equity-focused arts leadership, organizational development, and culturally responsive arts education.
In addition to her leadership work, VanNessa is an accomplished professional vocalist with over 150 leading and supporting roles in theater and opera. Outside of work, she is passionate about animal rescue, lives for a great independent film, will never say no to a cup of coffee and believes deeply in meditation for happiness.