Tyler was born in New York City into a musical world that was populated by Betty Carter, Philip Glass, Stephen Sondheim, and Charlie Parker. She began singing in the shower with her mother before the age of two, and started piano lessons while living in the United Kingdom at 8 years old. Later, she pursued private piano study with Tonino Miano and vocal study with Catherine Aks as well as receiving musical mentorship from Tamara Brooks (choral conductor), Lunetta Knowlton (choral conductor), and countless others. Briefly, she trained with the firm conviction that she would become a triple threat.

After earning a BA with high honors in music theory & history at Oberlin College where she received vocal instruction from Carol Sedgwick, Tyler pursued Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Musicology at the Eastman School of Music. At Eastman, her doctoral advisors were Dr. Jonathan Dunsby and Dr. Holly Watkins with vocal instruction from Dr. Katherine Ciesinski. She was awarded the PhD in 2015 for her dissertation on meaning-production in chamber music for women’s voice written between 1980-2010 using non-linguistic texts.

Soprano Tyler Cassidy-Heacock has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, choral singer, and as a liturgical musician throughout the Rochester, NY, area. She has performed as a member of the ensemble Musica Spei, a guest artist with Madrigalia and Temple B’rith Kodesh, and soloist with Cordancia Chamber Orchestra and Irondequoit Chamber Orchestra .

Dr. Cassidy-Heacock has been a full-time fundraising professional and arts consultant. She currently supports the Seneca Park Zoo Society as Director of Resource Development and held previous roles as Associate Director of Development for SPZS, Director of Development for the Rochester Fringe Festival, Manager of Annual Giving at Geva Theatre Center, and Assistant Director of Development at The Hochstein School. She offers consulting services working with ensembles and arts organizations including fivebyfive modern chamber music, the Rochester Early Music Festival, and Cordancia Chamber Orchestra.

Tyler formerly held the post of Secretary of the Board of Directors for PUSH Physical Theatre and currently serves as a board member of the Institute for Creative Music. In 2023, she was appointed to the Board of Cordancia Chamber Orchestra.

She is committed to making the performing arts of all genres, especially contemporary arts, accessible to and reflective of a broad and diverse community.

Everyone should get to sing the strange songs.