Here`s - Classical Singer
Transcription
Here`s - Classical Singer
Summer 2014 Opera in ‘The City Different’: The Santa Fe Apprentice Singer Program Fired Up: Jennifer Rowley Perspectives on the Adler Fellowship The Dos and Don’ts of YAP Auditioning Weill Music Institute 2014–2015 Vocal Workshops and Master Classes January 12–17, 2015 Marilyn Horne, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Warren Jones: The Song Continues Application Deadline: October 1, 2014 Marilyn Horne February 21–23, 2015 Joyce DiDonato Master Classes Application Deadline: October 15, 2014 April 13–17, 2015 Tallis Scholars: Renaissance Masterworks Joyce DiDonato Application Deadline: December 1, 2014 Apply now to participate in these tuition-free workshops for singers ages 18–35. Visit carnegiehall.org/workshops or call 212-903-9741 to apply or for more information. The Song Continues is supported, in part, by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation and The DuBose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund. The Song Continues is part of the Marilyn Horne legacy at Carnegie Hall. Workshops and master classes are made possible, in part, by Mr. and Mrs. Nicola Bulgari and The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. Photos: Horne by Henry Grossman, DiDonato by Simon Pauly, Tallis Scholars by Eric Richmond. Tallis Scholars PRESENTS LOS ANGELES, USA - AUGUST 25 to 30, 2014 FINALS CONCERT - AUGUST 30, 2014 THE DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION LOS ANGELES OPERA ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY PLÁCIDO DOMINGO Finals Concert streamed live on www.operaliacompetition.org With the support of NEW FROM THE PRIVATE VOICE STUDIO HANDBOOK Revised edition DRAMA QUEENS 13 selected ARiAs fRom eARly BARoque to clAssicAl by Joan Frey Boytim mezzo-sopRAno/sopRAno And piAno edited by Alan Curtis 00740185 $1899 The revised edition addresses many of the changes in our lives and in the profession of teaching voice in the last decade. Most chapters have expanded with added and updated information, and with additional student case studies. WILLIAM BOLCOM: CONCERT SONGS Edward B. Marks Music Company Bote & Bock 48022807 $2495 This is the companion publication to the Joyce DiDonato recording of the same name, with music by Cesti, Handel, Hasse, Haydn, Monteverdi and others. Includes four first editions. GASPARE SPONTINI: SINGING METHOD edited by Elisa Morelli Includes all Bolcom’s art song cycles and sets for voice and piano (excluding the Cabaret Songs and material published in Theatrical Songs), with some songs published for the first time. With historical notes and composer commentary. Includes many first-time transpositions. volume 1 1975-2000 00117083 High Voice $2999 00117085 Medium/Low Voice $2999 Ricordi 50497690 $1895 Spontini (1774-1851) was respected in his time as both a composer and a noted voice teacher in the Italian bel canto tradition. This edition is a modern rendering of the manuscript of his vocal method, including exercises in intonation, interval singing, vocal flexibility and expression. volume 2 2001-2012 00117084 High Voice $2999 00117086 Medium/Low Voice $2999 BENJAMIN BRITTEN: COLLECTED SONGS Enter the eight digit item number in the Search field at www.halleonard.com for complete table of contents for any of the books listed. edited by Richard Walters Boosey & Hawkes 48019418 High Voice$2999 48019419 Medium/Low Voice $2999 Includes all art songs for voice and piano originally published by Boosey & Hawkes, with extensive historical introductory notes, and many first-time transpositions. ORDER FROM ANY MUSIC RETAILER OR AT WWW.HALLEONARD.COM ADVERTISER INDEX We have listed our advertisers in this issue by what they’ll do for you. While we cannot vouch for any advertiser’s product or service, we do not run ads from vendors with unresolved complaints. Please e-mail and tell us about your experiences with our advertisers. Coach Hastings, Elizabeth..................................65 Competitions Operalia USA, Inc......................................3 Queen Elisabeth Competition....................71 Education Arizona State University................................ 76 Auburn University........................................ 75 Bard College Conservatory of Music.............. 11 Binghamton University/Tri-Cities Opera........... 62 Brandon University...................................... 38 The Boston Conservatory............................. 50 The Catholic University of America................. 27 The Crane School of Music SUNY Potsdam... 33 Chapman University..................................... 74 Colorado State University................................9 Columbus State University............................ 36 Cornish College of the Arts........................... 19 Kennesaw State University........................... 35 Oklahoma City University.............................. 51 Pepperdine University.................................. 43 Shattuck-St. Mary’s School.......................... 20 Shorter University........................................ 17 Southern Methodist University....................... 44 Texas State University.................................. 54 University of Alabama.................................. 17 University of Colorado - Boulder................... 37 University of Miami...................................... 53 University of Minnesota................................ 74 University of Oklahoma................................ 13 Viterbo University........................................ 59 William Jewell College................................. 25 62 Masterclass/Workshop Carnegie Hall.................................................2 Maestro Peter Mark..................................... 41 Musical Accessories Opera Practice Perfect.............................30 Sing & See............................................68 Photography Devon Cass Photography.........................25 Printed Music Classical Vocal Reprints...........................22 Hal Leonard.............................................4 Leyerle Publications................................69 Publications Aria Ready!............................................16 Christopher Arneson Professional Voice Training Services..........................24 Hamilton Books......................................70 Marketing Singers...................................64 Pavane Publishing...................................73 Plural Publishing.....................................57 Romanser - 25 Swedish Songs with Guide to Swedish Lyric Diction............................. 45 Sarah Sanvig’s Music Theory Series for Singer............................................38 Recordings/Recording Studios Music Minus One....................................39 Premiere Opera Inc.................................45 Studio 113 Productions...........................49 Summer Programs AIMS......................................................... 70 Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy Institute........................... 67 International Vocal Arts Institute..................... 63 Music Academy of the West......................... 23 V.O.I.C.Experience Foundation...................... 32 Voice Teachers Carole Farley International Vocal Coaching...68 Davis, Osceola........................................69 Gordon, Marjorie....................................69 Greyland, Moira......................................72 Jacklin, Diana........................................65 Leech, Richard.......................................66 Love, Shirley..........................................59 Milena Kitic Vocal Studio..........................56 Neill, Bill................................................28 Peer, Michael.........................................22 Sheridan, Patricia....................................32 Weidinger, Christine.................................66 Wise, Patricia.........................................65 Websites Singer Websites.....................................12 VoiceTeachers.com.................................65 Young Artist Program Washington National Opera......................21 Vol. 27 No. 6 Publisher David Wood Editor in Chief Sara Thomas General Manager Alex Stoddard Design and Layout Horizon Design Advertising Manager Dane Trimble Auditions Plus Manager Kimberlee Talbot Subscriptions Manager Jenny Jenson Fawcett Accounting Marianne Johnston Office Manager Katie Dunlap Final Copy Editor Deb Tokarewich Marketing Consultant Mark Stoddard For inquiries: info@classicalsinger.com Classical Singer magazine (ISSN: 1534-276X) is published monthly by Classical Singer Corp, 12896 S. Pony Express Dr. Suite 500, Draper, UT 84020. Periodicals postage paid at Draper, UT and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscription rate is US$58.00. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Classical Singer, P.O. Box 1710, Draper, UT 84020-1710. Office: (801) 254-1025, FAX (801) 254-3139. The opinions expressed in the manuscripts, editorials, and letters to the editor are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher. Missed Copies/Change of Address Report missed copies of CS magazine to 801-254-1025 ext.15, Jenny Jenson Fawcett or subscriptions@classicalsinger.com. Missed copies will be replaced only if notification is received within 30 days after publication date of copy missed. Failure to report change of address at least 30 days prior to publication date forfeits any claim to replacement. Photocopying: Please do not photocopy any part of this issue. SUBSCRIPTION RATES ONE YR. United States: US$58 Canada: US$78 International: US$88 TWO YRS. US$96 US$136 US$154 On the cover: The 2014 Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artists Photo by: Robert Godwin www.classicalsinger.com 5 Summer 2014 cover story Volume 27 Issue 6 Opera in ‘The City Different’ The Santa Fe Apprentice Singer Program Nestled in the mountains of New Mexico just an hour from Albuquerque in smalltown Santa Fe sits one of the most prestigious opera companies in the U.S. Each summer Santa Fe Opera welcomes artists and patrons from around the world for a first-class opera experience in its unique outdoor setting. In addition, the opera company trains 43 young artists in its Apprentice Program, the first of its kind in the U.S. Meet a few of the young artists participating in this summer’s program and find out how their experiences are preparing them for life beyond Santa Fe. by Jason Vest 14 features 34 The Psychological Benefits of Singing Audition season will soon be upon us, and the roller coaster ride of rejection can often leave you wondering why in the world you ever chose to sing in the first place. Reflecting on the vast and varied benefits of singing will help you keep a healthy perspective. by Theresa Rodriguez 40 Application Innovations: Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange Seeks to Redeem a Stressful Process Read about a new and revolutionary application process for a series of masterclasses mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato will present as part of her Carnegie Hall Perspectives residency in 2014-2015. Singers will have the unique opportunity to get feedback on all aspects of their application— bio, headshot, repertoire choices, and more—before they submit the application. by Claudia Friedlander in every issue 7 8 62 72 Bulletin Board From the Editor Audition Listings Competition Listings 6 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 42 The Audition Experience Whether you love it or would rather get a root canal, auditioning is simply a singer’s reality. Find solace and inspiration from other singers as they share their experiences auditioning and how they manage the uncertainty of it all. by Michelle Latour monthly columns 10The Entrepreneurial Career: Pep Talk for Entrepreneurs 46 The Dos and Don’ts of YAP Auditioning The director of Green Mountain Opera Festival’s Emerging Artist Program shares his thoughts on what singers should and should not do when applying to and auditioning for YAPs. by Alan E. Hicks 48 Fired Up: Jennifer Rowley After a surprising dismissal from Covent Garden, soprano Jennifer Rowley is blazing ahead. by Brian Manternach 52 The Adler Fellowship: Perspectives on a Top-Tier Training Program Almost every classical singer is familiar with the renowned residency for young singers known as the Adler Fellowship. Find out what the fellowship is really all about from the program’s director, Sheri Greenawald, and Fellows past and present. by Lisa Houston On the path to entrepreneurship, you’re going to experience some insecurities. Here’s how to fend them off. by Amanda Keil 58 The Doctor Is In: Posture and Voice Whether sitting or standing, singing or silent, your body is always in some sort of posture—good or bad. Your body is your instrument. Learn how to put it in a healthy posture that will best serve that instrument. by Dr. Anthony F. Jahn 60 The Tech-Savvy Singer: Five Tech Skills to Keep You Afloat in an Opera-Averse Economy In years when the economy is unfriendly to opera, tech skills can help you keep a roof over your head between gigs. by Amanda White 26-33 Directories Peruse the listings in our Teacher, Coach, and Young Artist Directories. Find the basic information printed here, and visit the online directories for more. Bulletin Board N E W S , T I D B I T S , M U S I N G S , A N D M O R E . . . B Y Orchestra Iowa Succeeds Where Others Flounder Since the floods of 2008 that tore through its concert hall, Orchestra Iowa has grown to be the state’s largest not-for-profit performing organization. Over the last five years its budget has doubled. The ensemble, which gave its first concert on April 13, 1923, is now creating a more diverse future than its founder could have envisioned. The floods forced the orchestra’s leaders to invent an effective business model that allows the 91-year-old organization to balance its $3 million budget. Focusing on its artistic mission while maintaining its business identity, Orchestra Iowa offers core programming of symphonic concerts as well as performances of opera and ballet through collaborations with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre and Ballet Quad Cities. thegazette.com/bach-to-the-future-orchestra-iowa-composes-innovativesuccessful-business-model-20140504#ixzz31H9JIGSl Huge Outpouring of Contributions Saves San Diego Opera Former San Diego Opera General Manager Ian Campbell wished to close the company in April 2014. Campbell was placed on leave and instead of closing down, a newly constituted board of directors opted for a crowd funding campaign in hopes of raising $1 million by May 19. Within a little more than two weeks, the original goal was met and the company began working on a second million, which was surpassed by May 18. Donors came not only from all over the U.S. but from Italy, Austria, and Mexico as well. Now there is no doubt that San Diego Opera will have a 2015 season, although it will be scaled down from four operas to three. The company has cut its budget by 40 percent and restructured its board. “We are now very focused on reshaping the San Diego Opera and following a fiscally responsible path,” says newly elected Board President Carol Lazier. She noted that the new San Diego Opera would not only depend on large gifts, but would also need the community’s engagement and support. www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/ wp/2014/05/19/opera-today-san-diegorides-again-the-fat-lady-wont-go-away/ w w w. p l a y b i l l . c o m / n e w s / article/191340-On-the-Brink-ofShuttering-San-Diego-Opera-Savedby-Crowd-Funding-2015-SeasonAnnounced M A R I A N O C K I N Cannabis Industry Sponsors Concerts by Colorado Symphony The cultural revolution that has made marijuana part of everyday life in Colorado is becoming more evident. The state’s symphony orchestra announced that a series of its performances is being underwritten by the cannabis industry. Organized by pro-pot promoter Edible Events, the concerts began in late May with three Bring-Your-Own Marijuana events at the Space Gallery in Denver and will culminate with a large outdoor performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in September. The events are being billed as fundraisers for the orchestra, which will play a carefully chosen program for each show. www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ ci_25656494/colorado-symphonyc a n n a b i s - i n d u s t r y- f i n d - h a r m o nyconcert-series#ixzz31HIiOVWk Spain Charges Montserrat Caballé with Tax Evasion Veteran Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé has been charged with failure to declare €500,000, or approximately $688,000, of taxable income. Prosecutors claim the 81-year-old singer opened a bank account in Andorra with earnings from a series of concerts in 2010 to avoid paying taxes on that money in Spain. During that year she sang in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Russia, as well as Spain. Caballé says she was living in Andorra at that time, but prosecutors dispute that fact. Caballé allegedly signed all her concert contracts through a dummy company registered in Andorra and deposited the income in an Andorran bank, according to court documents. Spanish prosecutors claim that she wanted to be sure that the Spanish Treasury did not have knowledge of her income or that her true address was in Spain. www.bbc.com/news/entertainmentarts-27218934 www.classicalsinger.com 7 From the Editor M A I N TA I N I N G Y O U R M U S I C A L M O J O I don’t remember precisely when I first fell in love with opera, but I remember significant, seedplanting moments. It started with my mother. She had degrees in vocal performance and music education and definitely educated her six children in classical music. She played cassette tapes of her favorites as she shuttled us around in our Chrysler mini van. Somewhere along the pavement Pavarotti’s “Nessun dorma” became a personal favorite. I thought to my 12-year-old self that if I couldn’t be a tenor, I would settle for soprano. My young girl heart longed to sing the high notes. When I was about 14, I asked my parents if we could go to an opera. They obliged with tickets for the local university’s (my parents’ alma mater, where my dad was a sociology professor) production of Copeland’s Tender Land. I loved it, even if they did sing everything, which seemed a little strange. For weeks afterward, my siblings and I followed suit, singing to each other about everything—doing the dishes, folding the laundry, or any emotion surging through our teenaged veins. Those formative experiences fed my love affair and motivated me to seek the skills to do what I heard and watched others do. And in doing it myself, the feelings from singing became addictive. These feelings drove me through the challenges of perfecting my art. Over time, the frequent rejection singers commonly face can injure those feelings and dampen the stirring memories that are the reason we sing. Perhaps no time of year can be more stifling than the fall audition season. The anticipation of it alone can kill your mojo. And yet, this is the time when you need to be inspired and completely on your game! What happens when the real challenge becomes maintaining the feelings that drive our passion? As you’re prepping for your first or fiftieth audition, find inspiration in these pages to keep you on your game. Teresa Rodriguez’s discussion of the many psychological benefits of singing will help you keep rejection in perspective and remember why you sing (p. 34). For me, it was learning why singing can, in a sense, be addictive. Scientific evidence shows that the energy it takes to produce a full, classical sound with the needed Hertz to carry over an orchestra and into a large hall, stimulates the body and the ear and provides the high-frequency harmonics that improve health, vitality, and energy. Setting reachable goals also helps foster a healthy perspective. In Michelle Latour’s article (p. 42), one singer shares how goal setting helps her stay in control during audition season. Read her story for ideas on forming your own goals. You can also find a host of detailed audition ideas on p. 46 in “Dos and Don’t of YAP Auditions.” Details like how to clean up your résumé, how to send out more organized materials before application deadlines, or how to be kind at auditions. Or maybe your audition season objective is simply have better posture (see Dr. Jahn, p. 58). These are all easily set and measurable goals. Contingency plans can also help you keep your zeal through the audition season. Jennifer Rowley (p. 48) knows this well. Years after her planned Royal Opera House debut evaporated, she returns to the house for her actual, upcoming debut. She courageously speaks out about all she learned from a very public and difficult experience. Remembering why you sing and your own formative experiences with classical music can be invaluable. Where do you get your mojo? What motivates you to sing? Take a moment as you read this issue to reflect on your own stirring memories that led you down the path of singing. Sara Thomas, Editor 8 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Cendrillonby Jules Massenet. Colorado State University Photography. Opera. Redefined. Reimagined. Visit/Audition Days: February 20, 21, and 28, 2015 » Registration required | music.colostate.edu At Colorado State University, vocal creativity and growth are supported, while high standards of scholarship and performance are developed. Within the exquiste University Center for the Arts, the Ralph Opera Center produces two fully staged productions with orchestra each year, while providing professional development opportunities and a broad scholarship support system for students studying vocal performance. The CSU Choirs are nationally and internationally established through high profile performances and travel. • • Ampleperformingopportunitiesforundergraduatestudents. Leadershiproles/OperaFortCollinsApprenticeArtistprogram availabletograduatestudents. Pep Talk for Entrepreneurs THE ENTREPRENEURIAL CAREER L BY AMANDA KEIL On the path to entrepreneurship, you’re going to experience some insecurities. Here’s how to fend them off. ike it or not, we are all entrepreneurs. No two musical paths are alike, and we all need to forge our own. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, singers can create a career that is entirely based on their strengths and interests. This is both liberating and terrifying. On one hand, you can set your own rules. On the other, you can’t follow a template. But through trial and error, we figure out where we find success and pursue more. After we discover what we do well, we can throw ourselves into it without looking back. If only it were that simple. Even once you’ve committed to a venture, you may feel uncertain about it at first. You might have been the belle of your graduate program, only to have your knees wobble all through your first New York City audition season. Your innovative staged recital might have generated lots of encouragement from your friends, but you will suddenly feel self-conscious asking an experienced artist to partner with you on the next project. The first time you make a real mistake or offend someone, it can be devastating. Whether you are starting your own artistic project or you are in the business of building your solo career, you face a learning curve when you begin. Speaking from my own experience creating and producing original staged productions, here’s what you might expect. Fear It’s not easy to pick up the phone and ask someone to be part of an artistic project. You are asking them to commit to something and even you don’t know how it will turn out. And what if they say no? What if you hold auditions and no one shows up? As much as you can, embrace every part of your endeavor as a learning experience. Try your best, and if it doesn’t go as expected, you’ll know how to do better the next time. As for approaching other artists, put your fears to rest. Even high-flying performers will at least thank you for thinking of them. If the artistic opportunity is worthwhile and you present yourself as an organized and confident leader, good people will join your production even if you can’t pay the highest fees in town. You will be surprised. Time and again I find myself anxious about reaching out to musicians I admire, and time and again my fears are proved baseless. You’re creating an opportunity to make art. What artist wouldn’t think that’s a good idea? Once you get your personnel on board, don’t be surprised if you still have some sleepless nights. Countless things can go wrong or fall through at the last minute. You will feel like you are flying by the seat of your pants. In this way, producing a show can feel a lot like performing in one. But that’s the good news: you’ve done this before. You’ve got this. Be Honest As you start to plan a new production, you will discover very quickly what you can and cannot offer people. That is, you might not be able to pay people as much as you’d like. But think about what you can offer them and see if there is a way to compromise. If you expect to draw some press attention, a review might be just as valuable as cash. Maybe they could “If the artistic opportunity is worthwhile and you present yourself as an organized and confident leader, good people will join your production even if you can’t pay the highest fees in town.” 10 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 help choose the program, or maybe it will simply be a rewarding artistic experience. Be Humble Be more invested in the artistic success of your work than in your own selfpromotion. That is to say, for example, put on a production of Rigoletto because you have really great people to work with or an innovative way to do it—not because you have to get Gilda on your résumé. By removing your own gains from the project, you take away the emotional investment that gets wrapped up with your own performances. By all means, perform in your own productions. But your colleagues will find the experience more rewarding if it is clear that the goal is high artistic quality, not any one person’s gain. This attitude begins with you. Go out of your way to thank people. This is crucial when it comes to building the relationships that will lead to fundraising. If someone ever praises your performance, drops you a nice e-mail, or shows the least bit of enthusiasm for anything you do, say thank you. Don’t just hit Reply with a breezy note and an offer to add them to your mailing list. Ask to thank them in person. Find out more about their interests, their knowledge of the music community you share, and their perspectives on the good and bad about the business. This is the first step toward cultivating a connection that could prove meaningful to your enterprise. At worst, you will spend a pleasant visit. At best, your new fan could become your biggest fan, donor, advisor, or ambassador. If someone takes the time to attend your performance and praise you, that person is likely a committed music lover who wants to see good people succeed. Help them fulfill that goal by giving them the opportunity to get to know you and invest in your success. Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations If you’ve never raised money before, if you’ve never put on a production before, and if you don’t have a team of people to help you, then keep it small. Do one THE GRADUATE VOCAL ARTS PROGRAM THE BARD COLLEGE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC A unique two-year master of music program, conceived, designed and led by renowned American soprano Dawn Upshaw. Dawn Upshaw, Artistic Director Kayo Iwama, Associate Director voice Edith Bers Patricia Misslin Lorraine Nubar diction and phonetics Erica Switzer acting workshop Lynn Hawley movement Amii LeGendre career workshop Carol Yaple alexander technique Gwen Ellison Alexander Farkas WWW.BARD.EDU/CONSERVATORY/VAP/ CONSERVATORYADMISSION@BARD.EDU 845-758-7604 www.classicalsinger.com 11 The Entrepreneurial Career: Pep Talk for Entrepreneurs opera instead of three. Maybe your first show is La voix humaine (with only one performer) and not Aida. You might think you need to go big or go home in order to attract attention, but don’t go so big that you set yourself up for failure. As an independent agent, you can hold yourself to your own standards and work only to your capacity level. But . . . Once you decide on a project, believe in what you do with every ounce of your being. Somebody’s got to believe in it— and if it’s not you, then who? As much as it is beneficial to be humble, honest, and realistic, once you’ve committed to making an idea a reality, be bold, assertive, and proactive. If you are producing a show, people will look to you for leadership. This is not the place for foot scuffling. Make decisions and move on. For the best artistic quality, invite collaborators who are better than you and who can raise the artistic bar of the whole endeavor. Do this even if you have to look well beyond your circle of friends and acquaintances. As singers, we don’t get that much practice in calling the shots. In masterclasses, we humble ourselves before great artists; in voice lessons, we work diligently to fix our flaws; and as performers in opera productions, we are of secondary importance to the lights, sets, costumes and direction. Consider your self-produced project to be your chance to flex some underused muscles. Enjoy every minute of it. level or higher, you might start to feel insecure about the whole process. It’s like you are hosting a party for a group of really cool potential friends, but you don’t know if everyone is having a good time. Trust that no one twisted their arm to get them to participate and that they wouldn’t be doing it if they didn’t believe in the work as well. And if you’ve been honest about what the production would be like and you try to create the best conditions for everyone to do their best work, you can rest assured that they are happy enough to be on board. . . . And Be kind to yourself. It’s one thing to worry about your own performances, and another to be responsible for the performance experience of an entire group of people. If you have gathered together a cast of great performers whom you barely know and who are at your skill Make Other People Superheroes If you are bringing people together for a performance, let them take ownership of their own work. That is, for my own productions, no one wants to work with Amanda Keil because they want to do what Amanda Keil tells them to do. They do it because the music is good and Linking your stage career to the online opera world is now so easy, no computer geeks needed & so cheap, even you can afford it! $8.95 Classical Singer’s monthly fee no contracts Singer Websites Call for help with set up: 1-877-515-9800 Or go to: www.ClassicalSinger.com/sites Set up can be done it just 5 minutes! 12 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 The Entrepreneurial Career: Pep Talk for Entrepreneurs because they feel empowered to make their own unique artistic contribution. It probably helps that I try my best to be nice to people, to be up front about what I can and can’t offer them, and to help them get the job done. But mostly, my job is to get out of their way so they can do what they do best. The Payoff . . . It is immensely rewarding to bring artists together for a meaningful creative project. If you find a compelling piece of music to work on, you are humble and up front about the process from the beginning, and you give people the room to be artists, then accomplished musicians will want to work with you. And you will have the satisfaction of working with wonderful artists, elevating your own abilities in the process, and creating art. . . . Or Not That all said, it doesn’t always work out that way. You will make a great pitch to a performer and never hear back. You will make a decision that rubs someone the wrong way. You will find yourself agonizing over a budget, hauling costumes, or otherwise doing work you don’t enjoy. Consider these to be occupational hazards. If someone can’t or won’t work with you, there will always be someone else. And if you hear pushback from a collaborator, then take the time to hear them out and consider a compromise. As for unpleasant work, I’m afraid that comes with any job. Even if you become an opera superstar, there will be parts of it that you won’t like. You might also run into trouble if you ask performers to collaborate for low fees on your second or third production. They might do it once as a favor but will expect at least some increase the next time. To help prepare for this, plan for your next production before your first is finished, reaching out to donors and keeping grant deadlines in mind. What’s This All for Again? When you create a performance opportunity, you are creating art where there was none before. You are also giving artists a chance to practice their craft. As an added bonus, you elevate your own musicianship by performing with the colleagues you’re drawn to in a production that you’ve chosen. Sure, there will be times when it seems like an awful lot of work. But after all, because of you there is more music in the world. It doesn’t get any better than that. Amanda Keil writes for Classical Singer, OPERA America, and BachTrack.com. She also runs her Baroque company, Musica Nuova. Find more entrepreneurial ideas on her blog: thousandfoldecho.com. www.classicalsinger.com 13 photo by Robert Godwin photo by Robert Godwin The Santa Fe Apprentice Singer Program Top: 2014 Apprentice Artists Left: 2014 participant Patrick Guetti in Carmen rehearsal Right: Joyce El-Khoury and Jennifer Jakob as Marschallin and Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier in Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Showcase Scenes, 2008 Bottom: 2014 participants Amanda Opuszynski and Sarah Larsen in Carmen rehearsal photo by Robert Godwin 14 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 photo by Robert Godwin OPERA IN ‘THE CITY DIFFERENT’ photo by Ken Howard BY JASON VEST Nestled in the mountains of New Mexico just an hour from Albuquerque in smalltown Santa Fe sits one of the most prestigious opera companies in the U.S. Each summer Santa Fe Opera welcomes artists and patrons from around the world for a first-class opera experience in its unique outdoor setting. In addition, the opera company trains 43 Young Artists in its Apprentice Program, the first of its kind in the U.S. Meet a few of the Young Artists participating in this summer’s program and find out how their experiences are preparing them for life beyond Santa Fe. www.classicalsinger.com 15 Opera in ‘The City Different’ I nterstate 40 follows an almost straight line across the high plains of New Mexico with stretches where it seems you can see forever in every direction. Taking a right at u work best, and begin s, while liberating the d, transforming both a passionate commuxperience depends on build the career you’ve ariaready uilding a singer’s hat this new edition is al balanced by more nger successful, as well stage and off.” time to address in the ress. It is a must-have The Business of Singing Ready, has been used ocess of career develnd is in demand as an do. ariaready anages your business, ts together into a sucy, and money towards the product—you, the rs • u.s. $35.00 93500 “I cannot imagine that anyone in the vocal music world could fail to benefit from reading this book…” – Bill Neil, 2008 CLASSICAL SINGER Teacher of the Year Carol KirKpatriCK ariaready The Business of Singing Personal and Business Strategies for Making the Transition 7705-240-0 bancroft the historic Clines Corners truck stop, a two-lane road begins its wind up to Santa Fe, a blacktop ribbon surrounded by sandstone-colored dirt accented with scrub juniper and sage. Occasional red rock formations jut from the landscape as the road gains altitude. Arriving in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, sandy, desert landscape is topped with majestic peaks to the east. As the road continues north of town, a large, white, steel-girded structure rises on the left. The architecture, the green seats, and the views of the mountains from every angle create a thoroughly New Mexican experience. From its façade, the auditorium looks more like a stadium, with its orientation to the outdoor space. But when the singing starts, it is clear that this is a world-class opera house. More than a thousand aspiring opera singers send applications each year in hopes of gaining an audition to the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer Program, the oldest in existence. Those thousands are narrowed down to just 43 singers—the beneficiaries of possibly the most integrated apprentice program in the U.S. The apprentices arrive on the opera’s campus a week before the principal artists. “The Ranch” offers a sharp contrast to the surrounding desert landscape—green lawns stretching between wooden, adobe, and glass structures, from which constantly ring gorgeous voices. If you’re not used to mingling in the company of well-known performers and directors, the main campus can be disarming. Walking downhill from DON’T LEFTDay BEHIND This GET Is the When KNOW HOW THEChanges GAME IS PLAYED! Everything KirKpatriCK ou the SS 052400 photos by Jason Vest The cantina on the Santa Fe Opera campus where artists gather for lunch from Aspiring Artist to Prepared Professional all-new edition of the acclaimed career guide for singers publications 11/28/11 1:41:45 PM 16 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Are ya’ ready? … Well, are you? ariaready The Business of Singing All-neW second edition of the AcclAimed cAreer guide for singers aVailablE onlinE noW | WWW.ariarEady.nEt | WWW.facEbook.com/ariarEady Opera in ‘The City Different’ “More than a thousand aspiring opera singers send applications each year in hopes of gaining an audition to the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer Program, the oldest in existence.” the adobe and pergola administrative offices, the large white tent of the cantina sits next to the swimming pool where performers, staff, and their families relax during the summer. Most eat lunch in the cantina, which features locally sourced food like creative salads and New Mexico specialties. While enjoying lunch in the cantina before meeting with young artists to discuss Santa Fe’s Young Artist Program, I suddenly find myself telling famed director Laurent Pelly about the history of Frito Pie with red and green chilis—a Santa Fe original. Then just moments later I shake hands with tenor Alek Shrader, Santa Fe’s Ernesto in this summer’s Don Pasquale. This close and friendly association with the principal artists, apprentice artists, and staff is a persistent theme when people rave about their experience in Santa Fe. The Apprentices While audience members travel from around the world to attend performances at Santa Fe Opera, their journeys pale in comparison to those of many of the apprentices accepted into the program each summer. Take soprano Shelley Jackson, for example. After growing up in the Washington D.C. area and attending high school in England, she went to the Peabody Conservatory for her bachelor’s and then spent two years in Italy studying with Mirella Freni before returning to Temple University for a master’s and then attending the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) for three years. As we sit in the cantina next to the pool, Jackson tells me that though she had sung mainstage roles at other companies and won prizes at multiple competitions, she auditioned five times before being accepted at Santa Fe. “Santa Fe is one of those places that you just kind of know about,” she explains. “It’s probably good that I wasn’t accepted five years ago when I was auditioning for the program, because I wouldn’t have been ready Perfecting Performance T he School of Fine and Performing Arts at Shorter University brings students’ talents center stage, allowing them to shine through countless performance opportunities. They learn from our stellar faculty who provide personal attention in a conservatory-style setting. Undergraduate Degree Programs in: • Performance (Piano & Voice) • Piano Pedagogy • Music Education • Church Music • Instrumental Music • Musical Theatre •Visual Arts www.shorter.edu 315 Shorter Avenue Rome, Georgia 800-868-6980 www.classicalsinger.com 17 Opera in ‘The City Different’ for the stamina and technique that the program demands. You also have to be put together yourself.” In fact, most Santa Fe young artists have participated in multiple Young Artist Programs and have usually sung roles with major companies before arriving at Santa Fe. Sarah Larsen, a returning mezzo-soprano from Minnesota, has been a young artist at Glimmerglass, Seattle Opera, and Virginia—some of those more than once. Other apprentices have sung with Merola, Pittsburgh, Chautauqua, Des Moines, Opera Saratoga, and Florida Grand Opera, to name a few. Almost all of the 2014 young artists have completed master’s degrees and many have gone on to further studies. “I had heard before I ever came here that the preparation level was so high,” Larsen says, “so I was terrified that summer, trying to practice as much as possible.” Bass Patrick Guetti, recently named a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, is cognizant of how lucky he is to be returning to Santa Fe for his second summer. “This program was the first thing I ever auditioned for,” Guetti explains as we relax in a shady spot near the Ranch offices. “It was my second year at AVA, and they had very strict guidelines about what I should audition for and they agreed that Santa Fe would be a great place. From that point, I had a really great time working with people like Susan Graham, Joyce DiDonato, and David Daniels. It was surreal to be next to people who were working at that level and to have them be not only encouraging but supportive and continue to recognize me throughout the year when I’ve come across them. It’s a really special environment for people to grow and to learn, and I think that for me it was a great first step into doing something outside of school.” The Audition Months before the actual auditions, singers submit materials by the established deadline—usually late August, one of the earliest YAP deadlines. While 43 singers were accepted this year, the percentage of new applicants accepted is in reality even lower, since more than half of the singers are returning from previous photo byRobert Godwin 2014 participants Hailey Clark and Joseph Dennis 18 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Opera in ‘The City Different’ years. David Holloway and Robert Tweten are personally involved with the selection of every singer and take great care to nurture each apprentice that passes through their program. “Part of the challenge with auditioning here is that there are so many returning artists,” says soprano Hailey Clark. “They also really like to match the singers with the covers available. So many people have auditioned five or six years before it’s the right time.” “You never really know exactly what they’re looking for, but they’re always looking for something in particular in your voice and your look,” agrees Amanda Opuszynski, a returning soprano. “I would say to just sing as many auditions as possible and work to represent yourself as accurately as possible. Someone told me once to bloom where you’re planted—and maybe you don’t make it this year, but you might next year, and you just try again and make the best of who and where you are. As long as you keep getting green lights and you have people encouraging you, keep going and you will eventually find yourself in the right place.” Other young artists echo this theme of persistence. “I auditioned four times, the first three without a callback,” says Larsen. “I auditioned for Seattle three times. Our voice is inside, so we take everything personally, even though we try not to.” Baritone Dan Kempson had a similar journey. “I sang for this program five times before I got in,” he says, while sitting with me and Larsen in the cantina. “I didn’t feel like I was singing that much differently during the season that I finally got in, so I asked David Holloway what was different. He told me that when they bring someone to Santa Fe, they really want to have something that’s right for them and that can showcase them. I had good auditions, but they didn’t have something that was just right for me. “The important thing is that you take opportunities when they come and that you’re ready for them,” Kempson continues. “We’ve all seen people who were given great opportunities and they squandered them. There were people here last year who came unprepared and didn’t learn their music and those people are not here this year.” Chorus Work On Friday afternoon, 43 singers, a conductor, and one pianist gather in a small adobe building for a chorus rehearsal of Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol. The room is outfitted with only doors and fans to cool everyone, which is CORNISH. www.classicalsinger.com 19 Opera in ‘The City Different’ usually enough in the mild Santa Fe summer. With all of the singers toiling away on demanding Russian choral parts, however, the air grows warm. The singers work to conquer difficult passages and challenging diction. This chorus work is an integral part of the Santa Fe experience because apprentices make up the choruses for each show. It’s a memorable element of the program each year, teaching valuable lessons about music preparation. During this season alone, the apprentices will sing in French, Italian, Russian, and Mandarin. “Here, the chorus is the exchange, so that we’re able to do this,” Kempson says. “Because we function as the chorus, the company can give us all of the other opportunities.” “You have to be smart about how you use your voice,” adds Jackson. “It teaches you a lot, though, as far as versatility and how to use your voice.” “Coming back here is a reminder to get back to basics after the ‘glory and glamour’ of the Met competition,” Guetti says. “I’m almost embarrassed about it because I walked off the stage of the Met and I thought, ‘I wish I could have that note and that note back. I should have taken a better breath and done that spot better.’ To come back to Santa Fe [where] you are meant to deal with chorus music and being somewhere else than the spotlight is a reality check after all of that, which is really good. “I don’t do this for money or glory, but because it’s an art form that I love and appreciate, and I want to focus on how I can be better today than I was yesterday,” he continues. “Everything else that comes is just the cherry on top. The hype can be a distraction from what’s really important, to be an artist and singer. That’s why programs like this are great. We’re pushed to the max in almost every single way. I have never had to sing in Mandarin in my life. Will I ever again? I have no idea, but here I am spending hours and hours learning chorus music in Mandarin. It stretches you as a musician and takes you out of your comfort zone.” Learning from the Best On Saturday afternoon, apprentices Larsen and Opuszynski sing, “Melons! Coupons!” behind a chain link fence on the mainstage during a staging rehearsal for Carmen. As the characters Mercedes and Frasquita, they climb atop a 1950s-era military truck as Kempson, acting the part of Dancaïro, watches them from a paneled wooden walkway to the side. Their polished, ringing voices resonate easily through the open-air auditorium, navigating with ease the leaping passages of the trio. Opuszynski displays beautiful legato as she introduces the themes, When you know there’s SOMETHING GREATER out there and aren’t afraid to WORK HARD TO GET IT, YOU’RE SHATTUCK ST. MARY’S Vocal Performance Program www.s-sm.org admissions@s-sm.org 20 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Opera in ‘The City Different’ and Larsen’s round, lustrous tone follows her lines effortlessly. They both blend easily with Daniela Mack, who is singing Carmen this summer in Santa Fe after a stunning and critically acclaimed Rosina in San Francisco. Singing alongside these world-class voices 10 times in a summer for each show is a great benefit of the Santa Fe Apprentice Singer Program. All of the returning apprentices still talk about singing with Susan Graham and Joyce DiDonato last season in La GrandeDuchesse de Gérolstein and La donna del lago. “Getting to observe and be around these artists in rehearsal and performance, to be held to that standard, is really instrumental to this place,” Jackson says about her opportunity to work so closely with Graham and DiDonato. “I have found that here the apprentice artists are treated more as equals than in other places. I think the cantina is a big facilitator in that. You sit down at lunchtime with the principals of Don Pasquale, which I did yesterday, and I think as an apprentice you have to have a little more get up and go. You also learn about mingling and schmoozing because you go to a lot of parties here. You have to be able to go up to Susan Graham at a cocktail party and not sound like an idiot. You develop a certain level of confidence and learn to be comfortable with yourself in those situations.” “You get that opportunity to stand on stage and watch people,” adds Kempson. “Last summer in La donna del lago, Joyce DiDonato sang ‘Tanti affetti’ near the end of every performance, three hours into it, and it was always beautiful and breathtaking. We would sometimes forget to come in because we were standing there listening to it. To stand 10 or 15 feet away from someone on stage who is at the top of their craft is as important as any voice lesson or coaching you can get. “There’s no sense of separation of the students and the artists,” Kempson continues. “Last season, with Joyce, she was very open with us. She saw that I was at the Met last year (covering in Two Boys) and she came and sat down with me one day at lunch and talked to me about what to do to not go crazy there. She just gave me a little pep talk which I hadn’t even asked for, which was so beautiful. Because of the level of singers, the principals maybe feel that they can talk to us. Some of us are just out of school, but many of us have already sung a lot professionally and we have sung with some of the principal artists in shows outside of Santa Fe. Opera is definitely a small world.” AT THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Francesca Zambello, Artistic Director Michael Mael, Executive Director DOMINGO-CAFRITZ YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM Young Artist Performance The Magic Flute Photo by Scott Suchman Michael Heaston, Director Ken Weiss, Principal Coach Deborah Voigt, Artist in Residence Diana Soviero, William Stone, Voice Teachers Louis Salemno, Resident Vocal Coach Bénédicte Jourdois, Kathleen Kelly, Danielle Orlando, Guest Vocal Coaches Karma Camp, Peter Kazaras, Nick Olcott, Alan Paul, Drama and Movement Ken Benson, Matthew Epstein, Career Consultants APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN: YAPTRACKER.COM AUDITIONS FALL 2014: Washington, DC (October 9, 2014) | New York City (October 17-19, 2014) Chicago (October 31, 2014) | Cincinnati (November 22-23, 2014) | San Francisco (October 11, 2014) Information: DCYAP@kennedy-center.org | (202) 416-7873 Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars. David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is made possible through the generous support of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. www.classicalsinger.com 21 Opera in ‘The City Different’ “Santa Fe really feels like coming home because this program was so nurturing to me, and I can talk about that for hours . . . I feel like I have come back into this family and they’re like, ‘You’re all grown up, and it’s so good to have you back!’” AGMA House Though the workload for the apprentices can be overwhelming, the number of rehearsal hours is gratefully regulated through their AGMA contracts, another benefit of the program. “Being an AGMA contract, it’s much different,” says Clark. “It feels like a real job since you aren’t working 14 hours in a row.” “There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re being taken advantage of at some programs,” Kempson agrees. Larsen offers a different perspective. “Those times, though, really help you value programs like these where your time really is carefully used,” she says. “You definitely don’t feel entitled after those experiences.” The House Audition Each summer during the first week of August, general directors from the major U.S. opera houses; agents from Columbia, IMG, and other agencies; and casting directors converge on the Santa Fe opera house with the express purpose of hearing each apprentice artist sing one aria. From that one audition, apprentices often receive offers for future roles, other apprenticeships, representation, or even just the opportunity to be heard by people they will audition for later in the year. Singers prepare for this audition all summer long with teachers, coaches, and other artists. This year alone, the singers will work with voice teachers Marlena Malas, Vinson Cole, and Julia Faulkner. Isabel Leonard, Neil Shicoff, James Morris, and Maestro Harry Bicket will teach masterclasses. Robert Tweten, Carol Anderson, Steven Blier, and others will coach the singers. In addition, Matthew Epstein comes each summer to coach and prepare each singer specifically for his or her house audition. Many singers refer to this particular fiveminute audition as one of the pivotal opportunities of their summer. Classical Vocal Reprints PDFs and Printed Music via our mobile app via our websites “...Classical Vocal Reprints has provided an invaluable service to singers for decades. The new website will make it even easier for us to benefit from this fantastic resource......” —Renée Fleming 1 (800) 298-7474 www.classicalvocalrep.com www.classicalvocalreprints.com 22 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Opera in ‘The City Different’ 2014 participant Shelley Jackson photos by Robert Godwin/Santa Fe Opera 2014 participant Dan Kempson during a Carmen rehearsal “The connections for me here really happened with the house audition,” says Jackson. “I actually got my management from Columbia Artists through the audition, which was very fortunate and was directly from that audition. I don’t know many other places during the summer where you have that caliber of people coming to see you.” Guetti says that preparing for the house audition gave him what he needed to successfully approach the Met auditions. “Having people hear me at the house audition, where you’re basically singing for every major house in the country, was a huge jumping-off point for the year and, actually, for a few years down the line,” he says. “Santa Fe was the domino that started everything else falling down the line. I remember getting ready for my house audition last year, and that was the most nervous I had ever been for something. For the Met competition, when you’re singing for a practically sold-out opera house and there’s just enough light that you can see everyone sitting out there, that definitely beat this one out— but the preparation here to deal with stress, pressure, and expectation, that really helped me grow. The Met auditions would have been a much more jarring experience without my time in Santa Fe.” Homecomings Talk to administrators or staff at Santa Fe Opera and you will eventually hear about their former apprentices who are returning to sing principal roles that season. This sense of family and the entire company’s investment in each Summer Festival 2015 ® Marilyn Horne vocal program director JUNE 15 – AUGUST 8 Visit musicacademy.org for audition information Application deadline: October 2014 www.classicalsinger.com 23 Opera in ‘The City Different’ photo by Ken Howard/Santa Fe Opera Joyce El-Khoury as the title role in Arabella in Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Showcase Scenes, 2006 apprentice’s success is obvious. I caught up with apprentice alumnus Joyce El-Khoury, returning to Santa Fe this summer to sing Micaëla after being nominated for an international award as the best “young singer.” We sat down in the outdoor Opera Club pavilion perched above and to the side of the mainstage. “Santa Fe really feels like coming home because this program was so nurturing to me, and I can talk about that for hours,” she shares. “I feel like I have come back into this family and they’re like, ‘You’re all grown up, and it’s so good to have you back!’ My first show I did here singing in the chorus was Carmen in 2006, and now I’m returning singing Micaëla, so it really feels like I’m coming full circle. I remember hearing Jennifer Black singing Micaëla at the time and thinking, ‘I really want to do that!’ I really benefited, actually, from being in the chorus. It was a really good way for me to work on my stagecraft without being in the spotlight. I was also bullied a lot when I was younger by peers and teachers, so I had issues with selfesteem. When I came here, what it did for my confidence was huge. “I’ll never forget the production of The Tempest . . . there was this huge water tank along the pit that we had to swim in,” El-Khoury continues. “They had some of the chorus members and some supers swim under the water from the wings, pulling ourselves on a cord until we reached the center and New from Inside View Press Fundamentals of Great Vocal Technique by Michael Trimble Literature for Teaching Trimble shares his insights into sing‐ ing, based on the principles of Bel Canto and the experiences of world‐ renowned prac��oners of the vocal art. His techniques are certain to help singers rise to their highest level of achievement. Trimble is among a truly rare breed in the singing community: a performing ar�st with a major singing career, and a gi�ed teacher. This extraordinary new text demon‐ strates how repertoire can be used to foster the vocal growth of developing singers. Following in the footsteps of seminal works including Kagen's Music for the Voice, Arneson highlights a vast range of repertoire, both on and off the beaten track, showing how it can be used to support and enhance learning, technique, and ar�stry. by Christopher Arneson Now available at InsideViewPress.com & Amazon.com 24 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Christopher Arneson, DMA with Lauren Athey‐Janka Opera in ‘The City Different’ then we rose up out of the water. The water was freezing, and it was so cold that most of the female singers dropped out. They were singing other things and they were, of course, worried that the cold would affect them. For me, this was my assignment, and I would not quit. I told myself that I had to do it. Because of that, now I’m not afraid and I never say ‘no’ to stage directors because I believe that I can do it through that experience. “An apprentice program like this made a huge difference for me and gave me an awareness of what I needed to do to get where I wanted to be,” she concludes. “They nurture their apprentices here so that they can come back as principal artists. They want us to do well, and I’m one of many who have come back after being apprentices.” One of the most successful alumni from the program, tenor William Burden, also speaks glowingly of his time as an apprentice in Santa Fe. He echoes the current apprentices about the level of work that is required for the program, but says there was no better place to learn your craft as an opera singer. “When I was there, I was influenced by so many artists,” Burden says. “I can think of Tatiana Troyanos, James Bowman, Marilyn Horne, and Frederica von Stade right away. There was also Sheri Greenawald and Ben Heppner. They were just the best singers in the world, and everyone auditioned here if they wanted to take that next step. To make opera in that place is so incredible, and there is nowhere on the planet like Santa Fe.” With endless stretches of blue wrapped around the sky and small patches of cloud floating over the mountains, there is truly no place like Santa Fe to sing and hear opera. “Even though I was memorizing Mandarin this morning,” says Larsen, “I was sitting on a grassy hill with flowers and mountains around. This is really nice!” The nurturing and friendly environment and beautiful surroundings, together with rigorous standards, have combined to maintain the reputation of Santa Fe’s apprentice program as a springboard to major opera careers. Jason Vest is a tenor and assistant professor of voice at Eastern New Mexico University. He graduated from schools both large and small and has since been singing and teaching in the Southwest, most recently performing Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Amarillo Opera and recording an album with USAF Academy Band Principal Horn, Gerald Welker. The Jewell Journey: LIVE WHAT YOU LEARN William Jewell provides opportunities to learn from master teachers in an intimate, undergraduate liberal arts environment. • Master classes with worldrenowned artists • Free tickets to all events on the acclaimed HarrimanJewell Series • Opera performance opportunities in original languages, with orchestra • Choral performance experiences • Regular study with full-time faculty • Access to stellar performances at new world-class Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Dan Belcher, class of ’92; Grammy for Best Opera Recording, 2010 For more information, go to www.jewell.edu/music To view the list of free performances for Jewell students on the Harriman-Jewell Series, go to www.hjseries.org Liberty, Missouri www.jewell.edu www.classicalsinger.com 25 The Classical Singer Young Artist Program Directory The Classical Singer Young Artist Program Directory includes a host of valuable information on YAPs both in the U.S. and abroad, including stipends young artists receive; if the program pays for travel, housing, and transportation; as well as application and program dates. Printed here is basic information for programs in the directory. Although some programs Budget Categories Level C=$1,000,000-$2,999,999 did not update their information with future dates, we have included Level A=$10, 000,000 and above Level D=less than $1,000,000 past dates to give an idea of when programs are held. To view complete Level B=$3,000,000-$9,999,999 Level U=Unknown profiles, go to www.auditionplus.com/yap. Name Website Location Budget Dates App Fee App Deadline R/P U.S. Programs Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) Vocal and Opera Training Program Anchorage Opera Apprentice Program Arcady Young Artist Program Ash Lawn Opera Festival Young Artist Program The Atlantic Coast Opera Festival Young Artist Program www.avaopera.org/training/ www.anchorageopera.org/UAAapprentices.html www.arcady.ca/ www.ashlawnopera.org www.AtlanticCoastOperaFestival.org Philadelphia, PA Anchorage, AK Simcoe, ON Charlottesville, VA Greater Philadelphia Area, PA New York, NY B C U D D $100 3/1/2015 P 6/13/14-8/7/14 8/1/14-8/31/14 None $25 $36 2/15/2015 12/15/2014 R 6/23/2014 P U 7/7/14-8/3/14 12/1/2014 R St Louis, MO Sheffield, MA C U 8/18/14-5/10/15 7/11/15-8/9/15 $75$100 None 5/27/2014 3/1/2015 P Boston, MA Boston, MA Boston, MA A 5/12/14-6/25/14 10/1/14-5/15/15 6/19/14-8/18/14 Boston, MA Atlanta, GA Katonah, NY U U U Atlantic Music Festival Institute (AMF) Resident Artist Fellowship Bach Society of St Louis Young Artist Award Berkshire Choral Festival Apprentice Program Boston Early Music Festival Young Artists Training Program Boston Metro Opera Resident Artist Program Boston Symphony Orchestra Tanglewood Music Center Residency Program Boston University Opera Institute Capitol City Opera Company Caramoor Bel Canto Young Artists Mentoring Program Carmel Bach Festival Adams Vocal Master Class Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre Young Artists Center City Opera Theater Young Artist Program Central City Opera Bonfils-Stanton Artists Training Program Central Florida Lyric Opera Resident Artist Training Program Chautauqua Opera Young Artist Program Chicago Opera Theater Young Artist Program Cimarron Opera Summer Operetta Cincinnati Opera Opera-tunities Residency Program Connecticut Lyric Opera Young Artist Program The Continuo Arts Foundation - The Milton Cross Young Artist Showcase Crane School of Music Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar Crested Butte Music Festival (CBMF) Marcello Giordani Young Artist Program Crested Butte Music Festival (CBMF) The Opera Children’s Chorus Da Camera Young Artist Program Da Camera Young Artist Program Dayton Opera Artist-In-Residence Program Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble Standard Repertoire Project Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Artist Program Dicapo Opera Theatre Resident Artists Program Fargo-Moorhead Opera Young Artist Program FBN Productions Opera For Kids Florentine Opera Studio Florida Grand Opera Young Artist Program Fort Worth Opera Studio Fresco Opera Theatre Madison Area Opera Singers Workshop Glimmerglass Festival Young Artists Program Glow Lyric Theatre Young Artist Program 26 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 atlanticmusicfestival.org/the-institute/programs/ fellowship-program www.bachsociety.org/performers/young_artists choralfest.org/sing-with-us/young-adult-programs/apprentice-program www.bemf.org www.bostonmetroopera.com/news.html www.bso.org/micro-sites/tanglewood-musiccenter/fellowships.aspx www.bu.edu/cfa/music/opera/ www.ccityopera.com/ www.caramoor.org/education/bel-canto-youngartists www.bachfestival.org/index.cfm/Virginia_Best_ Adams_Vocal_Master_Class.htm www.cr-opera.org/Content/Young-Artists.aspx www.operatheater.org/wp4/young-artist-program/ www.centralcityopera.org/artiststraining www.centralfloridalyricopera.org/RATP.html opera.ciweb.org/young-artists/ www.chicagooperatheater.org/young-artistsprogram/ www.cimarronopera.org/auditions/ www.cincinnatiopera.org/ ctlyricopera.org/education/young-artist-program/ www.continuoarts.com/minuettomusicfestival.html Carmel, CA 9/4/14-5/15/15 1/9/13-4/12/13 9/1/13-5/15/15 6/9/14-7/24/14 $15 $70 $70 $10 None 7/6/15-8/1/15 2/13/2014 2/20/2015 R 10/15/2014 R 1/1/2014 R 11/15/2014 1/31/2015 R 10/19/2014 10/19/2014 6/30/2014 10/1/2014 12/1/2013 R R P P R Cedar Rapids, IA Philadelphia, PA Central City, CO Orlando, FL Chautauqua, NY Chicago, IL D D B D D C 12/26/13-6/30/14 10/1/14-6/30/15 5/26/14-8/10/14 9/6/14-5/30/15 6/14/15-8/8/15 3/15/14-3/31/16 None $39 $30 None $20 None Norman, OK Cincinnati, OH New London, CT Summit, NJ D B 6/10/13-7/14/13 5/14/14-7/27/14 $25 U 6/22/14-6/28/14 $75 2/28/2015 10/1/2014 6/17/2014 5/15/2014 R P www.fallisland.org/about/ www.crestedbuttemusicfestival.com/index. php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82& Itemid=144 www.crestedbuttemusicfestival.com/index. php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:di vine-family-young-peoples-concerts&catid=15:ed ucation&Itemid=164 www.dacamera.com/young_artists_general Potsdam, NY Crested Butte, CO 5/18/15-5/23/15 6/15/14-7/28/14 $40 $35 11/16/2014 R 11/3/2014 R Crested Butte, CO 7/7/14-7/27/14 $35 1/15/2015 Houston, TX 9/5/15-5/31/16 www.daytonopera.org/learn-more-about-opera/ artist-in-residence-training-program/ www.dellarteopera.org www.desmoinesmetroopera.org/jobs www.dicapo.com/html/artists.html www.fmopera.org/web/page.aspx?title=Young Artist Program www.operaforkids.org/default.htm www.florentineopera.org/florentine-opera-studio. html www.fgo.org/young-artists/ www.fwopera.org/About-Us/FWO-Studio/ www.frescooperatheatre.com/madison-areaopera-singers-workshop.html glimmerglass.org/company/young-artistsprogram/ www.glowlyric.com/artists/auditions/ Dayton, OH C 1/2/15-4/3/15 New York City, NY Indianola, IA New York, NY Fargo, ND D C C D Chapin, SC Milwaukee, WI 9/2/2014 R None 4/15/2014 P 4/15/14-8/31/14 6/27/14-7/20/14 9/1/14-9/1/15 1/1/15-3/31/15 $35 $25 None $35 1/14/2015 12/14/2013 P 8/1/2014 10/14/2014 R D B 2/23/15-4/30/15 9/1/14-5/31/16 $30 9/15/2014 1/31/2015 R R Miami, FL Fort Worth, TX Madison, WI A B D 9/15/14-5/10/15 $40 9/1/15-5/9/16 None 10/11/13-4/11/14 10/1/2014 9/15/2014 R R P Cooperstown, NY B 5/27/14-8/24/14 Greenville, SC D $55 R 2/14/2015 R Young Artist Program Directory Name Website Location Budget Dates Green Mountain Opera Festival Emerging Artist Program for Singers and Pianists Hawaii Opera Theatre Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio HOT training www.greenmountainoperafestival.com Warren, VT D 5/26/14-6/22/14 App Fee $35 Honolulu, HI B 6/1/14-5/31/15 None Houston, TX Cambridge, NY A D 7/19/14-8/24/14 $30 $35 0214-09-26 R 2/28/2015 P 5/27/15-6/30/15 None 12/1/2014 R 10/10/2014 12/15/2014 3/10/2014 9/14/2015 P R R R P www.hawaiiopera.org/education_and_outreach/ hot_training/ Houston Grand Opera Studio (HGO) Young Artists Vocal Academy www.houstongrandopera.org/YAVA Hubbard Hall Opera Theater Conservatory HHOT Training hubbardhall.org/opera-spotlight/opera-conserProgram vatory/ Il Cuore Canta When the Heart Sings Singing Workshop www.ilcuorecanta.com Indianapolis Opera Ensemble Kentucky Opera Studio Artists Program Knoxville Opera/University of Tennessee Young Artist Program Long Wharf Theatre Resident Artist Program Los Angeles Opera (LA Opera) Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program Lyric Opera of Chicago Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Lyric Opera Virginia Edythe C. Harrison Young Artist Program www.indyopera.org/young-artists.html kyopera.org/auditions/ www.music.utk.edu www.longwharf.org/next-stage-program www.laopera.org/company/yap/ Mabou Mines Resident Artist Program Mannes College Institute & Festival for Contemporary Performance (IFCP) Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio Studio Artist Program The Martina Arroyo Foundation Inc. Prelude to Performance Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program Minnesota Opera Resident Artists Program Music Academy of the West Summer School Nashville Opera Fellows Program Nashville Opera Mary Ragland Young Artist Program Natchez Festival of Music Natchez Festival of Music New York Lyric Opera Theatre Artist-in-Residence (AIR) www.lyricopera.org/about/ryanopera. aspx#audition www.lyricoperavirginia.org/youngartistsauditions. php www.maboumines.org/guidelines ifcpny.com/events azopera.org/about/studio-artists/ www.martinaarroyofdn.org/prelude/programoutline.html www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/auditions/ young_artists/index.aspx www.mnopera.org/about/resident-artists-program/ www.musicacademy.org nashvilleopera.org/Training_Programs.html nashvilleopera.org/Training_Programs.html www.natchezfestivalofmusic.com/index.html www.newyorklyricopera.org/auditions.html App Deadline 11/4/2013 R/P R Manhattan and Cold Spring, NY Indianapolis, IN Louisville, KY Knoxville, TN New Haven, CT Los Angeles, CA C C C 1/5/15-5/9/15 8/25/14-3/1/15 8/1/15-5/31/17 A 8/1/15-6/30/16 $35 $30 $60 None $35 Chicago, IL A 5/1/14-4/30/15 $25 2/1/2015 Norfolk, VA C $40 11/1/2014 9/1/14-4/30/15 6/9/14-6/18/14 $60 6/15/2014 4/10/2014 9/7/15-5/9/16 6/2/14-7/14/14 $35 $35 10/14/2014 R 1/31/2015 R None 2/1/2015 $35 $75 $25 $25 $25 $35 10/13/2014 R 10/1/2014 R 2/13/2015 3/28/2014 10/7/2013 R New York, NY New York, NY Phoenix, AZ New York City, NY U New York, NY A Minneapolis, MN Santa Barbara, CA Nashville, TN Nashville, TN Natchez, MS New York City, NY B 8/25/14-4/1/15 6/14/14-8/9/14 8/1/14-4/30/15 1/22/15-4/12/15 4/6/14-5/24/14 C C D U P R Benjamin T. Rome School of Music Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence B.M. in Voice M.M. in Vocal Performance or Vocal Pedagogy D.M.A. in Vocal Performance or Vocal Pedagogy Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance Auditions: Dec. 6, 2014 Jan. 17, 2015 Feb. 7, 2015 Feb. 21, 2015* Alumnus Patrick Carfizzi Bass-baritone Celebrating his 300th performance at the Metropolitan Opera photo credit: Ken Howard Alumnus Patrick Guetti Bass Winner of Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition *Graduates and Transfers only Sharon Christman Rick Christman Head of CUA Voice Division Tenor Soprano Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera voice.cua.edu music.cua.edu 202-319-5414 James Hampton Opera Director Dallas Opera Austin Lyric Opera Gustavo Ahualli Baritone Teatro Argentino de La Plata Central City Opera THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA Washington, D.C. The Catholic University of America admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, or disability. For disability accommodations, contact us at the number above. www.classicalsinger.com 27 Young Artist Program Directory Name The Ohio Light Opera YAP & Resident Artist Program Opera Carolina Opera Express Website ohiolightopera.org/auditions.php www.operacarolina.org/education-center#navopera-express Opera Carolina Touring Accompanist/Coach www.operacarolina.org/education-center#navopera-academy Opera Colorado Young Artist Program operacolorado.org/?page_id=226 Opera Company of Brooklyn Resident Artist Program operabrooklyn.org/?page_id=35 Opera Experience Southeast Young Artist Program www.operaexperiencesoutheast.org/emergingartists/ Opera Louisiane Young Artist Program operalouisiane.com/get-involved#1 Opera Memphis Artists-In-Residence www.operamemphis.org/opera-memphis/artistsin-residence Opera Naples Student Apprentice Program www.operanaples.org/welcome-to-operanaples/o-n-e-community-opera-naples-education/#apprentice Opera Naples Young Artist Program www.operanaples.org/welcome-to-operanaples/o-n-e-community-opera-naples-education/#youngartists Opera North Young Artist Program www.operanorth.org/YoungArtists.html Opera on the James Tyler Young Artist Program www.operaonthejames.org/young-artist-program/ Opera Orchestra of New York (OONY) Young Artists Program www.oony.org/learn/yap.html Opera Santa Barbara Studio Artist Program www.operasb.org/young_artists.php Opera Saratoga Young Artist Program operasaratoga.org Opera Theater Pittsburgh Resident Artist Training Progam otsummerfest.org Opera Theater Pittsburgh Young Artist Program otsummerfest.org/ Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Gerdine Young Artist Program www.opera-stl.org/about/audition-information/ Opera Theatre of the Rockies Young Artists & Outreach Ensemble www.operatheatreoftherockies.org/young-artistsoutreach-ensemble/ OperaOggiNY Young Artist Program www.operaogginy.info/youngartists.php Palm Beach Opera Young Artist Program pbopera.org/about-us-2/young-artists/ Pensacola Opera Artist in Residence Program https://pensacolaopera.com/artists.html Pine Mountain Music Festival Resident Opera Artists pmmf.org/education/resident_opera_artists Portland Opera Resident Artist Program www.portlandopera.org/resident-artist-program Ravinia Festival Steans Music Institute Program for Singers www.ravinia.org/steans_singers.aspx Riverside Lyric Opera www.riversidelyricopera.org Riverside Opera Institute www.musicstarts.org/riverside_opera_institute San Francisco Opera Center Merola Opera Program sfopera.com/Merola-Opera-Program.aspx Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers www.santafeopera.org/apprenticeprograms/singers/index.aspx Sarasota Opera Apprentice Artists Program www.sarasotaopera.org/about/apprentice.aspx Seattle Opera Young Artists Program www.seattleopera.org St. Petersburg Opera Company Emerging Artists Program www.stpeteopera.org/ Sugar Creek Symphony & Song The Danis Wilson Apprentice www.sugarcreekfestival.org/yaps.html Artist Program Syracuse Opera Resident Artist Program www.syracuseopera.com/community.cfm Tacoma Opera Young Artist Program www.tacomaopera.com/page.php?id=167 Toledo Opera Resident Artists www.toledoopera.org/learn/resident-artists/ Tri-Cities Opera Resident Artist Training Program www.tricitiesopera.com/resident-artists.aspx Tulsa Opera Studio Artist Program tulsaopera.com/education-community-programs/ studio-artist-program/ 28 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Location Budget Dates Wooster, OH Charlotte, NC D C Charlotte/Triad/ SC, NC Denver, CO New York, NY Rock Hill, SC Baton Rouge, LA Memphis, TN 5/30/14-8/10/14 9/1/14-5/1/15 App Fee $35 R/P R 10/21/13-2/28/14 None 10/18/2013 P B D 10/1/14-5/31/15 9/1/14-5/31/15 5/25/14-6/17/14 $25 $35 $35 4/1/2015 7/20/2014 2/21/2015 R D C 8/1/14-5/31/15 $25 4/17/2015 P $40 $15 12/5/2014 10/1/2014 R P $65 $65 None 9/30/2014 10/15/2014 10/17/2014 10/17/2014 8/10/2014 R R R P P 12/31/2014 2/14/2015 4/18/2014 10/9/2014 9/21/2014 10/24/2014 6/30/2014 R R Naples, FL None Naples, FL None Lebanon, NH Lynchburg, VA New York, NY Santa Barbara, CA Saratoga Springs, NY Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh, PA St. Louis, MO Colorado Springs, CO App Deadline 11/1/2014 D D C C D B B B D 6/22/14-8/18/14 3/1/15-3/28/15 4/1/14-5/10/14 5/18/15-7/5/15 9/15/14-5/15/15 6/16/14-7/17/14 4/27/15-6/28/15 New York, NY West Palm Beach, FL Pensacola, FL Hancock, MI Portland, OR Highland Park, IL Riverside, CA Riverside, CA San Francisco, CA Santa Fe, NM C A Sarasota, FL Seattle, WA St. Petersburg, FL Watseka, IL B A D U 10/10/14-6/4/15 7/17/13-8/5/13 Syracuse, NY Tacoma, WA Toledo, OH Binghamton, NY Tulsa, OK C D D D C 9/3/13-10/1/13 10/1/14-4/30/15 3/20/14-5/21/14 8/20/13-5/19/14 9/1/14-5/8/15 B C B C 1/1/15-5/31/15 11/1/14-3/31/15 1/1/15-4/30/15 6/6/13-7/14/13 $25 $40 $30 $25 $70 R R 7/27/15-8/15/15 7/9/14-7/19/14 7/7/14-7/13/14 None None 9/16/2014 8/23/2014 R 6/4/15-8/29/15 8/19/2013 10/1/2014 3/13/2014 11/1/2014 R $40 $30 $30 $20 4/1/2014 4/1/2015 $35 $25 10/10/2014 P R 1/8/14-3/23/14 R Young Artist Program Directory Name Website UMKC Conservatory/Lyric Opera of Kansas City Young Artist Program University of North Carolina School of the Arts A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre Festival Artist Program conservatory.umkc.edu/special-requirements.cfm Kansas City, MO Utah Opera Ensemble Program for Singers and Pianists Virginia Opera Association Emerging Artist Program Virginia Opera Emerging Artist Apprentice Coach Program V.O.I.C.Experience Festival Apprentice Program Wagner Society of Washington D.C. Evelyn Lear & Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Program Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall The Song Continues Workshop Wichita Grand Opera Resident Artist Program Wichita Grand Opera Young Artist Program Winter Opera St. Louis Resident Artist Program Wolf Trap Opera Company Filene Young Artists Wolf Trap Opera Company Opera Studio Artists International Bavarian State Opera The Opera Studio Young Artist Program Bolshoi Theatre Young Artist Opera Program Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme Bundanon Trust Artist in Residence Calgary Opera Emerging Artist Development Program Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio Escales Lyriques Opera Workshop French National Center for Lyric Artists (CNIPAL) Professional Placement Training Course Internationale Meistersinger Akademie (IMA) Emerging Artist Program iSING! International Young Artist Festival Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Young Artist Program Mahler Philharmoniker Wien Vienna Opera Studio National Opera Studio Young Artists’ Programme New York Opera Society Jeunes Solistes NI Opera Young Artist Program Oper Frankfurt Opernstudio Vorsingen Resident Artist Program Opera de Montreal Atelier Lyrique Opera Lyra Ottawa Young Opera Studio Opera national de Paris Atelier Lyrique Opera national du Rhin Young Artist Program Location Budget Dates B 8/8/15-8/15/17 App Fee $35 App Deadline 12/1/2014 8/15/14-4/30/15 None 12/2/2013 R/P R www.fletcheropera.com/ Winston-Salem, NC www.utahfestival.org/index.php?p_ resource=about_auditions_artist www.utahopera.org/the-company/utah-operaresident-artists-program vaopera.org/education-training/emerging-artistprogram.html vaopera.org/education-training/emerging-artistprogram.html voicexperiencefoundation.com/ Logan, UT B 5/27/15-8/8/15 None Salt Lake City, UT A 9/1/15-5/31/16 $25 10/31/2014 R Norfolk, VA B 8/25/14-4/12/15 $40 10/31/2014 R Norfolk, VA B 8/25/14-4/12/15 None 10/31/2014 R 7/20/14-8/17/14 $50 4/30/2015 R www.wagner-dc.org/?q=node/2 www.kennedy-center.org/wno/edu/dcyap/howtoapply.cfm www.carnegiehall.org/The_Song_Continues_ Workshop_2012_2013/ www.wichitagrandopera.org/residentartists.html www.wichitagrandopera.org/youngartists.html www.winteroperastl.org/ www.wolftrap.org/Opera/About/Filene_Young_Artists.aspx www.wolftrap.org/Opera/About/Wolf_Trap_Opera_Studio www.staatsoper.de/opera-studio www.bolshoi.ru/en/about/youth/ www.aldeburgh.co.uk/bpp www.bundanon.com.au/content/residencies Tampa Bay and Savannah, GA areas, FL Washington, DC U 5/1/15-8/31/16 Washington, DC A 9/1/15-9/1/16 $30 9/12/2014 R 1/14/13-1/19/13 $30 10/4/2013 P $25 $25 $15 $30 1/24/2014 1/24/2014 5/2/2014 9/15/2014 R P New York, NY Wichita, KS Wichita, KS St. Louis, MO Vienna, VA C 1/19/13-5/18/13 1/19/13-5/18/13 9/15/14-3/9/15 5/15/15-8/20/15 Vienna, VA C 5/15/15-8/20/15 $20 9/15/2014 9/15/15-7/31/16 None 11/15/2014 R 1/1/15-1/1/15 € 25 11/15/2014 R Munich, Germany Moscow, Russia Snape (near Aldeburgh), UK Shoalhaven River, NSW, Australia Calgary, AB, CAN Toronto, ON, CAN www.calgaryopera.com/emerging-artists www.coc.ca/AboutTheCOC/CompanyMembers/ EnsembleStudio.aspx www.escales-lyriques.fr/ Ile d’Yeu, France www.cnipal.fr/index.php?option=com_flexicontent Marseilles, France &view=items&cid=2&id=16&Itemid=11〈=en meistersingerakademie.com/course Neumakt, Germany www.isingfestival.org lyrichoregra20.wifeo.com/jeunes-ambassadeurslyriques.php www.mahlerphil.org/opera_studio.html www.nationaloperastudio.org.uk/ newyorkoperasociety.com/programs/ www.niopera.com/news www.oper-frankfurt.de/en/page259.cfm? www.operademontreal.com/en/atelier_lyrique/ learning-the-trade.html www.operalyra.ca/studio/the-artists.php www.operadeparis.fr/en/L_Opera/l_Atelier_Lyrique/ www.operanationaldurhin.eu/en--the-training-auditions-os.html www.opernhaus.ch/ www.pov.bc.ca/training.html www.lesarts.com www.roh.org.uk www.semperoper.de www.staatstheater-nuernberg.de/ www.saopera.sa.gov.au/about-us/auditions Opernhaus Zurich International Opera Studio (IOS) Pacific Opera Victoria Young Artist Program Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Resident Artist Program Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artists Programme Semperoper Dresden Junges Ensemble Staatstheater Nurnberg International Opera Studio of Nurnberg State Opera of South Australia - The James & Diana Ramsay Foundation Young & Emerging Artist Program Teatro Alla Scala Academy of Lyric Opera www.accademialascala.it Ticino Musica International Opera Studio www.ticinomusica.com/opera-studio/ Toronto Summer Music Festival & Academy Fellows TCM Fellows www.torontosummermusic.com/index.php/academy/apply-now-for-tsm-academy-2014/ Vadstena Akademien Lieder Artists in Residence www.vadstena-akademien.org/english/ Vancouver Opera Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program www.vancouveropera.ca/yap.html P D D 6/1/14-12/19/14 B A Suzhou, China Quebec, CAN Vienna, Austria London, UK Tucuman, Argentina Belfast, Ireland Frankfurt, Germany Montreal, QC, CAN D D A B 7/28/2014 10/1/15-5/31/16 8/17/15-5/30/16 $30 None 10/19/2014 P 9/30/2014 7/26/14-8/12/14 9/1/14-6/30/15 € 20 $45 1/5/2015 4/1/2014 R R 6/30/15-8/9/15 $50 12/1/2014 R 6/27/14-7/27/14 4/10/14-4/24/14 None $85 3/20/2015 4/7/2015 R P 3/17/14-8/23/14 9/1/15-6/30/16 7/1/15-7/31/15 9/1/14-8/31/15 - None £75 6/1/2014 4/1/2014 3/31/2015 5/1/2014 2/28/2015 10/3/2014 None $50 Ottawa, ON, CAN Paris, France C 9/22/14-11/16/14 10/1/14-6/30/15 Strasbourg, France A 9/1/14-7/8/15 Zurich, Switzerland Victoria, BC Valencia, Spain London, UK Dresden, Germany Nuremberg, Germany Marleston, Australia A C A 9/1/14-7/12/15 None 10/3/13-11/11/13 9/2/13-6/30/14 9/1/14-7/31/16 None 8/25/14-7/11/15 U 1/1/15-12/31/15 A 10/1/14-6/25/16 6/25/14-7/27/14 7/22/14-8/12/14 Milan, Italy Lugano, Switzerland Toronto, ON, CAN Stockholm, Sweden Vancouver, BC, CAN R 6/15/15-8/8/15 9/15/14-5/15/15 R R R P 11/30/2014 R 1/3/2014 R None None None $75$100 None 12/13/2013 P 9/30/2014 10/14/2014 6/10/2014 10/31/2014 12/31/2014 7/15/2014 11/30/2014 9/9/2014 2/28/2015 2/13/2015 R R R R R R 11/1/2014 R 10/27/2014 P www.classicalsinger.com 29 The Classical Singer Coach and Accompanist Directory In the Classical Singer Coach and Accompanist Directory available online singers can find a coach by geography, language ability, cost, and even by the musical works the coach has coached with singers or production companies. Coaches that have a “complete listing” which provides extensive information about their studios and experience are printed below. More information about each coach is available in the online directory. Please visit the online directory to view additional “basic listings,” featuring contact information for over 474 additional coaches in the U.S. and abroad. Both basic and complete listings are available online at www.classicalsinger.com/directories/coach/search.php. State Name E-mail/Website Location Primary Role CA Kuttner, Philip Philip Kuttner Vocal Studio philkuttner@gmail.com San Francisco, CA Coach CA Levina, Elena piano@elenalevina.com www.elenalevina.com Mountain View, CA Accompanist Aud, Reh, Les, Rec, Tour DC Crabill, Michael Michael Crabill Vocal Studio mikecrabill53@verizon.net Washington, DC Coach Aud, Reh, Les, Rec, Tour NJ Getty, Tom hitomg@aol.com Metuchen, NJ Coach Aud, Reh, Les, Rec, Tour NY Arner, Lucy lucyarner@mac.com www.lucyarner.com New York, NY Conductor Rec, Tour E, F, I, G, S NY Farley, Carole Carole Farley International Vocal Coaching cfarley3803@gmail.com www.carolefarley.com New York, NY Coach Reh, Les, Tour E, F, I, G, Cz, R, S NY Hallak, Mikhail hallak27@aol.com www.mikhailhallak.com New York, NY Coach Aud, Rec, Tour E, F, I, G, S NY Hastings, Elizabeth lizhastings@yahoo.com New York, NY Coach Aud, Rec NY Lewin, Ann arlewin@yahoo.com New York, NY Coach Aud, Reh, Rec, Tour E, F, I, G, He NY Malouf, Roger rmalouf@msn.com New York, NY Coach Aud, Les, Rec, Tour E, F, I, G, Cz, R NY Saltzman, Harry New York Baroque Studio cosalt@nyc.rr.com New York, NY Conductor OH Hurd, Donald vlnorg@fuse.net Cincinnati, OH Accompanist Aud, Reh, Les, Rec, Tour E, F, I, G, S TX Roach, Kristin roachkl@gmail.com San Antonio, TX WA Kline, Rhonda rkline55@hotmail.com Seattle, WA Coach Aud, Reh, Les, Rec, Tour E, F, G, S Key: Aud Les Rec Reh Tour Play Auditions Accompany Lessons Play Recitals Play Rehearsals Travel/tour 30 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 E English F French I Italian G German Cz Czech S Spanish HeHebrew R Russian Services Languages E, F, I, G E, F, I, G E, F, I, G The Classical Singer Voice Teacher Directory In the Classical Singer Voice Teacher Directory singers can find a teacher by geography, language ability, cost, and much more. Teachers that have a “complete listing”—which provides extensive information about their studios and experience—are printed below. More information about each teacher is available in the online directory. Please visit the online directory to view additional “basic listings,” featuring contact information for 1,733 teachers in the U.S. and abroad. Both basic and complete listings are available online at www.classicalsinger.com/directories/teacher/search_form.php. State Name Studio Name AZ AZ CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA Crawford, Stephen Keshner, Joyce Cameron, James Erbelding, Dietrich Howe, Eric Humphrey, Kyra Kasdorf, Kathleen Maleitzke, Peter Martin, Kathleen McMasters, Christine Panush, Rena The Studio Joyce Keshner Music Studio CA CA Location E-mail Website Availability Maricopa, AZ Tucson, AZ Encino, CA Pocket Coach Publications Hayward, CA Eric Howe Music Studio Oakland, CA Pasadena, CA Kathleen Kasdorf Voice Studio Scotts Valley, CA Peter Maleitzke Voice Studio San Francisco, CA Voice Classics Studio Laguna Niguel, CA McMasters Vocal Studio San Rafael, CA Rena Panush Voice Studio Culver City, CA thespiritedheart2@msn.com murjoyk@gmail.com camart@attglobal.net dietrich@pocketcoach.com EricVH@aol.com badgermum@hotmail.com krkasdorf@gmail.com pmaleitzke@gmail.com voiceclassics@cox.net mcmsoprano@aol.com rapan@aol.com www.thespiritedheart.com MTuWThF MTuWThFSa MTuWThFSaSu MTuWThFSa MTuWThF The Voice Studio katyaroemer@mac.com kathleenroland@mac.com CA CA CA Roemer, Katya Roland-Silverstein, Kathleen Shanks, Patricia Stidham, Lisa Zubovic, Dubravka Patricia Shanks Voice Studio Newport Beach, CA Stretch and Sing Vocal Studio Glendale, CA Dubravka Zubovic Voice Studio Laguna Hills, CA PShanks@studioshanks.com lisastidham@charter.net dzvoicestudio@gmail.com CO CO CT Davis Eaton, Sarah Patterson, Karen Tucker Bard, Rochelle Thornton, CO Lafayette, CO West Hartford, CT sarah.davis.eaton@gmail.com singforlife@yahoo.com shelbard@msn.com CT FL FL GA IA McTyre, George LaVoy, Jeanette Walters, Diana Howard, Bradley McTyre, George Woodbridge, CT Sarasota, FL Sarasota, FL Atlanta, GA Iowa City, IA grm2013nhct@yahoo.com JeanetteLaVoix@aol.com voiceteacher1@verizon.net bradley.howard@emory.edu gmctyre@kirkwood.edu www.alexandermusicstudio.com www.jeanettelavoy.com www.voiceteacher1.com IL Bickel, Jan Serenade Studio The Sing For Life! Voice Studio Voice Teacher and accomplished pianist Alexander Music Studio LaVoix Sing It Productions Emory University Kirkwood Community College Iowa City Saint Xavier University Music Dept. Chicago, IL bickel@sxu.edu www.janbickel.com IL IL IL Bulgrin, Deborah Faulkner, Julia Pantazelos, Janice bulgrintd@att.net juliafaulkner1@me.com jtpsing@aol.com www.deborahbulgrin.com IL IL KS LA MA Ramirez, Alvaro Varis, Jina Copley, Rebecca Howe, Martha Pope, Jerrold varopo@outlook.com jvaris@sbcglobal.net contactrcopley@yahoo.com marthahowe@gmail.com popevoce@aol.com dacorneto.org MD Bolling-May, Joan MD MI Gori, Grace Ratner, Carl MN Hassan, Sahar St. Paul, MN cleohassan@gmail.com NC Longman-Berkowitz, Elizabeth Chapel Hill, NC dancard326@yahoo.com San Jose, CA Studio City, CA Chicago, IL Chicago, IL Chicago Studio of Professional Chicago, IL Singing da Corneto Opera Studio Skokie, IL Glenview, IL Lindsborg, KS Grounded Vocal Freedom Baton Rouge, LA Boston University, School of Brookline, MA Music, CFA American U. Music Dept. & Silver Spring, MD Bolling-May Voice Studio Gori Voice Studios, LLC Kensington, MD of Carl Ratner, Baritone Kalamazoo, MI www.PocketCoach.com www.kathleenkasdorf.com www.petermaleitzke.com voiceclassicsstudio.com www.christinemcmasters.com www.classicalsinger.net/rena panush www.KatyaRoemer.com www.kathleenroland.com MTuWF TuWThFSa MTuWThFSa MTuWThFSu MTuWTh www.studioshanks.com www.natsla.org WThFSaSu www.dubravkazubovicvoicestudio. com www.serenadestudio.com MTuWThF www.singforlife.com MTuWTh www.RochelleBard.com MTuWThFSaSu MTuWThFSa TuWSa MTuWThFSa MTuWTh www.professionalsinging.com MTuWThFSaSu MTuWThF MTuWThFSaSu TuWThFSa MTuWThFSaSu www.rebeccacopley.com Marthahowe.com BU School of Music website jbollingmay@sbc.edu gorivoicestudios@verizon.net CarlRatner@aol.com www.gorivoicestudios.com www.wmich.edu/music/faculty/ som_fac_ratner-carl.html saharhassan.com; ladyslipperensemble.org MTuWThFSu MThFSa MTuWThFSaSu www.classicalsinger.com 31 Voice Teacher Directory State Name Studio Name NJ Bayard, Carol NJ NJ NJ Hagerman, Karen Harris, Katherine King, Deborah Simpkin Carol Bayard - Soprano/Voice Maplewood, NJ Teacher Karen Hagerman Voice Studio Haddonfield, NJ Basking Ridge/Liberty Corner, NJ East Orange, NJ NJ Perry, Melissa Melssa Perry Vocal Studio Collingswood, NJ lkhagerman@aol.com Katsop@aol.com DeborahKing@DeborahSKing. com melisma@comcast.net NJ Saunders, Elizabeth NYC Online and Maplewood, NJ ElizabethVoice@gmail.com NJ NJ Clifton, NJ JERSEY CITY, NJ schoch.clarissa@gmail.com singbeckysing@gmail.com NY NY NY Schoch, Clarissa Thompson-Galecki, Rebecca Andrade, Andres Ascher, Christina Boozer, Brenda Elizabeth Saunders Voice Studio Clarissa Anthony Schoch New York, NY New York, NY Bedford, NY Andradeten@aol.com ca@christina-ascher.com boozerb@earthlink.net NY Byrne, Richard New York, NY NY Fanelli, Helen Tarrytown, NY Richard@RichardByrneVoiceTeacher.com chellen322@aol.com NY Farley, Carole New York, NY cfarley3803@gmail.com NY NY NY Frye, Robin Lynne Giammanco, Leslie Girard, Valerie New Rochelle, NY New York, NY Ardsley, NY robinlynnefrye@gmail.com leslie@lesliegiammanco.com GirardVal@gmail.com NY NY Gordon, David Haddock, Marcus New York, NY Skaneateles, NY gorgyres@gmail.com marjehad@verizon.net The Voice Studio Voice Studio Christina Ascher Brenda Boozer Vocal StudioNYC Mozartina Musical Arts Conservatory of Music Carole Farley International Vocal Coaching Giammanco Vocal Studios The Vocal Studio of Valerie Girard Bel Canto Location E-mail Website Availability Bayardtom@aol.com MTuWThF HagermanVoice.com melodiastudionj.com DeborahSKing.com WThFSa www.MelissaPerryVocalStudio. com www.youtube.com/user/elizabethmezzo MTuWThFSaSu MTuWThFSa MTuWThFSa www.classicalsinger.net/rebecca_ MTuWThFSaSu thompson-galecki WThFSa www.VoiceStudioCA.com www.brendaboozer.com www.RichardByrneVoiceTeacher. com www.classicalsinger.net/hellenfanelli www.carolefarley.com www.robinlynnefrye.com www.lesliegiammanco.com www.valeriegirard.com, www. valeriegirard.com/masterclass MTuWThFSaSu MTuWThFSa TuWThFSa MTuWThFSaSu MTuWThFSaSu www.marcus Haddock.com a Patricia Sheridan • Addressing all aspects of efficient vocal production • Developing a commanding sound, total control, and maximum beauty • Detailed audition and performance preparation From young singer to seasoned professional, VOICExperience is a program that grows with you, every step of the way. July 21 - August 30, 2014 - Tampa Bay Area, Florida for the serious young singer 15 years and older that is preparing for college life b August 1 - 17, 2014 - Savannah, Georgia a program for singers 21 and older that focuses on personal training designed to take you to the next level of your career !VOICEXPERIENCE 2014 Summer Faculty & Presenters include*: Sherrill Milnes Maria Zouves Andrew Bisantz Christopher Cano Mignon Dunn Fabrizio Melano Gerald Martin Moore Jorge Parodi Maria Spacagna William Woodruff Stella Zambalis q • Great ease of expression !Florida VOICE Program ! VOICEXPERIENCE ! Sherrill Milnes VOICE Studio ! q VOICEBUILDER q q VOICE XPERIENCE 2014 Programs VOICEXPERIENCE ! ! *not a complete list NEW YORK CITY 212-864-4200 member NATS NYSTA voicebuilder@verizon.net 32 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 SHERRILL MILNES, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MARIA ZOUVES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the excellence of the vocal arts for more information visit www.voicexperiencefoundation.com voicexp@aol.com | 855.76.OPERA (855.766.7372) Voice Teacher Directory State Name Studio Name Location E-mail Website Availability NY Member of Anonymous 4 New York, NY jayner@anonymous4.com jacquelinehorner.com MTuWThF New York City, NY Gracelite43@aol.com MTuThF New York City, NY New York, NY NYC, NY New York, NY phil@phillauriat.com rleech@richardleech.com marekdanann@aol.com Adam@AdamRoebuckStudios. com divapamela@rcn.com michelletrovato@yahoo.com rvento2@aol.com KatiaZallas@gmail.com saraghaus@aol.com letgo2sing@yahoo.com peggybaroody@aol.com songbird816@verizon.net www.janekennedyvoiceteacher. com phillauirat.com www.richardleech.com danmarekbelcanto.com www.AdamRoebuckStudios.com NY Horner-Kwiatek, Jacqueline Kennedy, Jane NY NY NY NY Lauriat, Phil Leech, Richard Marek, Dan H. Roebuck, Adam NY NY NY NY OH OH PA PA Thomas, Pamela Trovato, Michelle Vento, Rosa Zallas, Katia Haus, Sara Kroeger, Paul Baroody, Margaret Chilcote, Kathryn PA PA TN TX TX UT Hall, David Martin-Moberley, Emily Dismukes, Andrea Estes, Richard K. Clark, Damon Modesitt, Carol Ann VA VA WA WA Hussey, Patricia Palmieri, Marje Johnson, Susan K. Kruse, Dennis Richard Leech Studios Marek Voice Studio Adam Roebuck Pop/Rock/ Musical Theater Studios Pamela Thomas Vocal Studio Studio Bel Trovato Rosa Vento New York, NY New York, NY New York, NY East Elmhurst, NY Voice Haus Beachwood, OH Rocky River, OH Margaret Baroody Voice Studio Philadelphia, PA The Kathryn Chilcote Voice West Chester, PA Studio Philadelphia, PA Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Lee University School of Music Cleveland, TN Fort Worth, TX Damon K Clark Vocal Studio Dallas, TX Head of Voice and Opera, Cedar City, UT Southern Utah U. SingerPath Voice Studio Fairfax, VA Falls Church, VA Susan Johnson Studio of Voice Bellingham, WA Evolutions - A Voice Studio Woodinville, WA dhallvoice@aol.com e.martin@bucknell.edu adismukes@leeuniversity.edu r.estes@tcu.edu contact@damonkclark.com modesitt@suu.edu pat@singerpath.com marje@cantobella.com susan@susanjohnsonvoice.com evolutionsavs@gmail.com www.divapamela.com www.michelletrovato.com rosavento.com www.KatiaZallas.com TuWThF MTuWThFSaSu TuThF MTuWThFSaSu margaretbaroodyvoicestudio.com www.kathrynchilcote.com TuWThFSa MTuWThFSaSu MWFSa www.emilycmartin.com www.richardestes.net www.damonkclark.com www.suu.edu/faculty/Modesitt www.singerpath.com www.cantobella.org www.susanjohnsonvoice.com www.evolutionsavoicestudio.com MTuWThF MTuWThFSaSu Degree OptiOns Bachelor of Music A tr a d it io n o f innovation 128 yeards n of artistic a ellence xc e l educationa Degrees in Music Education, Performance, Composition, Music Theory/History, and with an emphasis in Music Business, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music, and Master of Music Degrees in Music Education and Performance www.potsdam.edu/crane 1-877-Potsdam www.classicalsinger.com 33 The Psychological Benefits of Singing BY THERESA RODRIGUEZ Audition season will soon be upon us, and the roller coaster ride of rejection can often leave you wondering why in the world you ever chose to sing in the first place. Reflecting on the vast and varied benefits of singing will help you keep a healthy perspective. I t was the Renaissance composer William Byrd who said, “Since singing is so good a thing, I wish all men would learn to sing.” In thinking about the “good” in singing, I have contemplated what is “so good” about it and why all men should “learn” to do it. As a singer, I know it is good—and if I could not sing, I would surely perish. But what are some of the benefits of singing that make it truly “so good a thing”? It is often difficult to separate out the physical, emotional/psychological, and spiritual when discussing singing or its “goodness” or benefits. Is not our body really the vehicle for what is on our hearts and minds when we sing? Can we sing without using our very body? Will the actions of the body not be connected with the mind and heart and spirit? A writer may be able to produce his art purely from his mind, but a singer must use his body, every time. So when we discuss the benefits of singing from a psychological perspective, it is neither possible nor reasonable to completely separate out the physical from the spiritual from the emotional or psychological. What are some of the psychological benefits of singing? Consider these ideas. Artistry We sing because we need to make beauty, we love to hear beauty, and the ears are a primary window to and from the soul and spirit. At the highest level, 34 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 the psychological benefit of singing is to create and appreciate art and beauty. Spirituality and Religion Every religion or spiritual practice (with the exception of some studied movements, such as the Quakers or certain cloistered clerics) use singing in worship. If the eyes are the window to the soul, the voice is its incarnation, the soul made flesh in sound. Within our singing we mourn the dead, tell our stories, rejoice in our God, disseminate religious doctrine, and even become a vehicle for spiritual energy and healing. The Making and Keeping of History Singers have been prophets and storytellers—mirrors of the times. Ballads and odes have been used to maintain historical record. Great ancient epic poems such as Beowulf were originally sung. We are purveyors of truth-telling, myths, stories, and even propaganda. In a sense we become part of what the great psychologist Carl Jung called “the collective unconscious”—expressing in an individual manner what is most common and basic to the human experience. This expression is often found in dreams and in the archetypes of the visual arts and literature—but as singers we also contribute to these manifestations through our singing of stories and histories and mythologies and hymns and prayers. Mothering and Bonding The lullabies a mother sings to her baby become the unconscious building blocks of music and emotional memory. Singing lullabies, nursery rhymes, hymns, or folk songs promotes solid maternal-child bonding and heightens musical sense and awareness in the child. And the mother will never see the day when her child, now aged and stricken with dementia, will recall the lullaby his mother sang to him when he was a baby when he can remember little else. Emotions and Emoting Even the singing voice alone is a purveyor of emotion and truth as well as a direct means of communication that is separate from and independent of the words that may accompany it. I did a study in 2005 which showed that various emotions are discernible purely based on the singer’s intent without the employment of any accompanying words.1 Surely the ability to communicate emotion is a psychological benefit of singing that should not be underestimated. Singing Together There used to be a commonality of experience shared in group singing that has disappeared in many segments of American society. Choral singing has been shown to improve mood, increase concentration and cognition levels, and “counteract anxiety and stress” through Kennesaw State University We are singing! Adam Kirkpatrick Photo: Forrest Starr High-Frequency Harmonics The work of Alfred Tomatis and his disciple Paul Madaule has demonstrated a link between high-frequency harmonics and psychological and physical health benefits. High-frequency harmonics are such as those found in the classical “singer’s formant”—overtones in the sung voice in the peak range of 2400– 3200 Hertz.3 Madaule recognizes that sounds “rich in high harmonics” are produced by default by “opera” (and thus all forms of classical) singers through use of the singer’s formant and that, as such, singers are “renowned for their vitality and dynamism.”4 He also notes that people who tend to be tired or depressed often have “dull, toneless voices with very little high-frequency content.”5 When we sing, we not only stimulate the body but the ear itself, and we need to both make and hear high-frequency harmonics for health and vitality and energy. Lower-frequency sounds “not only supply inefficient energy to the [cerebral] cortex, but many even tire the person by producing motor responses which absorb more energy than the ear can provide.”6 Most modern popular singing lacks the vitality of highfrequency harmonics as found in the singer’s formant—something I sensed years before I actually understood anything about it. Horst Günter calls modern rock and pop music “mostly very loud and often brutal sound”7 with “vocally destructive tendencies,”8 and that before its ascent in modern times it was understood that “singing in every form had to please and not hurt the ear.”9 Classical singing is the surest gateway to the production and hearing of highfrequency harmonics and receiving their resonating health benefits. It is for these reasons among many that I advocate Voice Faculty the “controlled deep breathing” used in classical breathing technique. Probably most important of all is the socialization element which serves to “ameliorate feelings of isolation and loneliness.”2 Eileen Moremen Oral Moses Leah Partridge Valerie Walters Study voice with dynamic artists in state-of-the-art facilities only 20 minutes from Atlanta and receive training in opera, chorus, and studio settings. Get ahead of the curve in becoming a 21st century musician and have opportunities to learn from singers like Jennifer Larmore, Kelly O’Connor, and Jessica Rivera who have all given guest master classes and performances at KSU. AUDITION DATES November 14, 2014 January 23, 2015 February 7, 2015 March 21, 2015 April 18, 2015 Jana Young MusicKSU.com www.classicalsinger.com 35 The Psychological Benefits of Singing Columbus State University classical vocal technique and the listening to classical music above all other musics without apology. schwob school of music Voice Studies Alumni Maureen McKay, soprano Metropolitan Opera, Komische Oper Berlin Michael Sumuel, baritone Finalist, 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; San Francisco Opera; Houston Grand Opera; Glyndebourne Festival (England) Paula Sides, soprano English Opera Company Gwendolyn Reid, mezzo soprano Universität der Künste, Berlin, Germany Kimberli Render, soprano First Place Winner, Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition Faculty Earl Coleman William and Isabelle Curry Eminent Scholar Chair in Voice Kimberly Cone Michelle Murphy DeBruyn Dian Lawler-Johnson Constantina Tsolainou Paul S. and Jean R. Amos Distinguished Chair in Music choral | studio | opera Degrees BA in Music | BM in Music Performance | MM in Music Performance BM in Music Education | MM in Music Education Awards Over $500,000 in music scholarships annually Woodruff Award: For entering undergraduate students. Winners receive full tuition, room and board, plus a $5,000 stipend. Video applications due March 1 Assistantships: Tuition plus stipend for qualifying graduates Auditions November 2013 | February 2014 | March 2014 Please visit our website for more information. ColumbusState.edu/music 36 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Depression Tomatis found particular value in the singing of chant, specifically Gregorian chant, “itself a naturally filtered form of music” which “seems to be the translation of the physiological rhythms of the human being.”10 Madaule notes how “Gregorian chant is very rich in high-frequency harmonics, which are energizing” and his treatment modality includes both chanting as well as listening to high-frequency “filtered” classical music.11 Madaule relates the famous story of the monks that Tomatis visited at a certain French abbey in the mid-1960s after the changes in Roman Catholic practices with Vatican II. These monks had spent their lives singing, and now they were not singing! They had decided to “move with the times” and gave up the ancient practice of singing chant as part of their daily life and worship. Tomatis described a “collective nervous breakdown” among the monks with a “loss of energy” and a state wherein their “batteries were flat and needed to be recharged.”12 Madaule notes how “difficult” it was for Tomatis to get the monks singing again, as “singing is the last thing you feel like doing when you are depressed.” But Tomatis treated their depression with the restoration of daily chanting and the listening to his filtered music recordings, and in time “the great majority of them regained their physical and spiritual health.”13 The Tomatis method has been an agent of healing for Alzheimer’s, autism, learning disabilities, and developmental delays as well as for sufferers of depression.14 The great castrati Farinelli (1705–1782), considered by many to be the greatest singer who ever lived, was hired by the wife of King Philip V of Spain to use his voice in an attempt “to cure Philip V of his melancholy madness.”15 Farinelli faithfully served as a kind of in-house music therapist to the deeply depressed and dysfunctional king, helping to ameliorate his suffering by singing the same songs to him every night for 10 years until the king’s death.16 The effect of singing related to depression cannot be underestimated. The revitalizing of the body, the making of beautiful sound, the release of creative energy—these will often pull a person out of the mire of despair in ways that no therapy or medication ever can. I feel that singing—and what I mean by singing is singing with attention to the production of high-frequency harmonics such as found in classical singing and espoused by Tomatis and Madaule—should be a primary tool in the treatment arsenal for every therapist, psychologist, counselor, or pastor. It irks me that singing is not a first line of defense in treating such a debilitating and potentially fatal mental illness such as depression. The Psychological Benefits of Singing Resources • American Music Therapy Association musictherapy.org • The Tomatis Method tomatis.com • The Listening Centre listeningcentre.com • National Association of Teachers of Singing nats.org Performance Anxiety Curious it is indeed that singing can cause performance anxiety and that breathing for singing can help cure it! Any singer who has ever performed knows the sensation of heightened awareness, sensitivity, increased heart rate, and perhaps sweating and dry throat that can accompany the singer to his performance. For many singers, this reaches to the level of true “performance anxiety,” which can be debilitating and render some singers unable to perform. I advise deep, controlled breathing akin to the Yogi breathing techniques I describe in “The Tao of Breathing” (June 2014) for the alleviation of anxiety for any reason.17 Pearl Shinn Wormhoudt, in her excellent writings on performance anxiety, suggests a deep “breathe 4—hold 4—exhale 4” exercise, combined with “easy walking back and forth” and calming visualization imagery before a performance in order to reduce the anxiety.18 Memory and Cognition It has been shown that the brain centers of memory are stimulated by singing.19 Singing is being employed as a specific therapy to regain speech ability in stroke patients.20 In the years that I spent as a therapeutic musician, I had the privilege of being the vehicle for healing and life-affirmation for the sick and elderly in ways that few are ever privy to. I saw nonresponsive and comatose patients open their eyes and sing along with me. I saw Alzheimer’s patients who could not remember their own names suddenly come alive and start singing the complete text of a hymn or song they knew from their youth. I was able to bring tears to the eyes of someone who could not speak and who grasped my hand in gratitude for giving them a song’s worth of beauty, truth, and memory—even if it was for only a few minutes. So good a thing, indeed. It is for these among many reasons that I advocate singing— high-frequency, full-of-singer’s-formant classical singing—for its myriad psychological benefits. Be passionate. Be brilliant. Be memorable. www.colorado.edu/music Application Deadline: December 1 ClassicalSinger5-2014.indd 1 www.classicalsinger.com 5/28/14 3:18 PM 37 The Psychological Benefits of Singing Theresa Rodriguez holds a master of music with distinction in voice pedagogy and performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University and wishes to thank Professor Marvin Keenze for introducing her to the Tomatis method. Endnotes 1 Rodriguez, Theresa. “Spectral Analysis, Vibrato Rates, and Listening Perceptions of Three Emotions in Classical Singers.” Graduate Pedagogy Project, Westminster Choir College, 2005. 2 Clift, Stephen and Grenville Hancox. “The Significance of Choral Singing for Sustaining Psychological Well Being: Findings of Survey of Choristers in England, Australia, and Germany.” Music Performance Research, 3:1, 2010, p. 79-96. 3 McCoy, Scott. Your Voice: An Inside View, Version 1.0, p. 41. 4 Madaule, Paul. “About the Tomatis Method for Singers and Musicians.” Excerpt from About the Tomatis Method. The Listening Centre, Toronto, Second Edition, 1988. www.listeningcentre.com/ pdf/11tomathis04.pdf, p. 4, accessed 3/26/2014. 5 Ibid., p.5. 6 Madaule. “About The Tomatis Method,” p. 5. 7 Günter, Horst. “Mental Concepts in Singing: A Psychological Approach.” NATS Journal, Part II, May/June 1992, p. 4. 8Madaule. When Listening Comes Alive, p. 61. 9 Günter, Horst. “Mental Concepts in Singing: A Psychological Approach” NATS Journal, Part I, May/June 1992, p. 46. 10 Ibid., p. 7. 11Maduale, When Listening Comes Alive, p. 63. 12 Ibid., p. 62-63. 13 Ibid., p. 63. 14 Ibid., p. 55-56, 63-73, 152-153, 178. 15 www.theodora.com/encyclopedia/f/farinelli.html, accessed 4/19/2014. 16 Pleasants, Henry. The Great Singers: From the Dawn of Opera to Our Own Time, p.75 17 Rodriguez. “The Tao of Breathing,” Classical Singer, June 2014, www.classicalsinger.com/magazine/article.php?id=2733. 18 Wormhoudt, Pearl Shinn. With a Song in My Psyche, p. 122-129. 19 Mutch, Peter. “Dementia and Music Therapy: Memory Stimulation.” From www.room217.ca/article/dementia-and-music-therapy-memorystimulation, accessed 4/5/14. 20Knox, Richard. “Singing Therapy Helps Stroke Patients Speak Again.” NPR Morning Edition, www.npr.org/blogs/ health/2011/12/26/144152193/singing-therapy-helps-stroke-patientsspeak-again, accessed 3/26/14. Music Theory for Singers is geared specifically for voice students and singers. The book series helps students understand the fundamentals of theory related to voice, apply it to the varied repertoire they learn throughout the year and become not only better singers, but also educated musicians. Total Singing Actor Training n n n World-class faculty World-class facilities World-class students Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance Excellence in Musicianship Innovative Techniques for Today’s Singer 270 - 18th Street | Brandon, Manitoba | R7A 6A9 | (204) 727-7388 | music@brandonu.ca | www.brandonu.ca 38 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Each Level (1-10), available in print or eBook formats, includes notation, rhythm, key signatures, intervals, chords, musical terms, composers and review tests. For more information, visit: www.kendallhunt.com/sandvig Sales Contact Lara Sanders | Editor 800.344.9034 ext. 1121 lsanders@kendallhunt.com In a field dominated by the vocal soloist, John Wustman is one of the few accompanists in this country who has achieved renown and critical acclaim in this most challenging of art forms. Mr. Wustman has developed that rare quality of bringing a strength and character to his accompaniments which create a true collaboration between the singer and the pianist. And this is as it should be, for in the art song especially the piano part is not mere rhythmic and tonal background, but an integral part of the composer’s intent and creation. Thus, on these recordings, Mr. Wustman provides not only the necessar y accompaniment but also through his artistry, stylistic and interpretive suggestion for the study of the music. Artists he has accompanied: Caballe, Crespin, Gedda, Moffo, Nilsson, Peerce, Peters, Schwarzkopf, Scotto, Warfield and Pavarotti. LIEDER ARIAS High Voice Soprano 17th/18th Century Italian Songs - High Voice, Vol. 1 ....MMO CD 4011 17th/18th Century Italian Songs - High Voice, Vol. 2 ....MMO CD 4013 BRAHMS German Lieder - High Voice ........................MMO CDG 4005 Everybody’s Favorite Songs - High Voice, Vol. 1 ........MMO CDG 4007 Everybody’s Favorite Songs - High Voice, Vol. 2 ........MMO CDG 4009 SCHUBERT German Lieder - High Voice, Vol. 1 ..........MMO CDG 4001 SCHUBERT German Lieder - High Voice, Vol. 2 ..........MMO CDG 4003 SCHUMANN German Lieder For High Voice ..................MMO CD 4024 STRAUSS German Lieder For High Voice ......................MMO CD 4022 WOLF German Lieder For High Voice ............................MMO CD 4020 Famous Soprano Arias................................................MMO CDG 4015 French Arias For Soprano..............................................MMO CD 4029 Italian Arias For Soprano ..............................................MMO CD 4028 MOZART Arias For Soprano ..........................................MMO CD 4026 Sacred Oratorio Arias for Soprano ................................MMO CD 4030 VERDI Arias For Soprano ..............................................MMO CD 4027 Low Voice Oratorio Arias For Alto ..................................................MMO CD 4031 17th/18th Century Italian Songs - Low Voice, Vol. 1......MMO CD 4012 17th/18th Century Italian Songs - Low Voice, Vol. 2......MMO CD 4014 BRAHMS German Lieder - Low Voice ........................MMO CDG 4006 Everybody’s Favorite Songs - Low Voice, Vol. 1..........MMO CDG 4008 Everybody’s Favorite Songs - Low Voice, Vol. 2..........MMO CDG 4010 SCHUBERT German Lieder - Low Voice, Vol. 1............MMO CDG 4002 SCHUBERT German Lieder - Low Voice, Vol. 2............MMO CDG 4004 SCHUMANN German Lieder For Low Voice ..................MMO CD 4025 STRAUSS German Lieder For Low Voice ......................MMO CD 4023 WOLF German Lieder For Low Voice ............................MMO CD 4021 Mezzo-Soprano Famous Mezzo-Soprano Arias ....................................MMO CDG 4033 Contralto Tenor Famous Tenor Arias ....................................................MMO CDG 4017 Oratorio Arias For Tenor..............................................MMO CDG 4032 Bass-Baritone Famous Baritone Arias................................................MMO CDG 4018 Famous Bass Arias ....................................................MMO CDG 4019 Oratorio Arias For Bass ................................................MMO CD 4033 All John Wustman Titles are $34.98 MSRP ENLARGE YOUR WUSTMAN COLLECTION, IN THIS EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER SALE. Buy any five albums, receive a 15% discount plus Free Shipping. ($29.73 per album) Buy any ten albums, receive a 30% discount plus Free Shipping. ($24.49 per album) 50 Executive Boulevard • Elmsford, New York 10523 Music Minus One Tel: 914.592.1188 • www.musicminusone.com • email: info@musicminusone.com Application Innovations: Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange Seeks to Redeem a Stressful Process BY CLAUDIA FRIEDLANDER Read about a new and revolutionary application process for a series of masterclasses mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato will present as part of her Carnegie Hall Perspectives residency in 2014-2015. Singers will have the unique opportunity to get feedback on all aspects of their application—bio, headshot, repertoire choices, and more—before they submit the application. Joyce DiDonato O ne of the most distracting, irritating, and time-consuming processes young singers engage in is the act of applying for the opportunities that will move their careers forward. Whether it is for a training program, a masterclass, or a mainstage audition, the work involved can be dizzying. Some companies accept MP3 files, others physical CDs, and still others insist on videos. Repertoire requirements can be highly specific and seldom overlap in an advantageous way. It’s entirely possible that applying for four opportunities that require two audio selections each may necessitate recording eight pieces! Résumé tweaking is stress inducing, and everyone has a different opinion. Depending on whom you ask, serif fonts are essential, sans serif fonts are much cleaner, education should always feature prominently at the top, education should be relegated to the bottom, etc. Worst of all, this process has a binary result: yes, we will hear you or advance you to the next round or no, we won’t. When have you ever received feedback specifically about the quality of your 40 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 application materials from a company that refused to hear you? Even if there is a problem with the way you are presenting yourself that could be solved with ease, a rejection is more likely to result in the assumption that they didn’t like your singing, whether or not that is actually the case. In connection with the series of masterclasses that Joyce DiDonato will present during her Carnegie Hall Perspectives residency in the 2014– 2015 season, Carnegie Hall will offer an online workshop on audition preparation throughout the summer and early fall in the hope of improving the application experience. The workshop will give potential applicants the opportunity to work through all the steps of the audition process with professional guidance, ask questions, and receive feedback on their materials before they are even submitted into consideration. The aim is to turn the audition process into a learning opportunity by providing resources to support young singers as they evaluate and apply for DiDonato’s masterclasses or other educational and performance opportunities. Carnegie Hall’s interactive educational website, Musical Exchange, will serve as a hub for these activities. Conceived as a global online community for young musicians to connect with one another, share their musical performances, and participate in groups and projects led by professional artists, Musical Exchange provides an ideal infrastructure for this extended application preparation workshop. According to Christopher Amos, director of education media and technology for Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI), the goal is “to create a set of educational, careerdevelopment resources that align with the opportunity to apply for Joyce’s masterclasses next season. For each topic related to the audition process, we will also follow up with blog posts, multimedia resources, and online discussions that draw on the perspectives of professionals in the field and allow young artists to explore the topics in greater depth while connecting with a supportive community of peers and mentors.” Application Innovations Topics will include choosing appropriate educational and performance opportunities; creating a timeline for the application process; selecting audition repertoire; and preparing headshots, demos, bios, and other materials. Singers will be encouraged to participate in discussions and share the audition materials they’re developing. DiDonato and members of the WMI staff will provide commentary and advice. Membership in Musical Exchange and advice on the preparation of materials will be free, but there will be a $10 fee to submit a completed application for DiDonato’s masterclasses, which is due by Oct. 15. It will be fascinating to see how this interactive process evolves on Musical Exchange and the impact it will have on the quality and number of application submissions. DiDonato has been a passionate advocate of arts education throughout her career and personally insisted on offering masterclasses in addition to her other activities with Carnegie Hall, which will include a series of concerts showcasing her prodigious skills with Baroque, Bel Canto, and Contemporary concert music. Over the past few seasons, she has offered masterclasses at the Royal Opera House, the Juilliard School, and Northwestern University. During her Perspectives residency, she will also participate in Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Project, which helps young expectant mothers and mothers of infants in teen clinics at hospitals, justice settings, and homeless shelters to collaborate with professional musicians to write personal lullabies for their babies. “One of the things that was so important to me was to include an educational aspect,” DiDonato shared in a video produced by Carnegie Hall about the planning of the series. “[As] an educator and a teacher, I always want to feel like there’s a higher purpose and that I am a part of something bigger than myself. Here at Carnegie Hall, you have the Weill Music Institute . . . [which] does so many things in terms of reaching out to young musicians.” Nowhere is DiDonato’s commitment to mentoring young singers in greater evidence than in her blog post of June 18, 2012, titled “A letter from the heart, to you wonderful, aspiring young artists out there!” Written in response to a message from an 18-year-old blonde mezzosoprano plagued by pressure to change her hair color, the post challenges readers to strive for personal excellence while remaining absolutely true to themselves and to keep the superficial judgments of others in perspective. “We need originals,” DiDonato wrote. “We need originals desperately, and the only way that will happen is if the business fosters and encourages individuality. We want it, we crave it, and we need it. But the aspiring artists of today also have a responsibility to learn about themselves, to strongly address why they need to perform and what they have to say . . . here’s hoping you all find your own, unique, beautiful, artistic, and soulful way to impact the world around you!” Join the action on Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange at musicalexchange.carnegiehall.org/page/auditionhandbook. Find Joyce DiDonato online at www.joycedidonato.com, on Twitter at @JoyceDiDonato, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/JoyceDiDonato/207466962440. Disclosure: Claudia Friedlander is an employee of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute and leads the Voice Studio group on Musical Exchange. Claudia Friedlander is a voice teacher and certified personal trainer with a studio in New York. Find her on the Web at www.claudiafriedlander.com or contact her at clf1@jhu.edu. From the Conductor’s Perspective Masterclasses with Maestro Peter Mark Artistic Director Emeritus-Virginia Opera “How Singers Get Hired” Los Angeles New York July 20th August 17th September 21st October 4-5 & 25-26 November 15-16 December 6-7 Peter’s masterful musical direction, knowledge and experience, and inspiring spirit were instrumental in leading me quickly to an international career. --Barbara Dever, Mezzo-Soprano, Metropolitan Opera Contact: petermarkmasterclasses@gmail.com www.petermarkmasterclass.com www.classicalsinger.com 41 The Audition Experience BY MICHELLE LATOUR Whether you love it or would rather get a root canal, auditioning is simply a singer’s reality. Find solace and inspiration from other singers as they share their experiences auditioning and how they manage the uncertainty of it all. I recently was an adjudicator for a NATSAA Competition at the regional level. My fellow judges were highly accomplished professionals. After each singer finished a selection, the room was silent. This felt strange to me, and I really wanted to say thank you to the singer or at least smile, but I felt uncomfortable attempting to be personable. I am sure the participants were nervous, and I wanted to do something to put them at ease. But I maintained my silence. This experience piqued my curiosity. How often do singers feel unwelcome or uncomfortable when singing for a panel of experts? In asking singers about their experiences applying for YAPs or participating in competitions, I found that most singers had a positive outlook, although a few came away extremely discouraged. Soprano Allison Jones, currently earning her DMA from the University of Kentucky, describes her YAP audition experiences as mostly positive, despite the normal stresses of traveling to new places. “One audition was in Boston,” Jones says. “I remember worrying about whether I would make it in time to the audition, because I didn’t know my way around. There were a ton of singers, and the practice rooms were few. The only place to warm up was in a room adjacent to the audition room, so you could hear everything!” Another memorable experience happened during an audition for a program in North Carolina. “After I sang 42 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 my first aria, the director actually worked with me,” Jones says. “He asked me to sing my aria again, but breathing deeper before each phrase, really allowing the air to do the work. I don’t think I succeeded, but I admired how genuine he was. To receive direct feedback like that was very unique, and I would gladly audition for that company again.” Chicago-based soprano Sarah Diller, who is singing with Ohio Light Opera’s Young Artist Program this summer, describes auditioning as mostly positive. “Overall, most everyone has been very friendly,” she says. “It tends to be the same pool of singers at each audition, so it’s definitely been a great way to network. On occasion, I have been made to feel like I’m wasting everyone’s time—but what really taints the experience is not hearing back from the company.” Baritone Brian Myer, a Young Artist at Chautauqua this summer, also speaks positively about auditioning. “Of course, I’ve regularly dealt with rejection, but I have rarely had disrespectful or unpleasant interactions,” he says. “Sometimes directors are very curt, but I understand that they are dealing with time constraints.” Not all singers, however, had encouraging auditions. One singer, who wished to remain anonymous, describes her first year of YAP auditions. “It was not a glowing experience. The first one of the season, which was not held in New York City, was the most successful. I enjoyed that process, and it was my best one. In New York, I was treated very rudely by two proctors and coldly by one panel. I cannot fathom the power trips some people have. Why does there have to be this toxicity present? There’s no need for it. Although, I did gain a lot of knowledge from this process. I know what adjustments to make so that next year’s round of auditions are more successful.” A New York-based soprano, who also wished to remain anonymous, spoke candidly about her experience auditioning. “[It was] horrible! The first time I was right out of grad school. I was granted quite a few auditions, but I was competing with people who were far more experienced and for only a few coveted slots. The second time, I spent over $350 in fees and got only one audition. “I don’t really know how else to start a career other than this path, but I think we are undervaluing ourselves,” she continues. “In what other job do you pay for an interview? Charging the very people who will be performing in their productions to audition does not seem like a viable way to run a business. I have serious doubts about the ethics of YAPs. I would much rather create small projects with people I like working with, doing musical theatre, or singing with bands. “I love the art form,” she admits, “but I disapprove of the methods one must follow in order to launch a career. If that means I will not have a career in opera, then I am at peace with that—but I do wish singers would stand up for themselves instead of just accepting the The Audition Experience status quo. Regional opera companies need to take a hard look at their business practices. It is ironic that we are playing their game when many companies seem to be poorly run, as evidenced by how many companies have closed their doors since the recession. We as young singers need to be far more creative if we want successful singing careers.” In the meantime, how do you survive the cutthroat competition, constant stress, and financial burden without becoming cynical? “I make goals for myself each year,” says award-winning soprano and Texas native, Natalie Cummings. “Yes, it stinks every time you don’t get heard, get an ornery pianist, or get an early morning audition time. But for the majority of companies, I get a sense of interest and engagement, and the desire for me to sing my best.” When setting goals, Cummings chooses to focus on the things she can control, rather than the things she can’t. “Of course, every singer needs to keep working on their voice, but I try diligently not to hang all my insecurities for every rejection on my voice,” she says. “That negativity makes me a less effective and less engaging performer. There are dozens of factors that can contribute to getting hired or not—maybe it was my dress; maybe they didn’t need a bigvoiced, big-boned, big-haired soprano; maybe the director’s ex-wife’s name is Natalie; maybe the tenor is short; or maybe they have an alum coming back. The list is endless. I try to resist the temptation to think that my voice is the reason, renew my commitment to improving and working hard, and concentrate on other aspects of the audition. “Last year, my goal was to learn something non-vocal from each audition,” she continues. “It forced me to sit down and reflect, ‘Could I have made a stronger introduction of my piece? How many times did I get asked for this or that second aria? How often do I feel I am fighting the pianist over a tempo?’ This year, my primary goal was to have fun. If I have fun, the people sitting at the table have fun, the pianist has fun and, overall, it is a better experience, regardless of the final outcome. I have fun when I perform on a stage, so why shouldn’t I duplicate this in an audition? This way, my postaudition evaluation—instead of being ‘I suck, I cracked on that note, or I should have engaged my breath’—turned into ‘Was that fun and, if not, what can I do to have more fun next time?’” I also asked singers about their experiences with scheduling auditions. I was particularly interested in this as one of my graduate students was granted three YAP auditions this year. I was amazed at how closely the auditions www.classicalsinger.com 43 The Audition Experience were scheduled, how little notification she was given before an audition, and how little feedback she received. Her travel schedule in one month practically made my head spin, especially since she was also juggling rehearsals for her role in UNLV’s production of Suor Angelica, was preparing her final master’s recital, was competing in several competitions, and was auditioning for numerous payto-sing summer programs. Although we were both thrilled at how many auditions she was granted, I was slightly appalled at how many red-eye and back-to-back flights she had in order to make all her auditions. In the end, although she was not accepted into a YAP program, she did win several competitions and was accepted into numerous pay-to-sing programs. The overall cost? For a sixmonth period, my student applied to 30 programs and competitions. She spent $2,700 on application fees, flights, and 44 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 travel-related expenses. She also had to quit her job when her employer stopped allowing her to request days off in order to attend auditions. Many singers reported similar experiences. Audition times were scheduled at the last minute, application fees were expensive, and there were often additional costs for the use of a practice room or staff accompanist. “I was told outright that I would not know if I was assigned an audition until possibly hours before,” Cummings says, who was granted several auditions and waitlisted for three programs. “My other auditions were scheduled closer together than I would have liked, but not too inconveniently. I did have one that was just too far away and last minute to purchase a flight, but they completely understood when I said that I would love to sing for them next year. It is the price I pay for being responsible with my budget and for not living in New York.” Another singer, who wished to remain anonymous, described a similar situation. “I was waitlisted for an audition at the end of October. Two weeks later I was notified that I had received an audition, but it was scheduled for only five days after my notification. I had already booked my flight to New York as I had other auditions. I rebooked the flight and paid $100 extra to get there on time. The day I arrived in New York, I received yet another notification for a different company. I had to rebook my flight again! This time it cost me $375 in rebooking fees, all because companies wait until the last minute to schedule auditions.” Some singers decide to forgo the last-minute audition rather than going into debt. “I did have one experience where I was waitlisted and then a week before was told I could fly out,” says San Diego-based tenor Alexis Alfaro. “It wasn’t economically viable, so I The Audition Experience politely informed them that I could not do it this year but that I looked forward to auditioning next year with more advanced notification. The administrative coordinator thanked me for my polite response and said she would keep an eye out for my application next year.” For baritone Michael Orlinsky, his solution was based upon geography. “I moved to Chicago for graduate school, but also to save money on traveling expenses for auditions,” he says. “It’s important to think outside the box in order to save yourself from overindulging in the expensive singing habit.” Not all singers had issues with the audition process. “I never had an audition time scheduled that I could not meet,” one singer admits. “Yes, some of the application fees were pricey— and when I paid for the use of a practice room, it was because I chose to do so. I don’t know anyone having auditions in New York who could provide a practice room to 100 auditionees.” Not all singers agree. “Being notified for an audition at the last minute is super irritating,” said one soprano. “There has to be a way to fix that. Although, thank goodness for Southwest. They have been my saving grace on more than one occasion. But paying for the use of a practice room? Ridiculous!” However, sometimes major inconveniences pay off. It did for soprano Melissa Rivera, who is enjoying a career in both opera and musical theatre. She currently is a cast member for the world premiere of the musical theatre production Moses with Sight & Sound Theatre. “Last year I was put on the waiting list for the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions (UPTAs),” she says. “I did not find out until a week before the audition that I had been given a slot. I was singing Despina in Così fan tutte that weekend and had to ask my double to cover the last performance. Not only that—there were no longer any rooms available at the hotel where the auditions were being held, so I had to book a room for two nights at a very high-end hotel. Plane tickets were too expensive, so I had to drive. There were no practice rooms available, so I warmed up in my car. On the bright side, I received 10 callbacks and several job offers. I guess it was worth it.” Soprano Michelle Latour is active as a singer, teacher, writer, adjudicator, and workshop presenter throughout California, Nevada, and the Midwest. Visit her online at www.michellelatour.com. Explore the rich art song tradition of Sweden! Price : 249 SEK or 37 US$ 144 pages, hard cover order@gehrmans.se • www.gehrmans.se www.classicalsinger.com 45 The Dos and Don’ts of YAP Auditioning BY ALAN E. HICKS The director of Green Mountain Opera Festival’s Emerging Artist Program shares his thoughts on what singers should and should not do when applying to and auditioning for YAPs. I am a former singer. During my short singing career, I auditioned for 10 to 15 Young Artist Programs every year, and I was hired more than once. A few years ago I moved into stage direction, and I am the recently appointed director of a professional Young Artist Program. I have now been on both sides of the auditioning table. Having sung auditions myself puts me in a unique position of empathy for singers in the audition process—I have been there. It also, however, puts me in a position of disbelief at how ill prepared many singers are for the requirements of auditioning. Singers, mostly between the ages of 21 and 32 (and at all experience levels) do questionable things before, during, and after auditioning. Most of these transgressions have nothing to do with the notes or words on the page. Auditioning is selling yourself. Auditioners can tell much about a singer before he or she sings a note (or even introduces themselves). The voice may be the most important of the singer’s assets on display in an audition, but there are many pieces to the casting puzzle that singers may not be aware of. During the course of our prescreening auditions, media auditions, and live auditions for this season, I found myself making a list of the dos and (mostly) don’ts of auditioning for Young Artist Programs. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and it is not meant to be. It is meant only to address some of the items that I feel are not covered in our 46 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 universities and conservatories and may not be considered as important as they actually are. The Recording Before we get to the actual audition, I would like to discuss the audition before the audition—prescreening audio and video recordings. During our application process, many good singers made bad choices when it came to the quality of the materials they submitted, most of which had nothing to do with the quality of their singing and yet still had an impact on our choices. Remember, you must get through prescreening before you sing a live audition. Prescreening recordings cannot be simply “thrown together.” Here are suggestions to address some of the more egregious errors made by young singers: 1. First and foremost, send a goodquality recording. Either invest in a good recording device or borrow one. If your recording is barely audible or it sounds like it was recorded on wax cylinder, I move on and you don’t get to sing live. 2. Don’t send old recordings, no matter how great you think they are. Make new recordings every year. 3. Don’t try to learn something new and record it based on the company’s season. Just as in live auditions, sing (and record) what you do best. 4. Record in a semi-dry room with the recording device about 15 feet away. 5. Check your sound levels to find the sweet spot between easily audible and distortion. The auditioner should have to turn the volume up only to 3 or 4 out of 10 to hear you easily and clearly. 6. Links to YouTube recordings are perfectly acceptable and, for my money, preferable. Sending links to preexisting recordings (if the company allows it) means you will never run into the problem of a sound file that is too large to send via e-mail or upload on YAP Tracker. However, there are many free audio conversion tools on the Internet that will reduce the size of your recording while maintaining the quality (within acceptable parameters). 7. I personally like live recordings as long as they meet the above criteria and are not prohibited by the application. I think they show a singer’s command of an audience and ability to perform under the kind of pressure they will experience in my program. Your Résumé (Note: I Did Not Say “Your CV”) There is one (and only one) accepted format for a singing résumé. A sample can be found on the OPERA America website. Find it and use it. When you find the sample résumé, you may notice that there is no “Masterclass” section. This is because no one cares what masterclasses you have attended or even in which masterclasses you have sung. Save that information for your teaching résumé or curriculum vitae where it might actually matter. The Dos and Don’ts of YAP Auditioning Proofread your résumé. Actual mistakes I have seen on résumés include misspelled directors’ names, misspelled composers’ names or show titles, misspelled languages (e.g., “I speak French and Check ”—seriously, this happened!). If you are auditioning for a company in a country in which the primary language is not your first language, have a native speaker proofread your résumé. Never rely on translation software or websites. Learn to use tabs. Things on your résumé should line up. There are “left,” “center,” and “right” tabs. Use them all. Lastly, if you have symbols on your résumé, you must also have a legend or key. When I see an asterisk next to a role on your résumé and no footnote or key explaining that symbol’s meaning, I wonder why. Your Photo My biggest problem with photos is not with the photos themselves, but with the people standing in front of me who do not look like their photos—at all. Many singers take a lovely photo, having put on makeup and used product in their hair, but then come to an audition looking homeless from the shoulders up. If you don’t bother to do something with your hair or makeup, you literally look like a different person than the one in the photo—and later, when I am going through those photos, I can’t remember you. I have, in the past, spent hours looking at someone’s photo thinking, I don’t know who this girl is! Though I am speaking specifically about makeup and hair, it should not be assumed that this is a women’s only issue. Though it happens less with male applicants, there have been photos that have come across my desk of men with long or short hair or a mustache, but when I see them, they have completely changed their look. If you change your look, get a new picture. Your Repertoire List I cannot count the number of times I was handed a rep list with the following header: “Repertoire List for Opera Company ‘A’ Opera Company ‘B’” (the change written in pen, of course). You can’t find a printer and reprint your list with the actual name of the company for which you are auditioning? There is a simple solution: don’t put the company name on your rep list at all. We know who we are. Don’t give us a rep list and then not have the music for something on the list. Many times we have asked for things on rep lists only to be told, “Oh, I didn’t bring that; I brought this instead.” This is pretty self-explanatory. The reason rep lists exist is to update us on changes made to your original aria package. Things should not be struck through. It is better to just tell us what you brought as opposed to giving us a record of what you won’t sing for us. Attitude Trust me, no matter how long your day has been, our day has been longer. Leave your attitude at the door—we are looking for more than just the voice. You never know who is opening the door for you or playing your audition, so don’t be rude. Many artistic directors or music directors will play auditions if the pianist has to leave the room or take a break (or sometimes, just because they like doing it). It is important that you treat everyone in the room (and outside the room) with respect. An anecdote in furtherance of this point: A few years before I was appointed to my current position, I was asked by an artistic director to sit in on auditions for a young artist show that I was to direct. As we did not have an audition monitor that day and I was sitting closest to the door, I volunteered to open the door and bring the singers’ materials to the table. Assuming I was just the monitor, one soprano was particularly rude to me. I could see the panic on her face when I sat down at the table, was introduced as the stage director, and started taking notes. She was not hired—not entirely because of that incident, but it certainly didn’t help. There are many companies that have a reputation of being rude to young singers and, no matter how nice you are or how well you sing, some auditioners will appear disinterested (e.g., while you sing your audition, they don’t look up from their lunch, will talk loudly to each other, or will pack up their bags and put on their coats, etc.). As hard as it is to stay positive in the face of what seems like disinterest, you must forge forward and be pleasant. Their perceived disinterest does not warrant a reaction. Focus on why you are there, if nothing else, use the experience to better your own audition prowess. There are two simple truths about auditioning: (1) You are asking a company for a job and presenting your credentials, and (2) you must get over that hurdle before you can prove yourself on stage. Crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s will not change how you sing in an audition—but maximizing your chances before, during, and after auditioning does help (and certainly can’t hurt). Auditioners are the gatekeepers, and you must convince them to open the door. There are many good singers who have never been offered a young artist contract. The dos and don’ts listed above are an important starting point in assessing why. Alan E. Hicks is a professional stage director, director of the Emerging Artist Program at Green Mountain Opera Festival, and author of Singer and Actor: Acting Technique and the Operatic Performer (Amadeus Press, 2011). In addition to teaching acting and stagecraft, he has taught auditioning and business classes in universities across the country. www.classicalsinger.com 47 Fired Up: Jennifer Rowley BY BRIAN MANTERNACH photo by Mathew Holler After a surprising dismissal from Covent Garden, soprano Jennifer Rowley is blazing ahead. I magine being fired. An unfortunate reality of our fluctuating marketplace is that every year many people endure the hardship of losing a job. Whether due to a round of layoffs, incompatibility, or employers simply moving in a new direction, it never feels good to be let go. Now imagine losing your job and then reading about it in the London Evening Standard. Jennifer Rowley can relate. In 2012, Rowley was preparing to make her Royal Opera debut at Covent Garden as Princess Isabelle in Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable. As a young soprano, Rowley’s voice had begun growing into a more dramatic sound, something she and the Royal Opera directors couldn’t help but notice. Given that Isabelle is often cast with light coloratura sopranos, Rowley’s oncoming vocal heft was not what everyone felt was right for the production. Despite positive 48 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 comments from her castmates during rehearsals, Rowley was dismissed three days before opening night. In an official statement, the Royal Opera acknowledged her maturing, emerging sound and explained, “Voices do develop, and we have to recognize that this role is not ideally suited for her now more dramatic voice.” Given the same company’s inauspicious removal of Deborah Voigt in 2004 over the “little black dress” incident, the media was quick to pick up the story, writing that Rowley had been “dropped” and “effectively fired” in what were described as “highly unusual” circumstances. Though discouraged and dejected, Rowley was far from done. The 33-yearold soprano is already a winner of a Richard Tucker Career Grant and is a critically acclaimed international performer, having appeared with the Norwegian National Opera, the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland, and on Den Norske Opera’s DVD of La bohème. Rediscovering her confidence and determination, this past March marked her Metropolitan Opera debut which, by all accounts, was a great success. The New York Times noted the achievement saying, “The rich-voiced soprano Jennifer Rowley made a splash in her house debut as Musetta, maneuvering flirtatiously through the crowds and singing with a vibrant, agile voice in ‘Quando me’n vo’.’” Engagements continue to pour in as Rowley is looking forward to upcoming debuts with Semperoper Dresden, Opéra de Lille, Théâtre de Caen, and West Australian Opera in increasingly dramatic roles, including Leonora in Il trovatore and Tosca. While enthusiastically charging ahead to a bright future, Fired Up: Jennifer Rowley Rowley can now identify the lessons learned from her painful past episode. In a recent article for the Wall Street Journal, Rowley talked about the incident publicly for the first time. “I really did think that was it for me,” she says. “I really thought, ‘Everyone’s going to think I’m broken.’” Knowing that her voice is different from those who have recorded and performed the role in the past, she was proud of the work she had done in preparation for the London run and was looking forward to lending her unique sound to Meyerbeer’s character. “I was really excited for people to hear my Isabelle,” she says. Upon reflection, she recognizes that much of the dilemma was merely a matter of artistic preference. “I understand what they wanted and what I couldn’t give,” she said. “That was a massive lesson to learn from a situation that wasn’t so great to go through. You can’t always give what someone else may want, and in that instance it might be better for someone else to serve the work.” Throughout the ordeal, she felt the unwavering support of her colleagues. “[Tenor] Bryan Hymel was just a huge cheerleader for me, and for someone of that caliber to be on your team cheering you on the whole time . . . I was so happy with my cast.” Though implementing her burgeoning sound, Rowley always felt she could sing the role and handle all of its technical demands. “It wasn’t that I wasn’t capable,” she says, “it was just that I sang it with my voice, and my voice is a Verdi voice and that’s not what they wanted. I suppose aesthetically when you think of French grand opera, you probably don’t think of a big, verismo sound. You think of a more luxurious, round, sort of ethereal kind of sound. I guess I have too much oomph for that!” Originally a replacement herself when Diana Damrau’s pregnancy made her unable to fulfill the contract, the role was eventually given to Italian soprano Patrizia Ciofi on short notice, with Russian soprano Sofia Romina completing the last two performances. The casting of these women confirms in Rowley’s mind that she was frankly the wrong fit for the way the role was envi- sioned, noting that her physical and vocal makeup is quite different from the two who would ultimately join the production. “Should the same voice that sings Tosca also sing Isabelle? I don’t know. I think it’s just a matter of I could do it and it was good! It just wasn’t what they wanted,” she says. “That’s hard to swallow, but it was their piece and that’s how they wanted it presented.” Despite her disappointment, she didn’t have much time to indulge her sorrows. Within two months, she was called into a music rehearsal at the Met as Krassimira Stoyanova’s cover for Desdemona. Still reeling from her Royal Opera nondebut, she felt some trepidation about this next engagement. “I thought to myself, ‘Oh my gosh! My very first day at the Met ever and I’m going to go sing with José Cura and Thomas Hampson!’” Her fears were quickly allayed when Cura, with whom she had previously worked, welcomed her with literal open arms. “I walked in the room and he opened his arms up huge with this big goofy smile and [said], ‘Oh, my baby, come here! Give me a hug! Come sit by me!’” When the rehearsal began and she and Cura had finished their first duet, the reaction of those in the room confirmed that the troubles of London had not followed her back to the States. “Everyone in the room just stopped and looked at me and was like, ‘Wow, she’s got it!’ The conductor, Alain Altinoglu, was so wonderful. He looked at me and said, ‘You don’t have to be afraid of anything. This is yours.’ And from that moment I was like, ‘Yeah, I got this. I can do this.’” Now on the other side of this particular trial, Rowley takes the opportunity to encourage others not to let a similar disappointment derail their own career aspirations. “A lot of young singers wrote me and asked me what I did, like how I got through it, and if they could have advice. I really was super happy to help them because it is something I don’t want anyone to have to go through.” While these young singers are likely not watching their struggles played out in the British press, she recognizes that the pain is no less real. “There are a lot of kids in colleges and master’s programs and Young Artist Programs who are go- www.classicalsinger.com 49 Fired Up: Jennifer Rowley photo by Erik Berg Rowley as Musetta in Den Norske Opera’s production of La bohème, 2011 ing through a mini version of that same thing and they feel like it is the end of the world.” She appreciates the opportunity to help members of the up-and-coming crowd through their own battles by likening the experience to other relatable setbacks. “It’s like a breakup,” she says. “It’s gonna hurt for like three days and then you’re gonna crawl out of bed and throw out the Chinese food containers and you’re gonna be OK.” Filing it under “things they don’t teach you in school,” Rowley believes that the difficult lessons learned as young singers can provide the most valuable education upon reaching the professional world. “What I have taken away from that experience I am now able to pass on to the next generation of singers,” she says, “and for me that makes the experience, as awful as it was, completely worth it.” Distance has also allowed her to take a light-hearted view of the situation. During the media onslaught following her dismissal, Rowley remembers the surreal moment of opening up a London newspaper and seeing her headshot among the top newsmakers of the day, exactly opposite a photo of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Though cringing initially, a friend later jokingly pointed out that even if she had sung the role as a reincarnated version of Maria Callas, that still wouldn’t have been enough to earn a half page picture in the London newspaper. You are a vocalist, a storyteller, a visionary. Embrace your inner artist at The Boston Conservatory. VOICE AND OPERA Patty Thom, Chair Johnathon Pape, Director of Opera Studies Andrew Altenbach, Music Director of Opera Studies Nathan Troup, Associate Director of Opera Studies George Case, Director of Choral Activities; Conductor of The Boston Conservatory Chorale Kevin Wilson, Director of Vocal Pedagogy STUDIO & VOICE OPERA & VOCAL STUDIES Marilyn Bulli Kerry Deal Rebecca Folsom Sara Goldstein Thomas Gregg Robert Honeysucker Victor Jannett Monique Phinney Patty Thom Kevin Wilson Kathryn Wright Jean Anderson Collier, Principal Opera Coach Michelle Alexander Pamela Dellal Damien Francoeur-Krzyzek Thomas Gregg Sun Ho Kim John Kuntz Charles Linshaw Karen MacDonald Ruymann Michael Strauss Allison Voth 50 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Apply by December 1 BOSTONCONSERVATORY.EDU Fired Up: Jennifer Rowley Jennifer Rowley and tweets saying, “We can’t wait to have you back!” and “We all want to hear you sing!” Despite the rocky beginning, Rowley is looking forward to a continued relationship with the company long after her eventual debut. “I know that they like me and I know that they care what happens to me,” she says. “And because I know that, I feel like I can go in and really just kill it and have fun!” Rowley hopes that her debut will finally put the issue of her previous dismissal in the permanent past. “I didn’t talk about it for a long time,” she says, “because I felt like it was very taboo and one of those touchy subjects that you just don’t want to stick around. . . . I feel like now I can sort of say, ‘OK, it happened and now I move forward.’ “Everyone has a moment when their star doesn’t shine the brightest, I guess. That was mine—and I hope that’s my only one!” photo by Mathew Holler Tenor Brian Manternach teaches voice at the University of Utah in the Musical Theatre Program. He holds degrees in vocal performance from Saint John’s University of Minnesota (BA), the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (MM), and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (DM). He can be reached at bmantern@gmail.com. Finally able to laugh about the situation, she knows that she carries a certain notoriety that not all opera singers enjoy. “When I go back there,” she says, “everybody knows my name, everybody knows my face, but they don’t exactly remember why. I’m really excited to let them know why they should know my name!” Rowley will get that chance in 2015 as she makes her scheduled Royal Opera debut as Musetta in a La bohème production that includes Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja. Rather than burn a bridge and refuse the contract, she is looking forward to the run. “I’m not nervous,” she says. “I don’t feel anything like that because the people that I worked with on a daily basis, they were on my side . . . there was so much support inside the house, outside the house, for me and for me moving forward that I feel like when I go back I’m going to be in a place with a lot of friends.” Besides the show of support from her colleagues, she received even more encouragement through social media. “I had chorus members from the Royal Opera writing me on Twitter, writing me on Facebook, saying, ‘We loved you! We loved working with you! We had such a great time with you! You’re wonderful!’ that I feel like I can walk in fresh and just start new,” she says. She also saw demonstrations of optimism and advocacy on her behalf from operagoers who are eagerly anticipating her return. “Social media—thank goodness for it,” she says. “It helps you really connect with the actual fans. The people on Twitter who go to the Royal Opera—I mean daily—they’re huge fans.” Feeling the swell of grassroots support, she received messages Sarah Coburn Ron Raines Kristin Chenoweth Leona Mitchell Kelli O’Hara Marquita Lister Their voices acclaimed. Their names are familiar. As renowned performers, they share a passion for excellence, a powerful work ethic, and a virtuosic versatility. They also hold in common a solid foundation in vocal training, earned through music degrees at Oklahoma City University. 2013-14 Audition Dates November 15 & 16 February 7 & 8 March 7 & 8 For more information, or to schedule an audition, visit us at www.okcu.edu/music or call 800-208-5000. www.classicalsinger.com 51 Sheri Greenawald The Adler Fellowship: PERSPECTIVES ON A TOP-TIER TRAINING PROGRAM BY LISA HOUSTON Almost every classical singer is familiar with the renowned residency for young singers known as the Adler Fellowship. Find out what the fellowship is really all about from the program’s director, Sheri Greenawald, and Fellows past and present. Hadleigh Adams T he success of a classical singer is built upon a foundation of training, mentorship, and opportunity, and this program at San Francisco Opera is well known as an unparalleled place to garner all three. The Adler Fellowship program is a twoyear performance-oriented program for young professionals who have already completed the San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Opera Program, and the young singers who participate in it are without question the best of the best among aspiring opera singers. The program comprises approximately 8 to 12 artists per year, and also includes coach/pianists as well as the occasional stage director, such as Jose Maria Condemi (Adler Fellow 2001, 2002). The program began as the Affiliate Artists Opera Program in 1977 with Carol Vaness as one of the participants and later took the name of its illustrious founder, Kurt Herbert Adler (not to be confused with the longtime Met chorus master Kurt Adler, whose name singers know well from his compilations of operatic arias for Schirmer). Adler was born in Vienna in 1905, the son of a textile manufacturer. By the age of 20, aided by years of study in Vienna’s Academy of Music, Conservatory, and 52 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 University, Adler made his conducting debut. His career in his home country began auspiciously with posts at the Vienna Volksoper and an assistantship to Toscanini in Salzburg in 1936 and 1937. But in 1938 he fled the impending dangers imposed on Jews in Austria by the increasingly powerful National Socialist Party. He came to the U.S. to conduct in Chicago and it was in 1943 that San Francisco Opera’s founder and director, Gaetano Merola, invited him to join the company as chorus master. Adler would eventually succeed Merola and serve as director of the company from 1953 to 1981. Adler’s activities at the company and beyond reveal a man broadly passionate about music education and developing young talent. In addition to beginning San Francisco Opera’s training programs as early as 1954, he served as advisor to the San Francisco Conservatory, conducted youth concerts, and organized school performances across the Bay Area. He was also a lecturer in music at the University of California–Berkeley, where his papers are archived. The preface to an oral history compiled by the university sums up the general opinion of his professional temperament—which famously clashed Heidi Melton with that of Maria Callas, resulting in the cancellation of her company debut. (Callas sang two concerts in San Francisco, but never did a role with the company.) “Few would disagree that Adler was a difficult, tyrannical character or that he created crisis after crisis just to keep the operatic juices flowing,” reads the preface. “Of his legendary temper he said that it bade for ‘artistic tension, which is good for success.’” The stars among Adler alumni— David Lomelí (2009, 2010), Ruth Ann Swenson (1983, 1984), Patricia Racette (1989, 1990), Dolora Zajick (1984, 1985), and numerous other A List singers—prove that to one degree or another, Adler was correct. Whatever his methods, his interest in singers’ development was keen. Soprano Janet Williams (1988, 1989) recalls an encounter with Adler after a performance as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi when she was in the Merola program. “He approached me and told me he’d like me to learn the role of Giorgetta from Il tabarro, the only opera of Il trittico in which I had not been assigned a role. When I questioned whether it would be a good idea for me to sing such a spinto role, he told me he thought I should The Adler Fellowship learn roles from the entire Trittico, even that students can leave their teachers and if I were suited to sing only one or two of be out on their own right away in their the roles. It taught me a great deal about early 20s or mid 20s is a little naive.” learning what the composer has in mind The singers are also given lessons when he or she composes separate pieces from master teacher César Ulloa. “When associated with a cycle or whole group— we arrive we all see César for an hour how much one could learn from the each Friday,” says Adams. “[He is a] composer’s style and musical language.” great technician and has an incredible At the fellowship helm these days mind. He doesn’t want to interfere with is veteran soprano and voice teacher anyone’s technique. He’s keeping things Sheri Greenawald, who had a major healthy.” international singing career herself and “You really do have to keep tabs now fosters and encourages the young on them because things are changing singers whom she lovingly refers to as rapidly,” says Greenawald. “There’s a lot “our kids.” Heidi Melton (2009), who of growth happening for you in your 20s. is now enjoying an international career I hope every Adler goes out . . . singing at as a sought-after dramatic soprano a higher level.” and Wagnerian, says of Greenawald’s Greenawald is also keenly aware of the lessons, “She was an amazing teacher particular challenges singers face in the for me during that time in helping me industry today. “Let’s put it out on the to, how shall I put this, drive the large table: the little black dress syndrome,” truck that I was given.” Current Adler she says. “The weight loss issue. My Fellow baritone Hadleigh Adams says of friends who sing at the Met, it’s all about Greenawald, “Her door is always open at the HD diet. Everybody goes on their any time to talk about any issue.” HD diet. So that’s what opera singers Greenawald’s priorities are clear. “We are confronting all the time. Luckily one still are a training program. It isn’t just an of our donors is a PhD psychologist, so artists in residence program,” she says. we have a list of psychologists who can However talented they may be when help them with that. One of my current they arrive, she wants to help the Adler Adlers just lost 75 pounds, so we try to Fellows continue to grow technically. “I help them cope with that new demand. feel very strongly that you have to work It may not be a new demand but a more with them ad on2014 a vocal level. 2:45 To PM assume frost season 02 6/10/14 Page 1 publicized demand. The discrimination Verismo Variations Scenes by Leoncavallo, Mascagni, Puccini Suor Angelica Gianni Schicchi Stage Direction by Jeffrey Buchman The Death of Webern by Michael Dellaira and J.D. McClatchy FROST probably went on in the past but nobody talked about it. Now it’s all out in the open: you’ve gotta be skinny. So that has changed the business tremendously, so we do help with counseling about that.” With any major opportunity come high expectations, and the demands on the Adler Fellows are substantial. “It’s easy to think, ‘Oh, I know this well enough,’” says Adams. “But you’ve got to know the music as well as the conductor before you start. It’s got to be in your body. Everything on the score, every marking has to be in the way you sing it from day one, and there’s no room for that not to be the case. If your conductor says to you they want it legato not staccato, you can get it wrong once, maybe. But if you’re told twice, it’s problematic and people remember.” “You have no idea how many people get to a gig and they haven’t learned their music,” says Melton. “They kind of know it and they’re not off book. When I was an Adler, this was not an option. It was instilled in you that no matter how good you are—or think you are— it doesn’t matter at the end of the day if you’re not doing your work. So for me, it’s about making sure that I’m prepared and coached and know the languages and know what I’m singing about, and I’m off book and ready to go.” OPERA THEATER 2014/2015 PERFORMANCES DEPARTMENT OF VOCAL PERFORMANCE Ross Barentyne-Truluck Tony Boutté Maria Denison Coreen Duffy Esther Jane Hardenbergh, Chair Alan Johnson Karen Kennedy Don Oglesby Corin Overland Nobleza Pilar Robynne Redmon Elaine Rinaldi Kevin Short Ana Flavia Zuim FROST OPERA THEATER 305-284-4162 www.music.miami.edu The Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music at the University of Miami is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. Recommended application submission deadline December 1, 2014 admission.music@miami.edu www.classicalsinger.com 53 The Adler Fellowship photo by Kristen Loken Adams singing at the 2013 Adler Gala Concert 54 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 The Fellows’ rigorous preparation is facilitated by ample coaching in languages and music by people with extensive knowledge of the repertoire. These relationships can have a career-defining impact, as in the case of Melton and pianist/ coach John Parr, who is also her colleague now in Karlsruhe, Germany. “My first year as an Adler coaching with John Parr, he said to me, ‘Hmm, have you ever thought about Wagner?’” Melton relates. “When he said that, it opened up a whole world for me, and it’s the world that is really taking me places. It’s not every day you open up a score and you feel like it was written for you. That’s a turning point.” Young singers in this program can find themselves swimming in the deep end very quickly. Adams knew he wanted to come to San Francisco from the time he saw the DVD of the company’s production of André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire when he was 18. In his very first production when he arrived, the program’s “first Kiwi” fresh from his training in New Zealand and Australia, he was onstage in a production of Les contes d’Hoffmann with Natalie Dessay. One of Melton’s The Adler Fellowship photo by Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Adams (center) as an officer with Isabel Leonard as Rosina in San Francisco Opera’s production of The Barber of Seville, 2013 biggest opportunities came when she was asked to step in for an ailing Patricia Racette in the Verdi Requiem. Despite their success, neither Melton nor Adams describes anything remotely like complacency at being an Adler, at having arrived. On the contrary, both conveyed a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude. As Adams puts it, when he found out he was being made an Adler, he was elated. But he also thought, “OK, I’ve gotta work so much harder now to be ready.” With such prestige at a relatively early age, it seems fair to wonder if there have been any problems with egotism over the years. “We’ve had years when there’s been more conflict within the kids themselves, but not in recent years,” Greenawald says. “I’m always emphasizing to them about fellowship because you can’t be on stage by yourself that often, so you better get along with your colleagues. I’ve had a couple of Adlers stay only one year because they realized this isn’t what they wanted to do.” Case in point, tenor Jeffrey Thomas, who was an Adler Fellow the first year the program was given that name in 1982, stayed only one year. He went on to become an early music conductor, notably and currently for American Bach Soloists. “I never felt like I fit in completely among aspiring opera singers,” Thomas once said. “It is a moment of reckoning when you realize, ‘Yes, I really want to do this,’ or you realize it’s a challenge you don’t want to take on,” says Greenawald. “Your 20s and even your early 30s are a time when we’re all, not just singers, busy defining ourselves. There’s a lot going on for these singers while they’re here—a lot of growth, a lot of trial and error, and just searching constantly. Of course, that’s what musicians have to do.” Another thing an Adler has to do constantly is audition. A singer in the program can do as many as 30 auditions in a season, as the house arranges for agents and other important industry people coming through town to hear them. “We help them by getting them in so many auditions that by the end of their fellowship, doing an audition is no big deal,” Greenawald explains. “They’ve done so many, they’re inured to that process.” The program is comprehensive in its support. “Anyone fortunate enough to land in the Adler Fellowship program found themselves immediately on the ‘right grapevine,’” says Williams. “Every opportunity was given and no money spared to make sure Adler Fellows got a good start in the business. One singer received a grant to go to Germany to study Lulu, another to Italy to study Italian for an upcoming role. My own good fortune was a grant to go to Paris and study with Régine Crespin—an opportunity that led to my European debut in Lyon, France. We were each assigned generous sponsors who made sure any need was met. Nothing was too trivial or too much—from a sponsor who took us to various dress shops around the cities convincing the shop owners to donate gowns to arranging major agent auditions before the program was over. No one left the Adler program without a major agent working on their behalf.” These days, things may be somewhat different. “We like to see that we can help them get management before they leave, [but] it doesn’t always work out,” says Greenawald. “The management business has changed. It’s tough in this economy.” With so many international participants, the prospect of the program ending can be daunting. “With an O-1 visa, which is an exceptional talent visa, you can’t work in any other field,” says Adams. “If I want to stay here, and I have a month off, I can’t go www.classicalsinger.com 55 The Adler Fellowship Advice for Singers from San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald On Working with a Teacher “What they’re giving you should work on a consistent level. In other words, if you can only do what they think is right in the studio with them, then I would say maybe something is wrong because what you get should be something that you can take home and consistently work with.” On Differing Techniques among Singers “Talk to each other! About technique, discuss it. I think one of the dangers when we’re in colleges, behind closed doors and the studios get their cults and these students would never talk to the students in that studio because it’s like revealing state secrets. Well, that’s hogwash, kids.” On Singing “It shouldn’t hurt. I cannot tell you how many times I’m working with a singer and I get them to produce a healthy sound and they say, ‘It doesn’t hurt!’ And you realize that these kids have been in pain and they thought that’s the price they pay to produce the sound.” On Vocal Health “Go to a speech therapist. Find the name of a really great speech therapist and make sure your speaking voice isn’t undermining your singing. I’ve been doing a lot of work with the UCSF Voice and Swallowing department. If it were up to me, I would put a speech therapist in charge of every vocal department in the world, to make sure that what these teachers are teaching is vocally sound, because there is damage being done in schools across the States.” work in a restaurant or bar. I’m looking at staying here or going to Germany looking for a Fest job. I have two operas already for next year, and that’s nice to have something in the cards. We have all the resources in the world given to us and we’re so grateful for it, and I think we work very hard in response to what we’re given. Then for it to not be there one day is scary. Exciting, but scary.” The list of Adler alumni does not read exclusively like a list of superstars. Many have had major careers. Some did not. Many have had both important careers and success as teachers—such as Vaness, who now teaches at Indiana University, or Williams, who is now a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. Life is unpredictable, and the opera world is no exception. A two-year residency cannot guarantee a career. What an Adler Fellowship offers is an opportunity to experience working at the highest level, with the best assistance available to achieve and hopefully maintain that level. Certainly that was the intention of its founder. “He inspired singers and left an indelible mark on our musicianship,” Williams says, who was a Fellow in 1988, the same year Adler died of a heart attack. “He had a gigantic presence, and his death left a large void. His spirit was always felt.” This article was written while on a recent visit to Vienna. As a native San Franciscan, I looked out across the music-rich city that first nurtured Adler’s ambitions and could not help but think: Vienna’s loss was San Francisco’s gain. Lisa Houston is a dramatic soprano and writer who divides her time between Berlin and Berkeley. She can be reached at lisahouston360@gmail.com. 56 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 For singers, teachers and coaches, these BRAND NEW books will help you achieve maximum performance potential! The Vocal Athlete Wendy D. LeBorgne, PhD, CCC-SLP and Marci Rosenberg, MS, CCC-SLP This first-of-its-kind book bridges the gap between the art of contemporary commercial music (CCM) singing and the science behind voice production in this ever-growing popular vocal style. $59.95 | 328 pages | Softcover | ISBN13: 978-1-59756-458-8 Release date: 06/04/2014 The Vocal Athlete Application and Technique for the Hybrid Singer Marci Rosenberg, MS, CCC-SLP, Wendy D. LeBorgne, PhD, CCC-SLP This companion workbook provides a compilation of voice exercises created and used by well-known voice pedagogues from preeminent colleges, established private studios, and clinical settings. The exercises focus on various aspects of contemporary commercial music (CCM) including bodywork, mental preparation, registration, and much more. Mind-Body Awareness for Singers Unleashing Optimal Performance Karen Leigh-Post, DMA For singers who wish to obtain optimal performance, this book provides a fundamental understanding of functional anatomy and cognitive neuroscience needed to unlock the mystery of the mind-body link involved in the complex audiomotor behavior that is singing. $49.95 | 264 pages | Softcover | ISBN13: 978-1-59756-444-1 Release date: 07/01/2014 Body and Voice Somatic Re-education Marina Gilman, MM, MA, CCC-SLP The lessons in this book are designed to train singing teachers, coaches, and voice therapists to recognize in their students the patterns of use and posture that interfere with respiration, phonation, and/or resonance so that singers learn how to work with their bodies instead of against them. $49.95 | 272 pages | Softcover w/CD | ISBN13: 978-1-59756-509-7 Release date: 06/01/2014 $39.95 | 144 pages | Spiral Bound w/CD | ISBN13: 978-1-59756-459-5 Release date: 06/04/2014 For more information or to order, visit www.pluralpublishing.com THE DOCTOR IS IN Posture and Voice BY DR. ANTHONY F. JAHN Whether sitting or standing, singing or silent, your body is always in some sort of posture—good or bad. Your body is your instrument. Learn how to put it in a healthy posture that will best serve that instrument. Y oung singers spend a great deal of time addressing tension and position in the head and neck. They are told to keep their shoulders relaxed; their head, neck, and torso aligned; and their jaw in a neutral position, not jutting out but also not pulled down and in. But there is a lot more to proper posture for singers, including areas you may not normally think of as relevant. Good singing involves the whole body and, specifically, the musculoskeletal system. Did you know that muscle tension anywhere in the body raises the neuromuscular tone in every other muscle? When the doctor taps your knee with a hammer (yes, some doctors still do that!), you can enhance the reflex and make your leg jump much higher by just clenching your teeth or hooking the fingers of your hands together and pulling hard. There is no direct connection between the masseter muscle of the jaw and the patellar tendon of the knee, but this phenomenon (called the Jendrassik maneuver) is highly active and reproducible and it affects every part of your body. So let’s look at some less obvious areas of tension that may cause vocal tension. Neck and shoulder tension is important and may have many causes. Apart from medical conditions such as arthritis or soft tissue injury after a car accident, many of us habitually carry tension in 58 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 the mantle area. The startle response of pulling the shoulders up and the head down is reflexive, and its deconstruction and elimination is at the crux of the Alexander method. Some people don’t just startle, however, but are in a chronic state of tension. I can often tell whether a patient is left handed or right handed just by palpating the trapezius muscles. Heavy bags also pull on these muscles and cause a state of chronic contraction in the shoulder which bears the burden. Singers whose day jobs require carrying around laptops or documents (and yes, even those heavy scores and big bottles of water!) often have chronic tension in the neck and shoulder area. Here are some suggestions to relieve such neck and shoulder tension. Declutter your bag frequently, taking only what you need for the day ahead. Use a bigger bag with a broad strap that you can sling diagonally across from the other shoulder. This distributes the weight more evenly to both sides, and places the load closer to the center of your body, reducing torque. The most ergonomic arrangement is the “wineskin” bag that hugs the hollow of your waist on one side and is slung across your other shoulder. Another healthy technique is a backpack with straps left long so the load sits in the small of your back and rests on your sacral area. At the risk of looking like a bag lady, it may be better to carry two smaller bags in your two hands rather than one big one. And, all else failing, get one of those cheesy little wheeled bags/ cases that paralegals and attorneys wheel around. This takes the weight off your shoulders completely. Moving south in our survey, consider whether you may have any scoliosis. This is a curvature of the spine, usually in the thoracic area, which is especially common in young women and frequently goes undiagnosed. If mild, it does not impair breathing but does create an asymmetry that your muscles need to counterbalance. Excess tension in one side of the body continues into the hips, and muscle contraction creates the effect that one leg is rendered functionally shorter than the other. With all of this, remember that culprit for the voice is not the asymmetry but the chronic low-grade increase in muscle tension required by your body to sit, stand, ambulate, and function normally. The lower back is a major source of excessive muscle tension. In addition to bona fide disease, such as disc problems or arthritis, the normal curvature in this area (called lumbar lordosis) can be accentuated by poor posture and weak muscles. Obesity creates extra weight in front which further pulls the lumbar vertebrae forward. Some women “sit up straight” by pushing the sacrum and pelvis back to achieve a position of balance. In this regard, high heels are The Doctor Is In: Posture and Voice “The startle response of pulling the shoulders up and the head down is reflexive, and its deconstruction and elimination is at the crux of the Alexander method.” also a villain—not only do they throw the lower body forward, requiring the wearer to excessively arch the upper back for balance, they also raise muscle tension in the lower legs. Remember: tension in any muscle in the body has a general effect. From the vocal point of view, I have several suggestions. First, shed some pounds until you are down to around your ideal weight. Second, when at the gym, exercise your postural muscles in addition to your usual cardio and stretching routine. These muscles, such as the psoas major, are slow contracting and need a slow, rather than rapid, workout. Third, avoid high heels if possible. While at times you may need to look tall and sophisticated, from the vocal point of view, half-heels or flats are better. And fourth, consider slouching once in a while! While most of the points so far refer to the musculoskeletal system, don’t forget your internal organs. Discomfort in the abdomen or pelvis can lead to splinting, a reflex contraction of neighboring muscles that minimize movement and pain in the area. A urinary tract infection or lower GI problem can raise muscle tension in the pelvic floor. Ovulation or endometriosis can irritate the inner lining of the abdominal cavity and contract the abdominal muscles. This not only affects breath and support but, again, can also generally raise muscle tension in the body and, specifically, in the vocal tract. Well, that’s a lot of stuff! Some of it’s preventable, some unavoidable. What to do? Here are my suggestions for reducing avoidable tension. First, be aware of your entire body, somewhat like you have trained to be aware of your vocal tract. Also, learn to sense and release tension, either through meditation, yoga, or other exercises. Your entire body is involved in singing, and every muscle needs to work correctly to support your vocal effort. Anthony F. Jahn, M.D. has offices in New York and New Jersey. His latest book, The Singer’s Guide to Complete Health, has recently been published by Oxford Press and his book The Care of the Professional Voice is now in its second printing. Discover the Joy in Singing • For Professional Aspiring Opera & The Viterbo University Vocal Program Features… • a voice faculty of artist-teachers • a faculty coach accompanist for each voice major • a flourishing opera program • a variety of choral ensembles • national and international tours • placements in top notch graduate programs Voice Faculty Coach-Accompanists Diana Cataldi Dan Johnson-Wilmot Judy Stafslien Jean Saladino Ann Schoenecker David Richardson Degrees • B.M. in Music Performance • B.M. in Music Education (choral/general) • B.A. in Music To learn more about Viterbo University’s music program, visit www.viterbo.edu/music Shirley Love, MezzoSoprano a twenty year featured artist at the Metropolitan Opera Company. Accepting vocal students ages 16 & up. Privately in Scarsdale - 914-723-5390 Music Conservatory of Westchester, White Plains International Academy of Music Castelnuovo di Garfagnana Italy 900 Viterbo Drive La Crosse, WI 54601 1-800-VITERBO music@viterbo.edu (Summer Session) www.voiceteachers.com/shirleylove www.classicalsinger.com 59 Five Tech Skills to Keep You Afloat in an Opera-Averse Economy BY AMANDA WHITE In years when the economy is unfriendly to opera, tech skills can help you keep a roof over your head between gigs. W e’ve all seen the news: opera is in trouble. Companies are folding, budgets are being slashed, and opera singers are getting nervous. Most other people in the production can just move on to another type of theatre: the director, the wig master, and the orchestra can all find jobs whether or not opera exists. Opera singers, however, don’t have much to fall back on unless their crossover skills are quality enough for the competitive musical theatre market. We all like to imagine a musical career where we earn a handsome living solely on performance contracts and album sales— and maybe a book deal or a signature perfume to round things out. But let’s not be ashamed to admit that almost all of us have day jobs and always will. Even singers who perform at A houses often temp on the side. If a cubicle is good enough for a Met singer, it’s good enough for me! If you’re on a dry spell between gigs, you might be looking at your lousy day job pittance and wondering what you can do to increase it—or maybe you’re looking at how to get a pittance in the first place. More and more, we artsy folk are turning to IT to turn our day careers around. Tech jobs aren’t perfect, but they are more available and higher paying than adminand communications-based jobs. Becomea-Web-developer boot camps are springing up around the country with people like us as the marketers’ target audience: people who have intelligence, a great work ethic, and a degree in something that is not 60 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 doing them much good in the finances department. Becoming a software developer or a Web developer is probably too far afield for most of us—we are too busy being musicians to dedicate the time that takes— but there are a lot of smaller things you can do to set yourself apart. There is a lower barrier of entry to being a writer with technical skills (case in point: my writing this column) than there is to being a software engineer. Here are five tech skills that will not make you a developer, but which will probably make you the office whiz. HTML, CSS Hypertext Markup Language and Cascading Style Sheets are the language of the Web. If you want to make a website, you will be using these tagging systems. Even if you are using a program where you just do the design work and the tagging is added on in the back end (known as a WYSIWYG editor, pronounced “whizzywig” and standing for “what you see is what you get”), if something unintended happens, you’ll need to manipulate the tags to get it fixed. The important thing is this: do not be afraid of the code. Learn enough about it so you can stare it down and say, “I’m not afraid of you, < and / signs. I know what “img src” stands for. I got this.” Even if you don’t ever touch a website’s code, HTML tags sneak up all over the place. It’s good to know how to recognize them, how to use them, and how to manipulate them without breaking anything. Luckily for you, we have already covered everything you need to get started with HTML and CSS in “Making a Website, Parts 1 & 2” (Feb. and Mar. 2013). XML Extensible Markup Language is used to store and transport content. The code looks almost exactly like HTML, but it has a different purpose: HTML is meant to define how content is displayed (the look), while XML defines what content is. A document stored in XML can be fed into an HTML document (this is how an RSS feed works), or fed into a database, or transformed into a different type of XML. The reason XML is so important is that a lot of what you write becomes XML at some point—even a blog post or a Microsoft Word document (if you are using Office 2007 or later). This will matter to you mostly if you are writing in an XML editor with a code view that will let you see the tags (in other words, not just “WYSIWIG”). A writer with XML skills will have a much easier time in the marketplace than one without. The good news is that if you know HTML, there is not much more to learn with XML. It is a similar syntax for a different purpose. Excel “Power User” Skills Microsoft Excel is such a powerful tool that it can be mind-blowing at times. Sure, we’ve all plugged in some numbers or lists. But you haven’t lived until you’ve made a The Tech-Savvy Singer Where to Learn There are plenty of free and low-cost places to learn the tech skills listed. As mentioned, we’ve gone over some of them in previous issues. For more, here are some good places to get started. W3 Schools (www.w3schools.com) The W3 Schools website is the place to go to learn Web development coding skills for free. It’s mostly a reference for HTML, CSS, JavaScript (another Web dev tool), and the like, but it includes all kinds of other skills, including XML and SQL. They mostly explain the syntax and give you a sandbox to play around in. It’s not a big place for project-based tutorials for practice (such as “let’s build this restaurant website step-by-step”). I find it better as a quick reference than as a beginning-to-end learning tool. Lynda.com Lynda.com is an extensive library of tutorial videos that teach technical skills, among an array of other things. I don’t find the coding-based ones helpful (it’s not where I would go to learn XML), but for learning the ins and outs of commercial software (such as a Microsoft or Adobe product), it can’t be beat. Lynda.com does tend to be project-based, which is good for hands-on learning. Two drawbacks: 1) it’s a pay site ($25 per month for basic; $37.50 per month for premium) and 2) if you don’t have the premium subscription, you don’t get the practice files—which can be a real pain to re-create from scratch, depending on the course. Codecademy (www.codecademy.com) Codecademy is a hands-on, project-based tutorial site that teaches you Web development skills and some of the less intimidating software development languages. It challenges you to figure problems out for yourself and includes a sandbox as well as reward badges and other social media widgets. pivot table. While almost everyone who sits in a cube uses Excel at some point during their work week, very few people really know the ins and outs. Being a whiz at Excel can make you quite popular at the office. And considering that many temp agencies include an Excel proficiency exam as part of the application process, it might open a few doors for you as well. We have already covered some of the basics in “Creating an Auditions Spreadsheet” (Sept. 2013), so if you see anything in there you don’t know yet, it’s a great place to get started. Database Queries When you live in the Information Age, a lot of what you do comes down to getting information. When you’re at home, this chore is largely whittled down to typing a couple words into the Google search box. But when you’re corporate, the information you want might not be on the World Wide Web—it might be in a database. Database design is its own science. You can study normalizing techniques, learn to join tables, or create indexes . . . but for the average Joe or Jane, you don’t need to design the database, you just need to ask it a question. This usually comes down to a SELECT/FROM/WHERE query, which is actually pretty simple. SELECT: display these fields. FROM: the table where I know the information already is. WHERE: the criteria for which ones I want. For example: “SELECT firstname, lastname FROM operasingers WHERE birthyear = 1895 AND country = Norway” would return “Kirsten Flagstad.” That’s an SQL-style query, which is what you’ll usually be dealing with. (Incidentally, I usually hear SQL pronounced “sequel,” not “squeal,” as I always want to.) Alternatively, if you can get your hands on a copy of Microsoft Access, that’s a simple database with a friendly, Microsoft-y interface that a lot of companies use, which is an equally useful place to start. Macros Macros, which are a series of steps that have been automated, can be added to many software programs. They allow you to take things that you do over and over— for example, writing “I will not pledge allegiance to Bart” 50 times in a row—and do just one thing to make that happen. In this example, I might program a set of shortcut keys, such as CTRL+SHIFT+B, to type out the sequence “I-Space-w-i-ll-Space-n-o-t-Space-p-l-e-d-g-e-Spacea-l-l-e-g-i-a-n-c-e-Space-t-o-Space-Ba-r-t-Enter.” Then I could just press CTRL+SHIFT+B as many times as I needed to that day. Or, I could add a button or a menu item that would do the same thing. Macros are a neat trick—you don’t need to be a programmer to write them and you can use them to make people’s lives easier. Just look up the documentation for whatever software you use frequently and see if and how you can add macros to it. Normally here at the Tech-Savvy Singer, we focus on skills you can use for your singing career. But sometimes the most helpful thing for your singing career is a steady income, no matter where it comes from. Learning these five skills won’t land you at La Scala, but they should at least help with the airfare. Amanda White is a Massachusettsbased singer, writer, and IT manager. She first learned HTML in 2003 to create a website for her band on GeoCities. She can be reached through her website, www.notjustanotherprettyvoice.com. www.classicalsinger.com 61 OPPORTUNITIES Auditions.......................... 62 Competitions................... 72 The audition and competition listings in Classical Singer magazine come from our online audition management tool Auditions Plus. With Auditions Plus you can find, save, manage, and track all types of singing opportunities. More than 1,400 job postings, training program opportunities, volunteer positions and educational listings are available on AuditionsPlus.com, including more than 400 audition and competition listings. Auditions Plus is free for all Classical Singer subscribers. Find and post opportunities today! Auditions Coordinator: Kimberlee Talbot Email: auditions@classicalsinger.com Website: www.classicalsinger.com/auditions Audition listings published in Classical Singer must either be no pay/no fee or paid engagements. If you have an experience with a listed company that does not meet this qualification, or if you have any other problems with a published audition notice, please contact Kimberlee Talbot immediately at auditions@ classicalsinger.com. We do not publish notices from companies with unresolved complaints. 3 = New Notice This Issue 62 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 BUDGET CATEGORIES Where available, budget categories are listed for performing companies. Budget categories conform to OPERA America annual budget levels as reported in Musical America. Level A=$10,000,000 and above Level B=$3,000,000-$9,999,999 Opera Solo 3 English Touring Opera - London, UK (B, Paid, Pro) Gen’l auds in London, sum ‘14. Website: http://englishtouringopera.org.uk/ about-eto/work-with-eto/auditions/ Contact Info: auditions@englishtouringopera. org.uk Appl Deadline: N/A Level C=$1,000,000-$2,999,999 Level D=less than $1,000,000 Level U=Unknown 3 Asheville Lyric Opera - Asheville, NC (D, Paid, Pro) Fall principal auds Nov 1, ‘14. Website: http://ashevillelyric.org/auditions/ Appl Deadline: Sep 17, ‘14 3 Wichita Grand Opera - Wichita, KS (D, Paid, Pro) Auds Sep 12, ‘14 for non-regional artists. Website: www.wichitagrandopera.org/auditions Appl Deadline: Aug 1, ‘14 For new and complete listings, go to www.AuditionsPlus.com Respond only to auditions for your level, and area of the country, CAREFULLY noting all restrictions. The following are Artist Level guideline definitions for Classical Singer audition listings. Definitions, as such, do not perfectly describe all singers but should be helpful for artists to determine their qualifications for a given audition notice. It is still important for artists to observe these guidelines as performing companies continue to express their frustration with those singers who send materials for audition listings for which they are not yet qualified. Amici Opera - Philadelphia, PA (U, Volunteer, EmgPro) Seeking singers for ‘14/15 seas. All voice types needed. Contact Info: 215-224-0257 Appl Deadline: Ongoing Center Stage Opera - New Cumberland, PA (U, Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds for Dido and Aeneas and La Serva Padrona (Jun ‘14), and Carmen (Nov ‘14). Website: www.csopera.org Contact Info: songbird72@verizon.net Appl Deadline: Ongoing 3 The Footlight Players - Rockville Centre, Long Island (South Shore), NY (U, Paid, EmgPro) Seeking leads for Pagliacci and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Student: Currently enrolled in a university or conservatory music program. Emerging Professional: Graduate of a college level vocal program or conservatory. Or in the last year has been in a Young Artist Program, Apprentice Program or performed in Workshop productions or No-Pay productions. Or equivalent. These artists rarely have management. Level level C or D or equivalent. Artists in this level are considered full-time professionals and the majority of their time spent and income are singing-related. Many of these artists have management. Professional: In the last year has performed a principal role in a company with Opera America Budget Established Professional: In the last year has performed a principal role in a company with an Opera America level A or B company or equivalent. Artists in this category are employed full-time singing principal roles with companies of any category in multiple venues domestic and international. These artists have management. Contact Info: (516) 599-8342 Appl Deadline: N/A Gilbert & Sullivan Yiddish Light Opera - Central Islip, NY (U, Volunteer, EmgPro) Seeking to fill lead and chorus roles for G&S prods. Website: www.gsyiddish.com Contact Info: MartinFGeller@hotmail.com Appl Deadline: Ongoing Contact Info: dconnolly@njcu.edu Appl Deadline: Ongoing New Trinity Baroque - Atlanta, GA (Paid, Pro) Accepting mats from all voice types for upc concert seas as soloists or singers in chamber choir. Website: newtrinitybaroque.org Contact Info: info@newtrinitybaroque.org Appl Deadline: Ongoing Concert Solo Church/Temple Bel Canto Young Artist Vocal Series - Jersey City, NJ (Paid, EmgPro) Auds to be featured in concert series presented yrly at New Jersey City Univ. Website: www.njcu.edu 3 Central Presbyterian Church - Denver, CO (Paid) Seeking Dir of Music. Website: www.centraldenver.com Contact Info: roz@centraldenver.com Appl Deadline: Jul 20, ‘14 www.classicalsinger.com 63 Auditions 3 Christ & St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Manhattan, NY (Paid, Pro) Seeking soprano for prof’l octet. Contact Info: music@csschurch.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Christ’s Church (Episcopal) - Rye, NY (Paid, Pro) Seeking tenor and bass singers for upc seas. Website: ccrye.org Contact Info: music@ccrye.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 St. James’ Church - New York, NY (Paid, Pro) Aud’ng sopranos for upc seas in prof’l choir. Website: www.stjames.org Contact Info: dwortman@stjames.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 St. Joseph Catholic Church - Arlington, TX (Paid, EmgPro) Seeking alto and bass section leaders for ‘14/15. Website: www.stjoe88.org Contact Info: amedina@stjoe88.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 St. Mark’s of Geneva - Geneva, IL (Paid, Pro) Seeking mezzo-soprano section leader. Website: www.stmarks-geneva.org Contact Info: pgrizzell@stmarks-geneva.org ApplDeadline: N/A 64 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Young Artist Programs Staatstheater Nurnberg - Nürnberg, Germany (A, Paid, EmgPro) Auds for up to eight spots in the ‘15/16 International Opera Studio Nuremberg. Website: www.staatstheater-nuernberg.de/ index.php?page=oper,opernstudio Contact Info: susanne.hoerburger@ staatstheater.nuernberg.de Appl Deadline: Jul 15, ‘14 3 Virginia Opera - Norfolk, VA (B, Paid, EmgPro) Auds Dec 8-11, ‘14 for ‘15/16 Emerging Artist Prog. Website: www.vaopera.org/education-training/ emerging-artist-program.html Contact Info: alexandra.stacey@vaopera.org Appl Deadline: Oct 31, ‘14 3 Opera on the James - Lynchburg, VA (D, Paid, EmgPro) Tyler Young Artist Prog seeks four singers, SATB, for ‘15. Website: www.operaonthejames.org Contact Info: cecelias@operaonthejames.org Appl Deadline: Oct 1, ‘14 Wichita Grand Opera Young Artist Program Wichita, KS (D, Paid, EmgPro) Auds Sep 12, ‘14 for Young Artist Prog. Website: www.wichitagrandopera.org/auditions Appl Deadline: Aug 1, ‘14 Arcady - Simcoe, ON, Canada (U, Paid, EmgPro) Seeking Young Artists for ‘15 prog. Website: http://arcady.ca/?page_id=137 Contact Info: info@arcady.ca Appl Deadline: Ongoing Resident Artist Program 3 Wichita Grand Opera - Wichita, KS (D, Paid, EmgPro) Resident Artist Prog auds Sep 12, ‘14. Website: www.wichitagrandopera.org/auditions Appl Deadline: Aug 1, ‘14 Musical Theatre Anderson’s Mainstage Theatre - Anderson, IN (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 16-17, ‘14 for Shrek. Website: www.mainstagetheatre.org/auditions.htm Contact Info: tthomas1976@yahoo.com Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Bainbridge Performing Arts - Bainbridge Island, WA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 21-22 & 24, ‘14 for Little Shop of Horrors, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and Side By Side By Sondheim. Website: www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org/ Contact Info: dhadlock@ bainbridgeperformingarts.org Appl Deadline: N/A For new and complete listings, go to www.AuditionsPlus.com 3 Beavercreek Community Theatre Beavercreek, OH (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 25-26, ‘14 for Sweeney Todd. Website: www.bctheatre.org/auditions/index Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Blue State Productions - Clifton, NJ (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 23 & 25, ‘14 for Altar Boyz. Website: www.bluestateproductions.com/ upcoming-shows.html Contact Info: BlueStateTheater@aol.com Appl Deadline: N/A Broadway Theatre of Pitman - Pitman, NJ (Paid, EmgPro) Auds Jul 26-27, ‘14 for Pirates of Penzance. Website: www.thebroadwaytheatre. org/?go=auditions Appl Deadline: N/A 3 CenterPoint Legacy Theatre - Centerville, UT (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 12, ‘14 for Jekyll & Hyde and Sep 6, ‘14 for Scrooge. Website: www.centerpointtheatre.org/auditions/ Contact Info: kdavies@centerpointtheatre.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Cincinnati Music Theatre - Cincinnati, OH (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 20-21, ‘14 for Young Frankenstein. Website: www.cincinnatimusictheatre.org Contact Info: Kevin_Burton@me.com Appl Deadline: Jul 20, ‘14 3 Conjo Players Theatre - Thousand Oaks, CA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 31-Sep 2, ‘14 for Shrek, the Musical. Website: www.conejoplayers.org/auditionnotice-shrek-musical Contact Info: shrek@conejoplayers.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Connecticut Theatre Company - New Britain, CT (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 24-25, ‘14 for The Wizard of Oz and Oct 12-13, ‘14 for The Christmas Schooner. Website: www.connecticuttheatrecompany.org/ get-involved/audition/ Contact Info: dcampbell@ connecticuttheatrecompany.org Appl Deadline: N/A Cottage Theatre - Cottage Grove, OR (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 16-17, ‘14 for She Loves Me. Website: www.cottagetheatre.org/ Contact Info: info@cottagetheatre.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Deerfield Family Theater - Deerfield, IL (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Sep 3-4, ‘14 for The Will Rogers Follies. Website: www.deerfieldfamilytheater.com/ home.shtml Contact Info: 847-223-2659 Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Derby Dinner Playhouse - Clarksville, IN (Paid, Pro) Open auds Aug 29, ‘14. Website: www.derbydinner.com/auditioninformation/ Contact Info: amyers@derbydinner.com Appl Deadline: N/A The Great American Playhouse - Tucson, AZ (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds throughout seas: Jul 19, ‘14 and Oct 11, ‘14. Website: http://greatamericanplayhouse.com/ auditions/ Contact Info: nancy@gaplayhouse.com Appl Deadline: N/A Hale Centre Theatre - West Valley City, UT (Paid, EmgPro) Auds Sep 13, ‘14 for A Christmas Carol. Website: www.hct.org/online/ Contact Info: tammym@hct.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Harbor Playhouse - Corpus Christi, TX (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 12-13, ‘14 for Little Shop of Horrors and Sep 23-24, ‘14 for Oliver! Website: www.harborplayhouse.com/auditions/ schedule/#!auditions/c1qkg Contact Info: volunteer@harborplayhouse.com Appl Deadline: N/A Repertoire Consultant & Coach New York City (212) 663-4934 lizhastings@yahoo.com Diana Jacklin www.dianajacklin.com Studios in Vienna & Boston bel canto technique teaching a true Put your voice in good hands Start your career on the right track. learn to sing using the technique of the great singers. Unlock the secret to success and maximize your vocal progress and career potential. info@dianajacklin.com www.classicalsinger.com 65 Auditions 3 Haywood Arts Regional Theatre - Waynesville, NC (Paid, EmgPro) Auds Jul 27-28, ‘14 for Urinetown: The Musical. Website: www.harttheater.com/2014_audition.html Appl Deadline: N/A Ignite Theatre - Aurora, CO (Paid, EmgPro) Auds Jul 26, ‘14 for Into The Woods, and Sep 16-17, ‘14 for Dreamgirls. Website: www.ignitetheatre.com/auditions.php Contact Info: igniteauditions@gmail.com Appl Deadline: N/A Imagine Productions of Columbus - Columbus, OH (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 3-4, ‘14 for Little Shop of Horrors. Website: www.imaginecolumbus.org/ Contact Info: info@imaginecolumbus.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Kensington Arts Theatre - Kensington, MD (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 13-14, ‘14 for fall musical. Website: www.katonline.org/auditions/ upcoming-auditions/ Contact Info: webmaster@katonline.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Laurel Little Theatre - Laurel, MS (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 18-19, ‘14 for The Addams Family. Website: www.laurellittletheatre.com/ auditions.html Contact Info: LLTLaurelMS@aol.com Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Levoy Theatre - Millville, NJ (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 25 & 27, ‘14 for Oliver! Website: http://levoy.net/mission-statement/ upcoming-show-auditions/ Contact Info: info@levoy.net Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Maltz Jupiter Theatre - Jupiter, FL (Paid, EmgPro) Auds Jul 19, ‘14 for Fiddler on the Roof. Website: http://jupitertheatre.org/auditions Contact Info: rblavatnik@jupitertheatre.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Manoa Valley Theatre - Honolulu, HI (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 28, ‘14 for Closer Than Ever. Website: www.manoavalleytheatre.com/ auditions.html Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Muncie Civic Theatre - Muncie, IN (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 30, ‘14 for Carrie: The Rock Musical. Website: www.munciecivic.org Contact Info: (765) 288-7529 x2 Appl Deadline: N/A North Shore Music Theatre - Beverly, MA (Paid, Pro) Auds throughout ‘14 in NYC and Beverly, MA (see online listing for complete details). Rep: Anything Goes, The Little Mermaid, Grease, Chicago, Les Miserables, A Christmas Carol. Website: www.nsmt.org/index. php?id=210&option=com_content&task=view Contact Info: NorthShoreMusicTheatre@nsmt.org Appl Deadline: Ongoing Peoria Players Theatre - Peoria, IL (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Sep 19-20, ‘14 for The Sound of Music. Website: www.peoriaplayers.org/Auditions.html Contact Info: (309) 688-4473 Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Phamaly Theatre Company - Denver, CO (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 31, ‘14 for The Fantasticks. Website: www.phamaly.org/ participate/#!perform-with-us/c139j Appl Deadline: N/A 3 The Players Theatre - Sarasota, FL (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 9, ‘14 for The Addams Family and A Christmas Story, the Musical. Website: http://theplayers.org/index.php/ broadway-series/auditions/ Appl Deadline: N/A Plaza Theatre Company - Cleburne, TX (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 18 & 20, ‘14 for Little Shop of Horrors. Website: http://plaza-theatre.com/audition.asp Appl Deadline: N/A Pax Amicus Castle Theatre - Budd Lake, NJ (Paid, Pro) Auds Aug 3-4, ‘14 for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Website: www.paxamicus.com/index.htm Contact Info: stan@paxamicus.com Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Sight and Sound Theatres - Branson, MO (Paid, Pro) ‘15 seas auds Jul 28, ‘14 in Branson, MO and Aug 18 & 25, ‘14 in Lancaster, PA. Website: www.sight-sound.com/WebSite/ home.do Contact Info: centralcastingbr@sight-sound.com Appl Deadline: N/A Pensacola Little Theatre - Pensacola, FL (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Sep 2-3, ‘14 for The Rocky Horror Show. Website: www.pensacolalittletheatre.com/getinvolved/auditions Contact Info: 850-434-0257 x102 Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Spokane Civic Theatre - Spokane, WA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 28-30, ‘14 for Fiddler on the Roof and Aug 25-26, ‘14 for Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Website: http://spokanecivictheatre.com/ audition/ Appl Deadline: N/A LEARN FROM A SEASONED INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL Soprano Christine Weidinger, who starred at La Scala, the Met, the Liceu of Barcelona and in most of the major opera houses of the world is now accepting students in her studio in Durham, North Carolina near the beautiful Research Triangle Park. Inquire about auditions and rates CHENNIREI@YAHOO.COM 66 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 For new and complete listings, go to www.AuditionsPlus.com 3 StageCoach Theatre Company - Ashburn, VA (Paid, EmgPro) Auds Oct 4-5, ‘14 for Christmas Cabaret special. Website: http://stagecoachtc.com/ Contact Info: info@stagecoachtc.com Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Theatreworks Florida - Davenport, FL (Paid, EmgPro) Auds Jul 13-14, ‘14 for Sweeney Todd. Website: www.theatreworksfl.org/main.html Contact Info: info@theatreworksfl.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Utah Repertory Theater Company - UT (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 20-21, ‘14 for Bonnie & Clyde. Website: http://utahrep.org/auditions-bcmobile/ Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Venice Theatre - Venice, FL (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 27-28, ‘14 for The Rocky Horror Show and Aug 24-25, ‘14 for The Full Monty. Website: http://venicestage.com/audition-fora-show/audition-schedule/ Contact Info: rhondasudik@venicetheatre.net Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Waco Civic Theatre - Waco, TX (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 2-3, ‘14 for Les Misérables. Website: http://wacocivictheatre.org/ auditions.html Contact Info: (254) 776-1591 Appl Deadline: N/A 3 West Valley Light Opera - Saratoga, CA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 19-20, ‘14 for Oklahoma. Website: www.wvlo.org/auditions.html Contact Info: wvlo@wvlo.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Woodland Opera House Theatre Company Woodland, CA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 14-15, ‘14 for Hello Dolly, and Aug 17-18, ‘14 for A Christmas Carol. Website: www.woodlandoperahouse.org/ Pages/Auditions.aspx Contact Info: 530-666-9617 Appl Deadline: N/A Contact Info: elittle@austinlyricopera.org Appl Deadline: N/A Other Chorus 3 Wichita Grand Opera - Wichita, KS (D, Paid, EmgPro) Chorus auds Sep 12, ‘14. Website: www.wichitagrandopera.org/auditions Appl Deadline: Aug 1, ‘14 3 Atlanta Master Chorale - Atlanta, GA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds in Aug ‘14 for upc seas. Website: www.atlantamasterchorale.org/ contact/ Appl Deadline: N/A Amici Opera - Philadelphia, PA (U, Volunteer, EmgPro) Seeking singers for ‘14/15 seas. All voice types needed. Contact Info: 215-224-0257 Appl Deadline: Ongoing 3 The Footlight Players - Rockville Centre, Long Island (South Shore), NY (U, Volunteer, EmgPro) Seeking chorus for Pagliacci and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Contact Info: (516) 599-8342 Appl Deadline: N/A Gilbert & Sullivan Yiddish Light Opera - Central Islip, NY (U, Volunteer, EmgPro) Seeking to fill lead and chorus roles for G&S prods. Website: www.gsyiddish.com Contact Info: MartinFGeller@hotmail.com Appl Deadline: Ongoing 3 Austin Lyric Opera - Austin, TX (B, Paid, EmgPro) ‘14/15 seas chorus auds late sum/early fall. Email after Aug 1, ‘14 to sched an appt. Website: www.austinlyricopera.org/about/ auditions/ 3 Baltimore Choral Arts Society - Baltimore, MD (Paid, Pro) ‘14/15 seas auds take place the first week in Sep, ‘14. Website: www.baltimorechoralarts.org/mod/ pages/display/32/index.php?menu=aboutus Contact Info: donna@baltimorechoralarts.org Appl Deadline: Aug 31, ‘14 3 Bel Canto Singers - Daytona Beach, FL (Paid, Student-Univ) Auds Aug 25, ‘14 for undergrad music students. Website: http://belcantodaytona.org/ Contact Info: belcantosingersflorida@gmail.com Appl Deadline: N/A CELEBRATING 12 CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL MUSIC YEARS 2014 Vocal Pedagogy Institute July 12–20 Somatic Voicework™ – The LoVetri Method Jeannette LoVetri Level I, II, III Opera Chorus 3 Metropolitan Opera - New York, NY (A, Paid, EstPro) Auds Sep 13, 22, & Oct 6, ‘14 for Opera Chorus and Extra Chorus. Website: http://metoperafamily.org/metopera/ auditions/chorus.aspx Contact Info: ChorusAuditions@metopera.org Appl Deadline: Aug 18, ‘14 3 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus Atlanta, GA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Chorus auds Aug 24-25, ‘14. Website: www.asochorus.org/audition.asp Contact Info: jeff.baxter@woodruffcenter.org Appl Deadline: N/A Post Certification courses offered: “…I attribute my growth as an artist to her solid and clear teaching of technique.” – Luciana Souza, 2008 Grammy Award Winner • Studio Technology with Matt Edwards • The Pedagogy of Soul with Trineice Robinson-Martin • Avant-garde Styles with Theo Bleckmann All courses earn one graduate credit. CONTACT US TO SIGN UP: For information: 540-665-4556 Call 540-665-4600 ccminstitute@su.edu E-mail: ccminstitute@su.edu www.ccminstitute.com www.su.edu/tvpc Shenandoah University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Employer. www.classicalsinger.com 67 Auditions 3 Handel and Haydn Society - Boston, MA (Paid, Pro) Fall ‘14 auds for prof’l choral artists. Website: http://handelandhaydn.org/about/ employment/auditions/ Appl Deadline: Oct 1, ‘14 3 Highland Park Chorale - Dallas, TX (Paid, EmgPro) Auds for all voice parts for ‘14/15 seas. Contact Info: greg.hobbs@mac.com Appl Deadline: N/A Houston Symphony Chorus - Houston, TX (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug ‘14 for singer/musicians to perform high level choral/orch rep w/Symphony. Website: www.houstonsymphony.org/AboutUs/Houston-Symphony-Chorus/Auditions Contact Info: chorus@houstonsymphony.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Kansas City Symphony Chorus - Overland Park, KS (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Jul 18-19 & Aug 8-10, ‘14 for ‘14/15 seas. Website: www.kcsymphonychorus.org/content/ auditions Contact Info: contact@kcsymphonychorus.org Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Milwaukee Symphony Chorus - Milwaukee, WI (Paid, Pro) ‘14/15 seas auds held Aug 5, 7, 11, & 13, ‘14. Website: www.mso.org/about_mso/auditions/ chorus_auditions Contact Info: chorus@mso.org Appl Deadline: N/A Musaic - San Francisco, CA (Volunteer, EmgPro) Men’s a cappella ensemble currently aud’ng all parts. Website: www.musaicsf.org Contact Info: info@musaicsf.org Appl Deadline: Ongoing 3 Nashville Symphony Chorus - Nashville, TN (Paid, EmgPro) New member auds Aug 16-17, ‘14. Website: www.nashvillesymphony.org/about/ chorus/auditions Contact Info: chorusauditions@ nashvillesymphony.org Appl Deadline: N/A New Trinity Baroque - Atlanta, GA (Paid, EmgPro) Accepting mats from all voice types for upc concert seas as soloists or singers in chamber choir. Website: newtrinitybaroque.org Contact Info: info@newtrinitybaroque.org Appl Deadline: Ongoing 3 New York City Master Chorale - New York, NY (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Sep ‘14 for ‘14/15 seas. Website: www.nycmasterchorale.org Contact Info: info@nycmasterchorale.org Appl Deadline: N/A Pacifica Singers - Vancouver, BC, Canada (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds throughout/yr for emg prof’l singers. Website: www.vancouverchamberchoir.com Contact Info: info@vancouverchamberchoir.com Appl Deadline: Ongoing Piedmont Chamber Singers - Winston-Salem, NC (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds Aug 26, ‘14 for 37th seas. Website: http://piedmontchambersingers.org/ audition.php Contact Info: director@ piedmontchambersingers.org Appl Deadline: N/A The Princeton Singers - NJ (Paid, Pro) Seeking vocalists of all voice parts for avail vacancies. Contact Info: info@princetonsingers.org Appl Deadline: Ongoing Providence Singers - East Providence, RI (Volunteer, EmgPro) Seeking exp’d choral singers of all voice parts for ‘14/15 seas. Website: www.providencesingers.org Contact Info: chorus@providencesingers.org Appl Deadline: N/A Carole Farley Masterclass Part of the New York Chamber Music Festival September 6, 2014 3:30-6:30 pm Peter J Sharp Theater at Symphony Space Attended by agents, record companies executives, producers and conductors. To participate contact Elmira Darvarova: info@newyorkchambermusicfestival.org NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS! • Song/vocal repertoire • Acting for singers • Musicianship • Orchestral score reading • Recital/CD preparation • Diction • Career counseling • Resume prep • Audition techniques • Finding a manager Contact: Carole Farley 646-327-0151 cfarley3803@gmail.com www.carolefarley.com Virtual lessons via Skype also available. 68 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 For new and complete listings, go to www.AuditionsPlus.com 3 Riverside Choral Society - New York, NY (Volunteer, EmgPro) Auds in Aug for 35th Seas. Website: www.riversidechoral.org/auditions.shtm Appl Deadline: N/A 3 San Antonio Mastersingers - San Antonio, TX (Volunteer, EmgPro) ‘14/15 seas auds Aug 23 & 30, ‘14. Website: www.samastersingers.org Contact Info: 210-843-9237 Appl Deadline: N/A Amici Opera - Philadelphia, PA (Paid, EmgPro) Seeking accomps for ‘14/15 seas. Contact Info: 215-224-0257 Appl Deadline: Ongoing San Francisco Choral Artists - San Francisco, CA (Paid, EmgPro) Interested in hearing talented singers of all voices. Website: www.sfca.org/about-auditions.php Contact Info: auditions@sfca.org Appl Deadline: Ongoing Contact Info: Ryan.Rager@us.af.mil Appl Deadline: Aug 8, ‘14 Other 3 Colorado Chorale - Denver, CO (Paid) Seeking Artistic Director for ‘15/16 seas. Website: http://coloradochorale.org Contact Info: vaughnkb@gmail.com Appl Deadline: Aug 1, ‘14 3 Schola Cantorum on Hudson (NY/NJ) - West Village, NY (Volunteer, EmgPro) Seeking singers for upc seas. Website: www.scholaonhudson.org/auditions Appl Deadline: N/A 3 Masterwork Chorus, Inc. - Chatham, NJ (Paid) Seeking Music Dir. Website: www.masterwork.org/ Contact Info: searchcommittee@masterwork.org Appl Deadline: Jul 15, ‘14 3 The Thirteen - Philadelphia, PA (Paid, Pro) Rolling auds for ‘14/15 and ‘15/16 seas. Website: www.thethirteenchamberchoir.com Contact Info: info@thethirteenchamberchoir.com Appl Deadline: N/A OperaOggiNY - New York, NY (Volunteer, EmgPro) Currently seeking accomp applicants for ‘14 Apprentice Pianist Prog. Website: www.operaogginy.info Contact Info: apply@operaogginy.com Appl Deadline: N/A 3 United States Air Force Heritage of America Band - Langley-Eustis, VA (Paid, Pro) Seeking soprano/alto vocalist for Sep 15, ‘14 aud. Website: www.heritageofamericaband.af.mil/careers/ Seattle Opera - Seattle, WA (Volunteer, Student-Univ) Currently accepting internship appls in Prod/Admin, Stage Mngmnt, Costume Stock, Edu’tn and Development. Website: www.seattleopera.org/about/employment/internships.aspx Appl Deadline: Ongoing ENJOY YOUR VOICE Osceola Davis Lyric Coloratura Soprano Metropolitan Opera voice instructor /operatic interpretation Private lessons / vocal consultation (718) 796 7195 or oa4d@verizon.net 3 Singers Of United Lands - White Lake, MI (Paid, EmgPro) Seeking non-U.S. singers for ‘15 tour. Website: www.singersofunitedlands.org/Pages/ApplytoJoin.aspx Contact Info: soulands@hotmail.com Appl Deadline: Ongoing 3 United States Air Force Max Impact Rock Band - Washington, DC (Paid, Pro) Auds Sep 30-Oct 1, ‘14 for female rock vocalist. Website: www.bands.af.mil/careers/?source=GovD Contact Info: usafbandaudition@afncr.af.mil Appl Deadline: Aug 1, ‘14 WFMT Introductions - Chicago, IL (Volunteer, Student-HS or Younger) Seeking pre-college classical soloists, duos, choirs, small ensembles and large ensembles for 98.7WFMT radio broadcast. Website: http://blogs.wfmt.com/introductions/audition/ Appl Deadline: Ongoing www.classicalsinger.com 69 30 DAYS TO A NEW VOICE! GREAT SINGERS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES How to Get Back to Mother Nature By Denes Striny “Striny neatly encapsulates his directives for singing in three short pages of exercises…The exercises, and Striny’s directions, are excellent.” —Debra Greschner, Journal of Singing, The Official Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing HEAD FIRST THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEAD VOICE By Denes Striny “WOW! I must say that you have done a fabulous job....A great piece of work.” —Birgit Nilsson, international opera legend February 2007 • 172 pages 978-0-7618-3671-1 • $31.00 Paper December 2010 • 80 pages 978-0-7618-5391-6 • $17.00 Paper ebook Hamilton Books An Imprint of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group AIMS in Graz American Institute of Musical Studies July 4 to August 15, 2015 Opera, Lieder and Piano Programs for young artists For information on fall & winter auditions visit www.aimsgraz.com Become a part of the AIMS Legend! Experience AIMS’ international faculty and master class teachers, the AIMS Festival Orchestra and six weeks in beautiful Graz, Austria 70 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 Birgit Nilsson & Denes Striny www.DenesStriny.com voice 2014 QUEEN ELISABETH COMPETITION 1 ST P R I Z E – Hwang Sumi 2 ND P R I Z E – Jodie Devos 3 RD P R I Z E – Sarah Laulan 4 TH P R I Z E – Shao Yu 5 TH P R I Z E – Park Hyesang 6 TH P R I Z E – Chiara Skerath UNRANKED LAUREATES – Emőke Baráth, Daniela Gerstenmeyer, Kim Seung Jick, Levente Páll, Sheva Tehoval, Yoo Hansung AND... – VOD (Video on Demand) of the final and the semi-final until 15 September 2014 on www.qeimc.be – Order your 3cd box Voice 2014 ‘live’ : www.cd-elisabeth.be WWW.QEIMC.BE Q U E E N E L I S A B E T H I N T E R N AT I O N A L M U S I C C O M P E T I T I O N O F B E L G I U M I N F O : R U E AU X L A I N E S 2 0 , B - 1 0 0 0 B R U S S E L S ( B E L G I U M ) T E L : + 3 2 2 2 1 3 4 0 5 0 – FA X : + 3 2 2 5 1 4 3 2 9 7 – I N F O @ Q E I M C . B E Competitions Coordinator: Kimberlee Talbot Email: competitions@classicalsinger.com Website: www.classicalsinger.com/directories/competition/ If you have any problems w/a published competition notice, please contact Kimberlee Talbot immediately at competitions@classicalsinger.com. We do not publish notices from companies w/unresolved complaints. 3 = New Notice This Issue The audition and competition listings in Classical Singer magazine come from our online audition management tool Auditions Plus. With Auditions Plus you can find, save, manage, and track all types of singing opportunities. More than 1,400 job postings, training program opportunities, volunteer positions and educational listings are available on AuditionsPlus.com, including more than 400 audition and competition listings. Auditions Plus is free for all Classical Singer subscribers. Find and post opportunities today! Grants, Awards & Misc. Funding 3 2014 Auditions - New York, NY Sponsored By: The Sullivan Foundation Competition Date: Oct 19-20, ‘14 Age Limit: N/A Website: www.sullivanfoundation.org/howToApply.html Appl Deadline: Sep 5, ‘14 Arleen Auger Memorial Fund - Hartsdale, NY Sponsored By: Arleen Auger Memorial Fund Age Limit: 30 Website: www.arleen-auger-memorial-fund.org/application.html Appl Deadline: Ongoing 3 Fulbright Grants Competition Sponsored By: Institute of International Education Age Limit: N/A Website: http://us.fulbrightonline.org Appl Deadline: Oct 14, ‘14 3 Grants to Professional Musicians (Individual) - Ottawa, ON, Canada Sponsored By: Canada Council for the Arts Age Limit: N/A Website: www.canadacouncil.ca/en/music/find-grants-and-prizes/grants/ grants-to-professional-musicians-individuals Appl Deadline: Nov 1, ‘14 3 YoungArts Awards - Miami, FL Sponsored By: National YoungArts Foundation Age Limit: 18 Website: www.youngarts.org/apply Appl Deadline: Oct 17, ‘14 No Age Limit/Unknown 2014 Young Concert Artists International Auditions - New York, NY Sponsored By: Young Concert Artists, Inc. Competition Date: Nov 3, 5-6 & 8, ‘14 Website: www.yca.org/auditions/ Appl Deadline: Aug 8, ‘14 3 Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition - New York, NY Sponsored By: Alexander & Buono International Website: www.alexanderbuono.com/voice-competition.html Appl Deadline: Sep 1, ‘14 Age 18 and Under 3 2014 Woodwind, Piano, String, and Voice International Competition Bethesda, MD Sponsored By: Asian American Music Society Competition Date: Oct 25, ‘14 Age Limit: 18 Website: www.aamsopera.com/competition.html Appl Deadline: Oct 4, ‘14 3 Senior Performance Competitions - Knoxville, TN Sponsored By: Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Age Limit: 18 Website: www.mtna.org/programs/competitions/senior-performancecompetitions/ Appl Deadline: Sep 10, ‘14 Age 25 and Under LEARN TO SING REALLY WELL! If you are not getting cast and you want to know why, I can help you. Establish good breathing, increase your range, improve both your high and your low notes, belt WELL, correct both pain and strain, and recover from any vocal issues that you have had. “Moira is an excellent voice teacher with an almost uncanny grasp of vocal issues and how to solve them. She is understanding, yet firm, and got more out of me than I thought possible.” —Bill Paisner, Director, Southwest Women’s Chorus Lessons in person or via Skype or FaceTime NORTHERN CA (510) 599-7828 MOIRAGREYLAND@ME.COM 72 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 3 Third Annual Young Artists Vocal Competition - Ocean Springs, MS Sponsored By: Gulf Coast Messiah Chorus Competition Date: Oct 11, ‘14 Age Limit: 25 Website: www.messiahchorus.org Appl Deadline: Sep 26, ‘14 3 Young Artists Competition - Provo, UT Sponsored By: Utah Valley Symphony Competition Date: Aug 23, ‘14 Age Limit: 25 Website: www.utahvalleysymphony.org/youngartists.php Appl Deadline: Aug 16, ‘14 Age 30 and Under 3 Armstead Singing Award - Victoria, Australia Sponsored By: Musical Society of Victoria Competition Date: Aug 10, ‘14 Age Limit: 30 For new and complete listings, go to www.AuditionsPlus.com Website: www.msv.org.au/currentawards.html Appl Deadline: Jul 24, ‘14 3 Mario Lanza Institute Scholarship Auditions - Philadelphia, PA Sponsored By: Mario Lanza Institute Competition Date: Oct 13-14 & Nov 9, ‘14 Age Limit: 28 Website: www.mariolanzainstitute.org/ programs/scholarships/apply-for-scholarship/ Appl Deadline: Oct 4, ‘14 3 OSM Standard Life Competition - Montreal, QC, Canada Sponsored By: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Competition Date: Nov 18-22, ‘14 Age Limit: 30 Website: www.osm.ca/en/osm-standard-lifecompetition Appl Deadline: Oct 1, ‘14 3 Young Artist Performance Competitions Albuquerque, NM Sponsored By: Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Age Limit: 26 Website: www.mtna.org/programs/ competitions/young-artist-performance-competition/ Appl Deadline: Sep 10, ‘14 Age 35 and Under 3 31st Annual Vocal Competition - Palm Springs, CA Sponsored By: Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition Date: Dec 7, ‘14 Age Limit: 32 Website: http://palmspringsoperaguild.org/ Appl Deadline: Oct 5, ‘14 65th Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition 2014 - Vercelli, Italy Sponsored By: Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition Vercelli Competition Date: Oct 17-25, ‘14 Age Limit: 35 Website: www.concorsoviotti.it/home-pageconcorso-viotti.php Appl Deadline: Jul 20, ‘14 3 2014 Vocal Competition - New York, NY Sponsored By: Opera Index, Inc. Competition Date: Oct 14-15 & 17, ‘14 Age Limit: 35 Website: http://operaindexinc.org Appl Deadline: Sep 29, ‘14 Website: www.bravaopera.com/#!vocalcompetition/c1qjg Appl Deadline: Sep 11, ‘14 3 Barbara Garvey Jackson Fellowship Fayetteville, AR Sponsored By: John Harrison Opera Foundation Competition Date: Jan 8-10, ‘15 Age Limit: 35 Website: http://johnharrisonopera.com/pages/ competition.html Appl Deadline: Nov 15, ‘14 3 2014 “Città di Alcamo” International Singing Contest - Alcamo, Italy Sponsored By: Associazione Amici della Musica Alcamo Competition Date: Oct 2-5, ‘14 Age Limit: 37 Website: www.amicimusicaalcamo. it/ConcorInter2014/ConcorInter2014ENG. html#regolamento Appl Deadline: Sep 20, ‘14 Age 40 and Under 3 Benjamin Matthews Vocal Competition - New York, NY Sponsored By: Opera Ebony Competition Date: Oct 25, ‘14 Age Limit: 35 Website: www.operaebony.org Appl Deadline: Oct 15, ‘14 3 Brava! Opera Theater and James M. Collier Young Artist Program Vocal Competition - San Francisco, CA Sponsored By: Brava! Opera Theater and James M. Collier Young Artist Program Competition Date: Oct 18, ‘14 Age Limit: 35 3 2014 Wagner Society Singing Competition London, UK Sponsored By: The Wagner Society Competition Date: Oct 12 & Nov 30, ‘14 Age Limit: 40 Website: http://wagnersociety.org/events/thewagner-society-singing-competition-2014 Appl Deadline: Sep 15, ‘14 Two Tremendous Resources P5023 CANTABILE Katharin Rundus Cantabile A Manual about Beautiful Singing for Singers, Teachers of Singing and Choral Conductors Katharin Rundus Vocal/Choral Pedagogy Cantabile INF O INN RM OV ATIV AT by Katharin Rundus IVE E! ! A Manual about Beautiful Singing for Singers, Teachers of Singing and Choral Conductors CANTABILE offers a fresh and comprehensive approach to vocal pedagogy. A “spiral of learning” allows singers to revisit basic concepts as they advance to deeper levels, and gives all readers a path to lifelong learning. A definitive source for individual singers, voice teachers and choral conductors, CANTABILE provides intricate illustrations, a “Organized into a logical sequence complete glossary and extensive index, and specific vocal of interrelating topics, Dr. Rundus exercises for every student and teacher. This textbook will makes complicated concepts easily be the new standard for vocal study. digestible.” www.PavanePublishing.com 2014 English Song Competition - Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK Sponsored By: John Kerr Award for English Song Competition Date: Oct 26, ‘14 Age Limit: 35 Website: www.johnkerraward.org.uk/about.php Appl Deadline: Jul 31, ‘14 3 2014 Vocal Awards Competition - Falls Church, VA Sponsored By: Partners for the Arts, Inc. Competition Date: Oct 25-26, ‘14 Age Limit: 35 Website: http://partners4thearts.org/vocalcompetition/ Appl Deadline: Aug 15, ‘14 New + Improved - 2nd Edition Presenting the most amazing and comprehensive pronunciation resource of all time. Every letter in 5 different languages, in a quick and easy format. A must for every singer and choral director. Two ways to preview! See select pages at www.PavanePublishing.com (Cantabile and Resources & Textbooks tab) Desk copies available for the cost of shipping - $5, restrictions apply. Please call 1-800-322-1127 x5243, Cantabile - 08301877 // IPA - 08301917 www.classicalsinger.com 73 A voice to be heard Voice Faculty: Margaret Dehning Director of Vocal Studies Milena Kitic, Artist-in-Residence; Carol Neblett, Artist-in Residence; Christina Alexopoulos, David Alt, Peter Atherton, Christina Dahlin, Kristina Driskill, Patricia Gee, Patrick Goeser, Jonathan Mack, Bruce McClurg, Susan Montgomery Alexander Technique: Pamela Blanc Operatic Studies: Peter Atherton Director of Operatic Studies Carol Neblett Associate Director of Opera Chapman Cheryl Lin Fielding, Opera/Vocal Coach Janet Kao, Opera/Vocal Coach Experience conservatory-level training in a liberal arts environment at Chapman University Choral Ensembles: Stephen Coker, Director of Choral Studies Angel Vázquez-Ramos, Choral Music Education Consistently ranked among the best American music schools, we offer quality programs with dedicated faculty, world-class student ensembles, and state-of-the-art facilities. Offering Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Performance, Music Education, and Composition. Talent awards, academic scholarships, and financial aid assistance available Accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music opera song For admission and scholarship information, please contact: Office of Admissions, Chapman University One University Drive Orange, California 92866 1-888-CU-APPLY www.chapman.edu choir It's all here... awaiting you! Soprano Jean del Santo, Wendy Zaro-Mullins Choral Conducting Kathy Romey, Matthew Mahaffey Mezzo-Soprano Adriana Zabala University Opera Theatre David Walsh Tenor John De Haan Vocal Music K-12 Keitha Hamann Baritone Philip Zawisza Bachelor of Music, Vocal Performance Bachelor of Music, Music Therapy with Vocal Emphasis Bachelor of Music, Music Education with Vocal Emphasis Master of Music, Vocal Performance Doctor of Musical Arts, Vocal Performance vocalarts.umn.edu • mnmusic@umn.edu • 612-624-2847 • Jean del Santo, vocal division chair: 612-624-5883 74 Classical Singer / Summer 2014 music.asu.edu | 480.965.5069 The ASU School of Music welcomes internationally acclaimed baritone Gordon Haw ki ns to the voice faculty. arizona state university school of music The Arizona State University School of Music in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is a comprehensive music school offering undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees and is ranked among the top music schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. • Internationally recognized faculty • Outstanding facilities • Outstanding performance opportunities for all students • Significant scholarship opportunities • Exciting and Innovative curriculum • Unique study-cover program with Arizona Opera provides hands-on experience with a professional opera voice faculty David Britton Carole FitzPatrick Gordon Hawkins Anne Elgar Kopta Judy May, voice area coordinator lyric opera theatre faculty Dale Dreyfoos, interim artistic director William Reber Robert Mills Toby Yatso Michael Barnard Robert Harper Molly Lajoie Plutnicki company and access to world-class singers • Musical Theatre partnership with the Phoenix Theatre for productions, study-cover and internship opportunities, and instruction Visit music.asu.edu to learn more about the ASU School of Music, our faculty, our partnerships with AZ Opera and Phoenix Theatre and admissions. choral faculty David Schildkret, director of choral activities Bartlett Evans