Page 18 - 2020 Classical Singer Magazine January Summer Program Issue

The American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in
Graz celebrates 50 years this summer. As one of the longest running and most trusted summer programs available to singers of all ages, this year is a special celebration of their success in creating a bridge for singers from the U.S. to working in the German-speaking musical community. The mission of AIMS is to empower aspiring singers, pianists, and instrumentalists to achieve
the high standard of knowledge
and performance required of a professional musician.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary
of the program includes an enhanced masterclass program with guest teaching artists including Linda Watson, Barbara Bonney, Bo Skovhus, Gabriele Lechner, and more to be announced. Additionally, alumni
of the program will perform with
the summer’s participants in each orchestra concert. “AIMS success stories” artists include Gordon Hawkins, Dara Hobbs, and Matthew Vickers, among others.
AIMS sets itself apart from other programs because it is not a festival— it is a training program. It is about the participants—and it has been since its founding. The concept of a summer course for singers came from founders Richard Owens and his wife
18 Classical Singer / Jan/Feb 2020
AIMS:
For those looking to work in Europe, AIMS can help make this dream a reality. Hear from faculty and an alumna about the many offerings of this program and what you can gain from a summer in Graz.
Nora Sands. They worked in German opera houses with Irma Cooper and Cornelius Eberhardt.
At the time, there were fewer performance opportunities in the
U.S. than in Germany, and these friends and colleagues were passionate about pursuing a summer education program. AIMS was designed to
teach the European opera system, how to audition for artist agents, the quality of singing required to land a contract, becoming uent in German, and networking. Contacts with other singers who had succeeded in getting jobs would prove invaluable.
According to the general director and alumna of the program Sarah Halley, networking is one of the
main things singers can expect from the program. “You can nd your
grad school teacher there between undergrad and grad school,” she says. For this writer and AIMS alumna, that was the case: I met my graduate school teacher at the program and thus found the right graduate program and was awarded an assistantship because of the networking I had access to with my teacher at AIMS.
While the program is quite expensive with tuition at $6,695
not including airfare, visa fees, and incidental expenses, the value for the amount you spend is incredible. On a daily basis, singers work with teachers
Conductor Marius Stieghorst, Megan Mashburn, and the AIMS Festival Orchestra at the 33rd Meistersinger Competition finals, 2013