Page 67 - 2020 Classical Singer Magazine January Summer Program Issue

Photo Left: The Voice Workshop held by the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory and Community Engagement Division had nine high school students from across the U.S. spend two weeks studying and performing last June.
Pictured: Lydia Naberhaus in her final performance in the Werner Recital Hall.
a little bit like an oasis from your regular life—it’s a chance for you to practice being the version of yourself that you most want to be,” she says. “So that would be generous, and self- accepting, and open to comments. And if you hit your stride with that, when you [get] back into the year with your regular schedule, you
can bring that version of yourself forward.”
Viewing a program in the context of an oasis of best practices leads more easily to the concept of showing up fully for your colleagues, teachers, coaches, and conductors. An oasis is a fertile spot in a desert where water is found. And while
it’s safe to assume that most singers
aren’t deliriously staggering toward a summer program from a place that’s artistically arid, many, if not most singers, are metaphorically thirsty— thirsty for knowledge, experience, and connection. A summer program o ers a fresh, new location—an oasis—to identify and accept resources, advice, and opportunities to stretch yourself artistically in a new role or repertoire that you might consider to be on the fringes.
In addition to researching a program’s conductors and stage directors, it is critical to learn about the respective specialties of a program’s coaching sta . As you research and ultimately select programs, keep a researcher’s eye
on the programs’ sta members
and which repertoire is included
in the programs. The bene ts of knowing who is teaching/coaching and where are numerous. Outside
of the obvious résumé building
and networking perks is a resulting ability to tell your story. For starters, being able to clearly articulate that you devoted a summer to delving into Lieder and German poetry can help to shape a bio and enhance an application for a grant or scholarship funds.
To elaborate a bit more on taking advantage of resources
at summer programs, I reached out to conductor Robert Tweten, current head of music sta for the Santa Fe Opera and music director of opera studies at New England Conservatory.
“There are so many bene ts to being in a Young Artist
THE OPERA STUDIO
THE MUSICAL THEATER STUDIO
June 25 - July 24, 2020 | Oberaudorf, Germany
Voice l German l Dance
Master Classes l Performances l Acting Audition Preparation | Coaching | Collaborative Piano
LIVE YOUR PASSION
www.musiktheaterbavaria.org
EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF EARLY MUSIC SPECIALISTS...
The International Baroque Academy provides singers and instrumentalists with mentorship from some of today’s leading scholars and artists in the field of historically informed performance practice. This intensive program culminates in performances
of a wide range of 17th- and 18th-century music. Master Classes, Lessons,
and Coachings offer in-depth study in: Voice | Harpsichord | Baroque Dance Acting and Historical Gesture | Opera | Sacred Music | Career Planning
ROLLINS COLLEGE, WINTER PARK, FLORIDA: JUNE 7-20, 2020
www.InternationalBaroque.org
IBA is operated by Musiktheater Bavaria, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, and sponsored by the Rollins Department of Music in partnership with The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park.
www.csmusic.net 67
BAVARIA’S NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE
Maria Weiss and Armin Gramer in Francesco Gasparini’s L’oracolo del fato (1709) © Carlo Pescatori