Italy. Germany. France. One would expect these “usual suspects” to generate attention from singers exploring summer opera programs in Europe. To be sure, many of the programs in these and neighboring countries are excellent. But singers who limit their research to Western Europe will miss out on a relatively young but highly regarded program in Bulgaria: the Varna International Opera Academy (VIOA).
History
VIOA was established in 2011 by the founders of the Varna International Music Academy, a training program for conductors and singers that takes place in Bulgaria every summer. According to Kalin Tchonev, the program’s co-founder, CEO, and international director, VIOA resulted from the program’s growth and the need for additional training opportunities for opera singers. The purpose of VIOA, he says, is “to encourage young aspiring opera singers and create suitable performance opportunities for them in collaboration with established opera houses in Europe.”
To date, VIOA has collaborated with three Bulgarian opera houses: Varna Opera, State Opera Stara Zagora, and Plovdiv Opera.
Professional Training
VIOA distinguishes itself by offering students what Tchonev describes as “hands-on experience and the opportunity to learn the craft of opera,” along with “rigorous training under the tutelage of highly trained musicians in a professional environment in the opera houses with which we partner.”
Past participants concur. “I got to perform, perform, perform—which is exactly what I needed,” says bass Evan Dunn, who participated in the 2017 program. “I rehearsed about six hours a day and had coachings and lessons on top of that.” Soprano Laura Scandizzo appreciated the opportunity “to prepare a full role and perform it fully staged, costumed, and with full orchestra in an opera house.
“I valued the experience gained from the tight work schedule,” she adds, noting that each day included two four-hour rehearsals as well as lessons. As a result, she increased both her stamina and her ability to pace herself.
Another past participant (referred to as P.P. for the purposes of this article) finds the program especially valuable for singer-students and those starting their careers, because “you can sing in a real theater and work with a professional team.” Bulgarian soprano Sofia Dimitrova, a former guest artist with VIOA, observed the benefits of such invaluable training: “I could see that the students [were] being thrown into a real-life-experience scenario, the way it actually happens once they are out of school.”
Dale Morehouse, VIOA’s stage director and musical administrator, echoes these sentiments. “Singing with Varna International introduces singers to the expectations of performing in real-time, real-life professional opera experiences,” he says. For many students, it’s “a crash course in professionalism,” in the words of Aidan Soder, one of the vocal faculty members from the 2017 program.
Cross-Cultural Experiences
Students and faculty alike praised the multicultural nature of the program. Dunn recalls that the cast of Don Giovanni was a “truly international cast,” with singers from Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, the U.S., and Bulgaria. Meanwhile, the director was Bulgarian, the coach Romanian, and the director American.
“I had a masterclass where the teacher spoke Bulgarian and someone translated into English, and then someone else translated into Japanese for the singer,” Dunn continues. “It was amazing.”
What Morehouse enjoys most about the program is “making music with new friends from all over the world as we create together and share the music we love in a new country that most of us have not previously experienced.”
Soder takes a similar view. “I love the new friendships begun with colleagues from across the U.S. and Bulgaria . . . . Students (and faculty!) are exposed to a culture and language very different from our own, forcing us to step out of our foreign language/country comfort zone (Italy, Germany, France).” The alphabet is different, too—Bulgarian is written in Cyrillic.
Diversity of Levels
Diversity within the program applies not only to culture but also to levels of skill. Students of all levels have comprehensive training and performance opportunities. And performance opportunities extend to faculty. Soder, for example, was able to sing alongside her students, “as well as other students of varying ages and degrees from across the U.S. and abroad.”
“I loved that paradigm shift,” she remembers. “It allowed students the opportunity to see a teacher as a regular person who makes mistakes, gets notes from the director and conductor, etc. It also gave me the opportunity to get to know and mentor the students in a totally different way . . . . Two of my own students ended up playing the roles of my daughters in The Tender Land—that was a pretty special experience that probably won’t ever happen again.”
Multiple Performance Opportunities
One of the aspects of the program that appealed to P.P. was that multiple productions were mounted during a short period of time. Consequently, “some of the singers could participate in two or even three concerts/performances.” This was also Scandizzo’s experience. Among the performance opportunities in 2017 were a French opera gala with orchestra and two fully staged operas. According to Soder, the number of performances—two or three fully staged productions and large choral masterworks with orchestra—are unusual for programs of this length (three to four weeks).
Bulgaria
Frommer’s Travel Guide describes Bulgaria as a “fascinating country” and an “undiscovered gem.” This description is in line with what faculty and students from previous programs have experienced. Scandizzo pronounces the country “extraordinary,” noting that “the towns and scenery were gorgeous and the food was wonderful.” Morehouse agrees. “The cuisine is both fantastic and inexpensive,” he states.
“Inexpensive” extends beyond cuisine. “Most programs in Europe or even in the States, for that matter, are quite expensive because the cost of living is so high,” says Dunn. “In Bulgaria, however, things are much cheaper . . . . If I paid to go to another program, I would not have had the authentic experience I could afford to have in Bulgaria because it is hard to pay for a house orchestra anywhere else.”
Morehouse, who has served as a faculty member on two previous programs, praises the friendly reception he has encountered in Stara Zagora, Sofia, Plovdiv, and Burgas. “We have been welcomed with open arms in a land both familiar and exotic to us.”
Varna
According to Tchonev, Varna—his hometown and the location of the 2018 program—is “by far the most interesting and cosmopolitan city on the Black Sea coast.” He explains that this “sea capital of Bulgaria” turns into a major European musical and cultural center every summer—“a combination of port, city, and resort.” Awaiting the 2018 participants are “the sunny beaches of the Black Sea coast, waterfront promenades, the beautiful Sea Park, and vibrant city life.”
History aficionados can visit the archeological museum, which houses the oldest gold in the world, or take an optional tour to the cities of Balchik, which has a summer palace and renowned botanical gardens, and Nessebar, noted by Frommer’s for its Byzantine churches and “charming 19th-century timber houses.”
Morehouse, for one, is looking forward to experiencing Varna, but he also points out that participants who need the familiar taste of home can visit the McDonald’s across the street from the hotel.
The Future
Tchonev will continue to build upon the legacy of his father, Professor Marin Chonev, who “made many sacrifices just to see choral singing take root and be established” in Bulgaria. Tchonev and his family have also made sacrifices, many of which are financial in nature. In his eyes, such sacrifices are worthwhile. “I was singing in [my father’s] choirs since the age of five and have seen and experienced the tremendous value and impact that music training can have on people,” he explains.
In his “Message from the CEO” on the Varna International website, Tchonev concludes with a call to action:
Let us create beauty in excellence.
Let us move cities together.
Let us speak music to the world.
Are you feeling inspired? If you decide to apply to the program, then please accept wishes of “късмет.” That’s “good luck” in Bulgarian.
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Did You Know?
Famous Bulgarian opera singers (past and present) include Boris Christoff, Ghena Dimitrova, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Raina Kabaivanska, Vesselina Kasarova, Krassimira Stoyanova, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Sonya Yoncheva, and Ljuba Welitsch, to name just a few!
2018 Program Information
The 2018 program will be held in Varna, Bulgaria, from May 20 through June 17. Singers accepted as soloists will perform a solo role in one or more of three multicast productions with orchestra, Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (semi-staged; part of the European Union’s Celebration of the Child in Varna this summer), the Bulgarian premiere of Weill’s Street Scene (fully staged), and Puccini’s La rondine (fully staged). Singers accepted as apprentices will perform solos in song recitals and sing in the chorus of one or more of the operas, as well as in Bach’s Magnificat and Beethoven’s Mass in C Major. Some apprentices may have the opportunity to perform supporting roles in the operas. All singers will take weekly voice lessons and coachings as well as attend masterclasses and seminars with VIOA faculty.
Singers will stay at Hotel Cherno More, a four-star hotel in the city center that is within walking distance to the Varna Opera House and a five-minute walk from the Black Sea. The double-occupancy rooms have air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, private balconies, and private baths. Also included in the tuition is a full breakfast buffet and three-course lunches seven days a week.
The 2018 faculty will include conductor Gregory Buchalter (the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Fairbanks, and Opera Las Vegas); stage director and musical administrator Dale Morehouse (University of Missouri–Kansas City); stage directors Patrick Hansen (Opera McGill Schulich School of Music) and Rachel Harris (Louisiana State University and Southeastern Louisiana University); and vocal teachers/coaches Linda Di Fiore (University of North Texas and Opera Santa Barbara), Carol Wilson (University of North Texas), Maria Kanyova (University of Missouri–Kansas City), Thomas Studebaker (Roosevelt University–Chicago College of Performing Arts), Jennifer Glidden (Texas A&M University–Commerce), Jeanie Darnell (Florida Gulf Coast University), Helen Tintes-Schuermann (Ave Maria University), and Elizabeth Parker (Roosevelt University–Chicago College of Performing Arts). Participants will also have the opportunity to sing under the baton of choral composer Z. Randall Stroope.
Tuition ranges from $3,990 to $4,590, depending upon the track and dates of attendance. For more details and to obtain an application, visit www.varnainternational.com.
