Dear Editor: I thoroughly enjoy the articles on each artist and student who is making a dent in the musical life of America. I particularly enjoyed the background on Shirley Verrett and the last one on the work of Marilyn Horne. I’m retired from teaching voice and music history, but my ears are constantly standing by for new voices and sounds of new music.
—Alene Lang, East Point, GA
Dear Editor: More West Coast news is needed: auditions, etc.
—Helen Dilwroth, San Francisco, CA
We agree. Start a new company so we can print your auditions. Currently, Suzanne contacts all the companies and prints all the auditions that there are. If you know of some that she is missing, please let her know! Write to her at auditions@classicalsinger.com. —Editor
Dear Editor: I am very unhappy with The Rome Festival Opera Institute and I would like to disclose to the readers of Classical Singer magazine some of the details of my correspondence with their Program Director.
On Jan. 9, I called the program director and requested a full refund for my Summer 2004 program expense fee of approx. $2,600, which I mailed to the Rome Festival on Dec. 18, 2003. I provided the program director with the check number, amount, date, and the date the check cleared my bank account. He replied that he had no record of having received this check and denied ever cashing it. I went to my local bank branch, received a copy of the endorsed check, faxed a copy to him, requesting a reply—and received no reply. On Jan. 12, I called to verify receipt of the faxed check copy. He verified that Rome Festival had indeed endorsed and cashed my check and agreed to reimburse my full program expense if I mailed a signed letter requesting the refund. Per his request, on Jan. 14 I mailed a formal refund request. (I have since sent numerous emails to the Rome Festival requesting a reply and I have not received any.)
On Jan. 29, I called the program director to verify receipt of my refund request letter. He said he had received my letter and would be mailing me a refund check in the next few weeks. I asked him to please wire me the funds or even FedEx them at my expense because I did not want the check lost. He refused and said it was his prerogative to mail the check however and whenever he wished. Neither the program director nor anyone else with the Rome Festival Opera Institute has responded to any of my emails or refund requests. As of today, Feb. 19, I have not been reimbursed.
To summarize, my correspondences with the program director of the Rome Festival have been very distasteful and reflect very poorly upon Rome Festival Orchestra Ltd. My experience forces me to be unable to recommend this program to any potential participant.
—Name Withheld, via email
The author copied the Rome Festival Opera with this letter to Classical Singer Magazine and received her refund shortly thereafter. —Editor
Dear Editor: Love your magazine! I’d like to see more articles about health issues and I would love to relate some of my own experiences with acid reflux, asthma, etc. Now that I am not actively performing anymore, I’m not afraid to admit to a few afflictions!
—Mary Rawcliffe Fairbanks, Camarillo,CA
Dear Editor: I enjoy your magazine. Thank you for all your work.
—Sarah Barrett, Pleasant Hill, CA
Dear Editor: Thank you for an excellent magazine. I am a professional singer and voice teacher of many years. I am sure that your diversified and interesting articles are helping many aspiring and working singers.
—Virginia England, Dallas, TX
Dear Editor: I would like for you to please stop qualifying your auditions, i.e., listing them as “student,” “professional,” “established professional,” etc. Why not simply list the audition and allow your readers to determine which ones are best? I’m sure if the companies want to minimize inquiries from certain singers, they will state so in their posting. How do you know what a company is looking for anyway?
—Paul Bower, Albuquerque, NM
Our Auditions Coordinator, Suzanne Martiny, has been working with these companies for many years now as her fulltime job. She puts the companies in the categories under which the companies ask to be listed. —Editor
Dear Editor: I would love the option to purchase an online auditions-only membership at a reduced cost. I very rarely read anything but the audition listings. I am still undecided about renewing/continuing my membership for that reason.
—Name Withheld, Malden, MA
We do not yet offer an online-only subscription. —Editor
