New York City probably includes more higher-education vocal programs than any other city in the nation, but recently one New York school has been standing out amidst the crowd. The vocal program at Mannes College of Music in Manhattan has had a good year, including a recent glowing review in the New York Times of its production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, not to mention having two of its current students place as finalists in this year’s Metropolitan Opera National Grand Council Auditions. A small conservatory, but a big name school, Mannes has much to offer its students.
Violin-piano duo David and Clara Mannes founded the school that bears their name in 1916. The couple—and their son Leopold—directed the school for 45 years. During their tenure, leading musicians—such as George Szell, Georges Enescu, and pupils of the brilliant Viennese theorist and pedagogue Heinrich Schenker—taught at the school. In 1953, the school began offering degrees, and in 1989, Mannes joined with the New School for Social Research, now known as the New School, to offer students a broad curriculum in the liberal arts, including classes in fine arts, humanities, and the social sciences.
David Mannes believed that everyone who desired to receive a music education should have that opportunity, and his vision continues at the school today. A preparatory division offers education to children and high school students, and an extension division offers classes to music-loving but non-career-oriented adults, or to professionals seeking continued education.
The Mannes College of Music is just a mile from the Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but it sits in a quiet, residential neighborhood on the Upper West Side. This ideal location creates a “sense of a supportive, artistic community,” says Joel Lester, dean of the school.
“Mannes is one of the smaller of the major conservatories,” he adds. “With 295 students overall, about 65 voice students, and with only about 35 students in the Mannes Opera Program, every student receives a great deal of personal attention.”
Frank Nemhauser, coordinator of vocal studies, agrees that the small student-to-teacher ratio is one of the major advantages of studying at Mannes. “Small class sizes and lots of individual attention provide a wonderful environment for a superb education,” he says. Indeed, the school boasts that its classes on the techniques of music have 10 or fewer students.
Both Nemhauser and Lester also agree that the New York City location is of great advantage to Mannes students.
“The obvious advantage of studying voice in New York City is being amidst a wealth of operatic and other vocal performances, including the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, visiting companies, early music, vocal soloists with the New York Philharmonic, visiting orchestras at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, solo recitals by the major singers of the day, and so forth,” says Lester. “We try and assist students in taking full advantage of these many performances by getting tickets for free, or at a big discount to our students,” adds Nemhauser.
Are there disadvantages to studying in New York City? “Perhaps being over stimulated and distracted by all the excitement,” says Lester. Nemhauser adds that, “New York City can be a little overwhelming—and expensive!”
Tuition at Mannes is not cheap. The undergraduate and master’s degree programs for the 2005-2006 academic year are running students a mere $25,560. Undergraduate students say they spend around $1,200 a month for living expenses, which includes rent, meals, utilities, and travel. Financial aid is available, and awards are based solely on talent in the entrance audition.
“About 80 percent of all Mannes students receive some merit-based financial aid,” says Dean Lester. Some students receive full tuition scholarships and stipends to help with living expenses.”
At the beginning of each school year, all voice students can audition for the Mannes Opera Program. Around 35 students are accepted into the yearlong program and are then organized into small sections that work with various coaches and stage directors throughout the year. The program prepares performances for staged scenes and concert-style performances. In addition, students chosen from the class present one fully staged opera production each year in the spring. In the past three years, the Mannes Opera has performed La bohème, Don Giovanni, and Die Zauberflöte.
Joseph Colaneri, conductor at the Metropolitan Opera and former director of the New York City Opera National Company, directs the Mannes Opera Program. “The focus of The Mannes Opera, under Colaneri’s direction since 1998, has been to develop the skills and experience needed by aspiring singers,” says Lester. Colaneri seems to be bringing this aim to fruition.
“It’s rare to hear so many voices singing with ease (there wasn’t a strained top note in the bunch) and rich color. There were at least five singers I’d be happy to encounter on a professional stage,” writes New York Times critic Anne Midgette in her May 10, 2005 review of Mannes’ production of Die Zauberflöte. “Credit goes to Joseph Colaneri, this evening’s conductor. … If this is the kind of work he does here, the program should be getting even more attention.”
Colaneri surrounds himself with superb coaches, perhaps part of the secret to his success. These coaches teach weekly opera classes, and include Susan Woodruff Versage (accompanist at Houston Grand Opera and Glimmerglass Opera, and assistant conductor at the New York City Opera), Susan Caldwell (assistant conductor at NYCO), and Ted Taylor (conductor at NYCO, former director of the New York City Opera National Company and Mobile Opera, accompanist for Eileen Farrell, Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, Carlo Bergonzi, and others).
The Mannes Opera boasts two internationally renowned master artists in residence: Regina Resnik and Renata Scotto. These two world-famous singers work regularly with students in the Mannes Opera Program.
“There is an incredible atmosphere of friendliness and trust which permeates the work, and that is rare,” says Ms. Resnik. “The roster has many fine voices, and all those I taught were highly disciplined and prepared. The institution deserves enormous support from outside. Inside, all is there to guarantee fine results in every way.”
Because the school has more graduate voice majors than undergraduate voice majors (37 to 28 in 2004-2005), graduate students dominate in the opera studio. “Although most students in The Mannes Opera are graduate students,” says Dean Lester, “each year there are at least a few undergrad singers as well. When undergraduate singers are the best for a given role, they have been cast in that role.”
Mannes offers classes specifically for singers who are not in the Mannes Opera Program. These include an opera scenes class and an opera roles class. All vocal students are invited to compete each year in the Vocal Concerto Competition. Winners have the opportunity to record or sing a non-operatic solo vocal piece with the Mannes Orchestra. “Frequently, this competition has been won by an undergraduate singer,” continues Dean Lester, “such as last season, when an undergraduate soprano sang Britten’s Les Illuminations in Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.”
The voice teachers on staff at Mannes are no shabby bunch either.
“Another New York City advantage,” says Nemhauser, “is that teachers often belong to professional organizations in town.” Beth Roberts, Voice Department chair since 2001, is an active member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Ruth Falcon, famed teacher of Deborah Voigt, teaches voice at the Metropolitan Opera Young Artist Program. Staff voice teacher Amy Burton currently sings with the New York City Opera. Both Ruth Falcon and Dan Marek have performed at the Metropolitan Opera. Other teachers on staff include Arthur Levy, Bonnie Hamilton, Thomas Cultice, Richard Barrett, Marian Thompson, Richard Cross, Antonia Lavanne, and Robert White.
The curriculum at Mannes focuses mainly on the performing aspect of singing—with classes in acting, diction and role-preparation— but the Techniques of Music program is equally important. Dean Lester describes the program as, “a uniquely comprehensive and intensive curriculum of music theory (counterpoint, harmony, Schenkerian analysis, 20th century techniques), ear training (dictation, sight-singing), solfeggio, and keyboard skills.” The classes last for the full four years of education. In the first two years, the program introduces students to basic technical materials, and then to more advanced work in the third and fourth years.
Still wondering whether Mannes is for you? Consider some basic facts, based on a typical student profile prepared by the college after interviews with many in its undergraduate student body. The average undergraduate student at Mannes is American or Korean, comes from the northeastern United States, and entered Mannes as a first-time freshman. The average voice major at Mannes began studying voice between the ages of 15 and 17. Fifty percent of the non-piano majors played piano at an intermediate level or higher before attending Mannes. Eighty-seven percent of Mannes students had a 3.0 or higher GPA, and on average undergraduates ranked in the top 20 percent of their graduating classes. Students list the top three reasons for attending Mannes as follows: 1) a major teacher, 2) location (New York City), and 3) atmosphere (intimate, community spirit). (For the full Typical Student Profile visit http://www.mannes.edu/college/applying_to_mannes/is_mannes_for_you/
typical_student_profile.jsp.)
Nemhauser shared some words of wisdom for those thinking about attending a conservatory.
“Don’t think you’re going to start your musical training at a conservatory. Just like you need to take some pre-med classes before medical school, you must have a basic music knowledge before entering a conservatory.”
When asked if he had any advice for incoming freshman, Dean Lester advised, “Practice, practice, practice. Listen to your teachers. Take all of your courses seriously. Learning solfege, sight-singing, counterpoint, music history, literature, fine arts, and European and world history are all important to developing the knowledge of musical structure and culture that are reflected in the performances of great singers.”
From critically acclaimed opera productions, to world-class faculty, to a close-knit and friendly environment, the vocal program at Mannes College of Music offers much to prospective students.
