Practice, practice, practice. That’s what it takes to get to Carnegie Hall, right? It also takes experience, experience, experience—not to mention a lot of networking, connections, and luck. Pay-to-sing, pay-to-learn, or summer programs—whichever you prefer to call them—offer singers opportunities to gain experience and to network with both fellow singers and important professionals in the business. As for luck, well, we all wish we knew how to garner more of that.
The problem remains that not all programs are created equal, nor is every program—regardless of its quality—made for every singer. In an effort to help singers gather information about programs, each year Classical Singer surveys participants of summer programs to see how the programs are faring. For the most part, singers report positive experiences and say they feel they are getting their money’s worth.
Below we’ve included excerpts from surveys evaluating programs from the summer of 2006. If we fail to mention a program, it is because we received too few or no comments regarding the program, or we feature a full article on the program in this issue. Programs with more complete or a greater number of evaluations received longer treatment here. Survey respondents’ names have been omitted.
To view the full surveys, please visit the Classical Singer forum at www.classialsinger.com (click on “summer program” under “forum” in the left-hand menu).
Amalfi Coast Music Festival
Italy’s Amalfi Coast boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the country, as well as a fine summer program, said students. In just two short weeks participants present one opera and a scenes program. Singers gave favorable reviews of the housing, food, and orchestra. One singer’s only complaint was about the scheduling, “They need to not schedule trips when so few people can actually attend them because of rehearsals.”
Assisi Music Festival
Located in the beautiful birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi, this summer program hosts some 15 singers and 15 instrumentalists for three weeks of study, with an emphasis on sacred music (see January 2005). One singer said she attended the program for “spiritual enlightenment in Assisi, to be in Italy, [and to] sing sacred music and concerts.” She said the program met those expectations and she felt she got her money’s worth. Participants also agreed that the masterclass with soprano and Baroque expert Gloria Banditelli was another highlight of the 2006 program.
Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI)
Beautiful San Francisco is the site for this program, which produced three fully staged operas and a scenes program. Singers said the opportunity to perform a full role was the main impetus for attending the program, and agreed that working with conductor Matthias Kuntzsch was a highlight. Tuition does not include housing, which can be expensive in California’s Bay Area , or voice lessons, offered at an additional fee.
Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute
“The faculty was great, so yes, I feel that it was worth it, although the price is a bit high,” one singer wrote about this program, which operates out of Portland, Ore. “Having the opportunity to work with George Shirley and Nicholas Carthy [was] the best!” As for living conditions, “I lived in the dorms. There was no air conditioning, so it was a little uncomfortable.” The singer also added that this program needs better organization. “In general the program was very disorganized. . . . If that were rectified many problems would be fixed.”
Centro Studi Lirica in Novafeltria
This program—located in Novafeltria, Italy not far from the tourist beach town of Rimini—got great reviews for its language classes and excellent instruction, but singers complained about a general lack of organization. “Nobody really could plan for excursions since scheduling was haphazard and weekends (which [we] were supposed to [have] off) were taken up. . . . Rimini [was] the only close place to go on such a terrible ‘short notice’ type of schedule.”
When asked if they sang the role or scene promised, one singer responded, “Yes, but I was one of the luckier ones, several people didn’t get to perform because [the program] triple- and quadruple-cast some scenes and then didn’t have enough concerts to go around. They also seemed to choose the same people to perform over and over again. It was not a happy experience for many.”
Colorado College Vocal Arts Symposium
Located just south of the Mile High City in beautiful Colorado Springs, Martile Rowland’s summer program receives high marks from singers. Along with high-quality voice lessons and coachings, this program also offers singers several dance classes.
“My favorite activity was the dance lessons,” wrote one singer. “The instructor did an excellent job of encouraging everyone to participate and acknowledged each person when they did well.”
Program participants do a combination of scenes and recitals. “I participated in every performance possible. I was in opera and jazz recitals, and opera and theater scenes,” wrote another singer.
The schedule was full preparing for so many concerts. “I would start the day around 10 a.m. with a dance class,” the singer continued, “have an hour break for lunch, then I would have rehearsals and coachings all day until around 5 p.m., have about an hour for dinner and then come back and rehearse until 8 and [sometimes] 10 p.m.”
CoOPERAtive Program
How about a program that tailors its curriculum to your individual needs? One new summer program is doing just that.
“The audition experience was very unique,” explained one singer. “The program aims to cultivate a unique schedule for each singer based on our personal strengths and weaknesses, and this was evaluated in the audition. We auditioned for a panel of very well known professionals who pinpointed what we needed to work on, and that became a lot of the focus during the program.”
The CoOPERAtive Program is at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. Out-of-town participants stay in college dorms on campus. In explaining the curriculum, one singer said, “The majority of the program is private coachings with either conductors (Ted Taylor and Daniel Beckwith), dramatic coaches (Martha Collins, Marc Verzatt, and Nova Thomas), or very knowledgeable coaches (Susan Shiplett Ashbaker, Lydia Brown, Debra Scurto-Davis), so each one of these was exciting. My favorite activity would have to be the once-a-week dramatic masterclasses we had. Everybody learned a lot at each one.”
Crittenden Opera Workshop
This two-week opera workshop happens each summer in both Washington, D.C. and Boston. At just under $600, tuition is one of the most affordable around. The program culminates in two final scenes productions. Singers provide their own costumes. No voice lessons are provided, and emphasis is on interpretation and expression. Participants agreed that working with Elizabeth Vrenios was a highlight at the program. All survey respondents reported that they definitely got their money’s worth and would return to this program.
Daniel Ferro Vocal Program
Participants agreed that the main strength of this program was the daily masterclasses with program director Daniel Ferro. The program divided singers—who could bring their own repertoire to work on during the program—into two groups: intermediate and advanced. Advanced singers performed four concerts around the town of Greve, Italy (just 20 minutes from Florence), and intermediate singers presented one concert. In addition to the masterclasses, singers received a voice lesson or coaching almost every day. The major complaint from participants was that the language classes were often held at the same time as lessons and coachings, which made it difficult to take advantage of the Italian instruction.
Elysium Between Two Continents
During this 10-day program, “housed in a beautiful monastery, on a beautiful lake, with lots of forest for walking” just south of Munich, Germany, singers “worked toward one concert that included Lieder, and opera arias and scenes.”
“Each morning began with breakfast and then group meditation,” said one singer, describing the general outline of the program. “The first day, we focused on musical coaching, and each day we added to that—so by day four, we also had diction, dramatic work, and private rehearsal with the musical director. Our time was highly structured so that we accomplished a great deal without burning out.”
Only four singers, ages 24-28 (approximately), participated. “The very small size allowed us one-on-one instruction every day,” the singer continued. “We were also able to perform a great deal more material than in programs with many singers.”
Florence Voice Seminar
A well-run, professional program that was well worth the money, all survey respondents agreed. Unlike many other programs, the $3,500 tuition fee for this three-week program in Italy includes airfare and housing. Participants spoke highly of the vocal and coaching staffs at the program, and about the language immersion program. Students stay four to a room, which one singer said was, “functional but a bit crowded. I appreciated that we had a kitchen to use.”
Intermezzo Opera
The highlight of this year’s program, held in sunny California, was the excellent faculty, said participants. When asked who was the most helpful person at the program, one singer responded, “The amazing voice teachers (only there for the first two weeks): Sharon Sweet, Jane Bunnell, Marc Embree, and Everett McCorvey. Also, fantastic coaches Kelly Horsted and Katherine Kozak, and of course, Met Opera conductor David Jackson.”
As with other programs, organizational problems clouded some singers’ experiences. “Intermezzo needs to come through on its promises and admit/apologize when it is at fault,” one singer wrote. “[They] promised five lessons for each of the first two weeks of the program, but students only received between two to four. Students were also promised two French song recitals and two American song recitals, of which only the American recitals happened at all. Some students, therefore, did not participate in any recitals.”
“The housing and dining hall arrangements on the Palm Balm Atlantic University campus were uncomfortable (ants and mold from leaky water in the rooms). The scheduling needs to be improved (it often wasn’t posted until the morning, and contained conflicts that students had to resolve themselves). All roles need to be assigned before the program starts, and roles should be taken away if students fail to show up prepared.”
In contrast, another singer had this to say to program directors, “Thank you so much for the opportunity and for how much I learned. It was better than I expected. I took much with me and have already had a successful audition.”
International Institute of Vocal Arts
Singers who attended this program in Chianti, Italy wrote in about the excellent quality of the teachers, vocal coaches, and Italian language instructors. However, major organizational issues dampened the overall positive experience for participants. Singers lived at some distance from rehearsal and performance facilities. Cars were provided, but singers often had long waits for rides.
One singer, echoing the comments of several others, put it like this, “I really did learn a lot from the excellent staff and even my peers. [Waiting] around for rides . . . made it very difficult to do any personal errands, it made it difficult to practice, and it made it difficult to have time for relaxation. Scheduling became more and more of a problem as the program continued and towards the end, it was practically fictional. All of us were so grateful for the wonderful things about the program, that it was doubly frustrating to have these problems.”
International Lyric Academy of Rome
This monthlong program in Rome produces fully staged operas, and scenes programs.
“Italian lessons began at 8:45 a.m. right after breakfast,” said one singer. “Rehearsals normally started between 9:30 and 10 a.m. and [continued] between the hours of 12 and 5 p.m. depending on who was called for specific scenes. Lessons and coachings were scattered between the morning and afternoons. Once the rehearsals were finished . . . we would go to dinner. At 9 p.m. every evening there were semi-concert versions of operas or recitals to attend, put on by performers of ILAR.”
When asked if she got her money’s worth, one singer responded, “Absolutely. The fact that I got to live a few blocks from the Coliseum—as well as doing what I love to do everyday in rehearsals, lessons, coachings, and master classes for one month—was worth every penny.”
International Symphonic Workshops
This program continues to receive mixed reviews from participants. Some rave about an absolutely amazing experience, while others were less than satisfied. Held on the Black Sea in Bourgas, Bulgaria, the program’s main focus is training conductors. To do this, they put on two fully staged operas in the local opera house, so they need singers to fill the roles. Tuition is low: $1,500 to cover a role and $2,000 to sing a full role, with orchestra. Airfare to this rather remote part of the world is expensive, but living costs remain relatively inexpensive.
Singers complained about the old opera house—redolent of mildew and mold—which caused some singers to have allergic reactions. Also, of the four coaches on hand, only one was truly a vocal coach. The others struggled with the music and had little to no interpretive insight to offer. One singer, however, who covered a role this past summer, spoke glowingly of the chance to sing with orchestra, and of the attentive staff who worked to resolve her concerns. Bottom line: read all of the comments on the Classical Singer Forum and proceed with caution.
International Vocal Arts Institute
This program operates in three locations throughout the summer: Puerto Rico, Israel, and Canada. The Tel Aviv program, where participants sang the complete opera The Crucible, received the highest ratings of the three programs. Staff held things together even with an unstable political environment.
“We had an extremely unusual situation because the conflict between Israel and Lebanon erupted right in the middle of the program,” said one singer. “I thought that a lot of the non-Israeli singers and teachers would leave, but was amazed when practically everyone stayed. It was a testament to how well the Israeli staff handled everyone’s concerns and questions, as well as setting up excellent security measures.”
Singers who attended the Montreal session rated the art song program above the opera program. Program director Joan Dornemann is known for assembling a first-rate group of faculty, but not all singers were impressed by the group in Montreal. Singers raved about the staff in Israel and Puerto Rico, however, and said they would definitely attend again to work with such fine musicians.
Johanna Meier Opera Institute
Located in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, this program offers vistas many singers hadn’t seen before. As one singer said, “I got to see Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore!” The program operates out of a local university, so dorm rooms and cafeteria are the participants’ lot—but singers agreed that this in no way hampered the extremely positive experience of working with Johanna Meier.
Lied Austria
(See article on page 82.)
Neil Semer Vocal Institute
This program, held twice yearly in two locations in Germany, continues to receive great reviews every year (see January 2005). Comments from one singer sum up the comments echoed by many others: “It was my first time attending the program, and I was very excited and a little wary of what I would find. It was wonderful! Don’t get me wrong, it was hard work and much more taxing emotionally than I expected, but so rewarding. We were given ample time to work with Neil [Semer], Roberta [Bertajo], and the pianists, and were expected to do our best. We were provided with a lot of workshops (group work every morning, mock auditions, listening nights, dress rehearsals) as well as the opportunity to give two concerts a week.
“We were challenged physically and spiritually . . . [and] forced to look into ourselves and see what was there, to see what we wanted to be and what we maybe didn’t want to be. All in all, I would highly recommend this program to any singer who is ready to work and to be greatly challenged.”
New York Opera Studio: Vassar
Nico and Carol Castel run this two-week program, on the beautiful Vassar campus in New York State (see this month’s cover story).
“I had heard good things about the Castels,” reported one singer, “and the program was affordable and worked with my vacation schedule at work.” Singers enjoyed the morning movement classes that included “everything from Latin dance, African dance, Yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation.” Carol taught acting classes and Nico coached singers on languages privately as well as doing group masterclasses. Several participants also raved about Carol Kirkpatrick’s class on the business of singing.
General consensus: The program was definitely worth the money, even though no scholarships were offered, dormitory housing arrangements were adequate but not fancy, and the typical college cafeteria food left a bit to be desired.
Opera in the Ozarks
A program that in the past has received great reviews, Opera in the Ozarks’ 2006 reviews were mixed to poor. One singer said, “The biggest problem this year was the multiple casting. In theory, I’m sure it was a great idea to have five to seven singers on each part. However, the reality is that in a learning situation where most singers are inexperienced, it is impossible to have the time to put together that many different casts for four different operas. Two weeks into the process, the staff realized that we were in big trouble and started making cuts. . . . Many people got their roles taken from them—and these people knew their roles and had even paid to have them coached. . . . We rehearsed only Cast 1 until Cast 1 went up. Then Cast 2 would only have a matter of days to put their show up.”
Evidently, the staff-to-singer ratio and a first-time faculty were two major problems. Another singer gave this advice to program organizers for improvement: “More staff, less singers, more training, more classes and activities once rehearsals are over. Since this was the first year with a completely new faculty, I have no doubt that things will improve every year. Many things that didn’t work were simply because it was the first year for the director and staff. I know that they already have plans for great improvements.”
Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca
This program, sponsored by the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, operates in the heart of Tuscany, Italy. Last summer’s production of Le nozze di Figaro, along with performances of “Figaro” scenes and cabaret performances, provided a great experience for participants. The daily language training was also a highlight. As one singer said, “I received two semesters worth of Italian in five weeks, and yes it was intense and
very effective.”
Operafestival di Roma
One of many summer programs in Rome, not all of the same caliber, this is one that always gets good reviews. When asked, “What could this program to do improve?” one singer’s response said it all, “Very well organized program.” Courses included daily lessons, coachings, and language classes. Singers present fully costumed and staged operas with orchestra.
OperaWorks
This summer program, operated by Ann Baltz in Los Angeles, consistently receives high marks. One singer raved, “When Ann asked us to introduce ourselves at orientation, she asked not only who we were (and other basics, like what our voice type was, where we were from, etc.), but more importantly, she asked what we hoped to accomplish at OperaWorks. This established from the beginning that we were all equals.
“The youngest participant was 19, and there were several of us in our early- to mid-30s. The age gap never seemed to be an issue, and I was constantly surprised by the things I learned from the younger singers. We learned to improvise, to move, to play, and to find the real ‘human’ element in our repertoire through coachings, performance technique, and acting classes. Every single participant made a huge contribution to the final performance project, which challenged us all to call on everything we had learned, and also (more importantly) to call upon our imagination.”
Schlern International Music Festival and Competition
This relatively new program on the border of Italy and Austria provides German language classes but Italian tourist experiences. One singer raved about the performance venues—old churches and a castle—which really gave her a sense of the European flair.
As with many new programs, this one has a few kinks to work out. As one singer said, “A central form of communication is badly needed—announcements at meals aren’t effective, and the bulletin board in the office was only a little more so. Following through on promises of teachers is a must.” This same singer, who loved her experience at Schlern, went on to say, “Thank you for giving me the experience I needed. . . . You may have changed my entire life. Every program has its pitfalls, especially when it hasn’t been around for decades, but you have a wonderful thing on your hands. Please take care to listen to your students’ feedback, and I’m sure you’ll be going strong for a long time.”
Good advice for any summer program!
Seagle Music Colony
Participants agreed that the breathtaking setting in the Adirondacks Mountains provides an ideal location for a summer program—but this program’s appeal runs much deeper than its beautiful scenery. Singers also concurred that General Director Darren K. Woods was the most helpful person at the program.
Singers take lead and chorus roles in six opera and musical theatre productions, and everyone receives some scholarship money to help with tuition costs. Male singers enjoyed brand new lodging facilities, while many of the girls complained about the lack of air conditioning in their older dormitories. Singers also reported that private practice space can be difficult to come by.
Even with these minor inconveniences, all agreed that this program was well worth the money. As one singer said, “This was by far the best program I have ever done. A great experience, and all I could have asked for and more from a summer program.”
Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium
Spoleto, Italy bustles with activity during the summer months, including this summer program. “I got great technical help, learned diction with the amazing Nico Castel, had many performance opportunities with really appreciative audiences, and was in the scenes program for the final concert in the opera house,” wrote one student. “It was extremely well organized, filled with really nice people, a fabulous faculty, and the most caring, thoughtful, genuinely good administration. I would highly recommend this program to anyone.”
Singers should know that a large part of the curriculum centers on the techniques found in Robert Shewan and Judith Coen’s book Singing and the Brain. “The technique was completely foreign to me, but I have come to understand the value in it and the amazing ideas on which it is based,” said the singer.
About the organization, one singer wrote, “The schedule really works, balancing masterclasses, private lessons, coachings, Italian class, diction, and stage work. . . . We were warned that the course was demanding and that we should pace ourselves. You could take advantage of as little or as much as you wanted.”
Tyrolean Opera Program
Just two years old and located in the Austrian Alps, singers gave kudos to an organized program and wonderful faculty. Only about 15 singers participated, which meant a lot of individual attention for every singer, although one singer wished for, “a larger group of singers to increase the number of opera scenes.”
University of Miami Frost School of Music in Salzburg
(See article on page 46.)
Voice Experience Foundation
Operating out of Walt Disney World in Florida has its advantages, such as a three-day park pass for all program participants. When asked about the quality of stage facilities, one singer responded, “Great. This program offers unique opportunities, thanks to Disney.” On the downside, this singer also said, “Expect to spend a good amount of money for food, since it is Disney.”
Singers gave high marks for organization and quality staff. “Maria Zouves is one of the shining examples of how to handle a summer program.”
Wesley Balk Institute
Program founder Wesley Balk passed away in recent years, but judging from the responses of program participants, his successors are continuing his work effectively (see January 2007). Held in Minneapolis, the city of lakes, the program’s location garnered high marks for its beauty.
The program does not provide vocal instruction, focusing on interpretation and expression. One singer said that her initial reasons for attending the program were to, “improve her acting and expression,” but her reasons for attending in hindsight were to, “work out fears of performing.” Student directors can also attend the program to improve their directing skills.
