Teacher

Renowned internationally acclaimed soprano, Valerie Girard teaches vocal technique and its application in repertoire in the USA, Germany and Italy, and is a former faculty member of the University of Koblenz, Germany. She studied at the American Opera Center of the Juilliard School as well as Italian bel canto and verismo opera with Luigi Ricci in Rome. She has performed with the New York City Opera and Wolf Trap Festival and has had an extensive performing career in major European theaters and concert halls with conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Sergiu Comissiona, Armin Jordan, Imre Pallo, Donald Runnicles, Nello Santi, Peter Schneider, and Stefan Soltesz. She has given recitals and concerts with orchestra in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Paris and many other large cities in France, Germany and Italy. She also performed as soloist with chamber music ensembles (among others, the Lincoln Center Chamber Ensemble in New York). She is the creator and artistic director of “Camerata di Colombaia”, a summer music festival in the Apennine mountains in Italy and Casentino Voice, a summer program for classical singers in Tuscany, Italy.

“My students learn to sing with freedom rooted in a grounded breath support. I believe that each person has their own unique sound, and I will show you how to extend your range and sing with joy and self-confidence. I will also work on improving musicianship, on rhythm phrasing and legato, diction and interpretation.

My vocal mentor was Felix Knight with whom I worked with from the age of 14 until he passed away. Felix sang in opera, musicals, and even had his own weekly radio show. Not only did I study with him myself but I listened in on lessons with all kinds of voices, both men and women, classical, and pop singers.

My students have gone on to having successful careers in everything from pop, jazz, musical theater to opera.”