Summer Program

Participants in Concert, 2007

In association with the State University of New York, College at New Paltz (SUNY/New Paltz), the Bel Canto Institute Summer Program and Youth Division Summer Program will be held in Florence, Italy. Singers and coaches will be chosen by means of audition to participate in the program which will not only encompass the musical aspects of style and tradition, but other essential historical and cultural elements which influenced the entire era. The artists will receive coaching sessions, voice lessons and performance classes on style and tradition. In addition to performance classes, participants will perform in two concert performances in public venues in Florence. Italian language classes will be taught through La Scuola Leonardo da Vinci and college credit may be obtained through the Language Immersion Institute of SUNY/New Paltz. All participants will be housed with families, double-occupancy rooms, shared baths. Single rooms are available at additional cost. Breakfast and dinner will be provided by the host families. All music classes will be held at Il Trillo music school, a short walk from La Scuola Leonardo da Vinci.

2008 Summer Program Details
June 30 - July 26
The four-week summer program will be in residence in Florence, Italy.

Each participant will receive:

• 8-9 private coachings

• 8-9 private voice lessons

•

40 hours of
Italian language instruction
(Itailan Class at La
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci
shown at right)

• Italian language books (dictionary not included)

• 9 hours of Italian diction

• 1-2 Master Classes with Guest Artist Juan Pons (seen above)

• 15 performance classes on tradition and style in operas and songs of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini

•
2 lectures:

  • "What Opera Houses
     and Apprentice Programs
     Look for in Singers"
  • "Hints on Translating
     Italian Opera Libretti"

• 1 discussion group with faculty: "The Road to College, the Road to a Career"

• 2 concert performances in public venues in Florence

• 2 one-day excursions:

  • 1-day excursion to Arezzo
  • 1-day excursion to Villa Medici, Poggio a Caiano

Cycle of frescoes by Piero della Francesca in the 13th-century church of St. Francis in Arezzo.
(right)

The Piazza Grande in Arezzo

Villa Medici at Poggio a Caiano

The Cathedral of Arezzo, with the 16th century fresco by Piero della Francesco, Mary Magdalene.

• Breakfast and dinner daily (provided by host families), and a special farewell dinner on the final evening

FACULTY (subject to change)

Anna Toccafondi
(voice)
Conservatorio di Musica, Bologna

Whit Kellogg
(coach)
Metropolitan Opera

Jane Bakken
Klaviter
(coach)
Metropolitan Opera

James Koenig
(voice)
Arizona Opera
Michigan Opera Theater

Roger Malouf
(coach)
Metropolitan Opera
New York City Opera
Mannes College of Music

Patricia Misslin
(voice)
Manhattan School
of Music
New England Conservatory
Bard College Conservatory

Robert Morrison
(coach)
Metropolitan Opera

Italian language classes will be taught through La Scuola Leonardo da Vinci and college credit may be obtained though the Language Immersion Institute of SUNY/New Paltz. All participants will be housed with families, double-occupancy rooms, shared baths. Single rooms are available at additional cost. Breakfast and dinner will be provided by the host families. All music classes will be held at Il Trillo music school, a short walk from La Scuola Leonardo da Vinci.

Gildo DiNunzio
(coach)
Metropolitan Opera (retired)

Joana Pons
(coach)
Teatro Principal
de Menorca
Washington Opera

Mary Elizabeth Poore
(voice)
Westchester Conservatory
of Music
Mercy College

Eduardo Valdes
(voice)
Metropolitan Opera

Eva Hess Thaysen
(voice)
Royal Academy
of Music
(Copenhagen)
Danish National Opera
Danish Lied
Society

Constance Haas
(voice)
Eastman
School
of Music

GUEST ARTIST

Juan Pons
Metropolitan Opera, Teratro alla Scala (Milan), Royal Opera House (London), Vienna Staatsoper, San Francisco Opera, Deutsch Oper (Berlin), Zurich Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Teatro Real (Madrid)