Le Château de la Voix is the first summer voice program I attended since taking private voice lessons. It was an immensely enriching experience where participants were immersed in extensive training in aural skills, voice lessons and masterclasses, Spanish diction and stagecraft in preparation for 2 recitals and a baroque opera presentation.
The program welcomed participants at various stages of vocal maturity and musicianship. Although majority of the participants of the program are current voice majors or have recently graduated from music college, participants like myself who did not go through formal music college hardly felt disadvantaged in comparison. Aural skill seminars and discussions on baroque ornamentation were tailored with easy-to-understand concepts for participants with little knowledge of music theory and yet sufficiently engaging for advanced participants. Voice instructors, coaches and pianists were often accessible and instrumental in one’s preparation for the recital and especially so for the opera production of “La Purpura de la Rosa” by Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco. Participants unequivocally most valued the voice masterclasses conducted by Professor Cynthia Haymon, her acumen in diagnosing bad vocal habits and in remedying those behaviours.
I would like to conclude with a Chinese proverb by Lao Tzu- “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Be prepared, be bold and take this step with Le Château de La Voix” on the journey towards musicianship.”
– Stefan Choo, 2015 Young Artist
Music director, Christopher Holman, and collaborative pianists in Performance Practice class.
I had a wonderful time at Château de la Voix! The faculty was absolutely amazing! They were all very talented, yet very humble, open to suggestions by the students, and cared very deeply about what you were learning and how you were learning. They were also all experts in their fields and successfully relayed their knowledge to students….. Everything was well organized and there was NO wasted time. I would highly recommend this program, for people who have never done a program of this sort AND for people who have. You will not regret it!
– Alexandria Ramos, 2014 Young Artist
Le Chateau de la Voix 2014 Young Artists
Le Château de la Voix exposed me to the wide scope of subjects related to performance and the singing voice. I learned the performance practices of Baroque opera, was given the opportunity to perform with period instruments, and had a great time learning the material with new friends. I would recommend Le Château de la Voix to the blossoming classical singer and collaborative pianist.
— Ellen Bialek, 2014 Young Artist
This program provides an excellent opportunity to learn a full operatic role, gain stage experience, and hone your musicianship skills and craft. They are very encouraging, student-focused, and offer a variety of opportunities to engage and learn through classes, brown-bag sessions with business and arts professionals, lessons, coachings, and opera staging. It was a great program with excellent faculty.
— Sara Lloyd Torbeck, 2014 Young Artist
This program offered me a huge amount of experience in the two weeks it lasted, with a combination of academic classes, lessons and coachings, and the preparation of a fully staged opera. The program was focused on giving me the exact tools I needed to go forth and audition for the professional world. The faculty members were exceptional, and dedicated to helping us understand and navigate the professional singing world we are attempting to break into. Not only this, but the atmosphere we worked in was incredibly supportive, and we were encouraged to express our opinions and relate our own experiences as a singer. I came away from this program a better singer, and a more confident and prepared artist. — Molly Adams-Toomey, 2014 Young Artist