The biennial NATS National Conference attracts NATS members and others from around the world to share in programs, demonstrations, lectures, master classes and competitions that help celebrate the art of singing and increase knowledge of teachers to help them better assist their students. The 53rd NATS National Conference will be held July 5-9, 2014, at the BostonMarriott Copley Place, a luxurious 70,000-square-foot full-service hotel that recently completed a five-year renovation, making it a destination of choice in one of America’s most historic cities.

Register now!

Saturday May 3, 2014

Ms. LoVetri developed "Somatic Voicework" - The LoVetri Method of functional vocal training which draws from the many disciplines of voice science, medicine, classical voice, musical theatre (all styles) as well as yoga, dance, acting and speech. 

"It is possible to develop stylistic skills in a wide variety of material. SVW ™ is body-based work with the voice." - Jeannette Lovetri 

Find out more at Ms. LoVetri's website.  We will announce more details shortly but the day will consist of lecture and master classes by Ms. LoVetri for both teachers and students.

Daniel Lichti invites you....

 www.academiedefourviere.com 

www.academiedefourviere.net

If you know of any young singers who might be interested in an experience like this, and a chance to explore song repertoire and perform it publicly, have them visit the website.  The Academie is quite affordable, certainly in comparison to other European-based summer courses.  Accomodation is private and in nearby university residences.  All the info is available on the website.  I was there last summer for a week with Deena at the tail-end of our sabbaticals and loved our time with the other participants at the Academie...very professional, and very collegial.

Interdisciplinary Survey on Common Usage of Breathing Terminology

This survey was created by Shannon Coates (DMA Candidate, University of Toronto) to find quantitative data showing the level of consistency of terminology used by speech language pathologists, otolaryngologists, and singing teachers throughout North America.

The survey was approved by the University of Toronto Ethics Board on 24th January, 2014 and forms a major part of my doctoral research. Your participation is completely anonymous and voluntary, and data collected from this survey will remain confidential, non-identifiable, and will be used for research purposes only. While participation in this survey will not benefit you directly, it will contribute to the voice community as a whole, and you may find benefit from reflecting upon the terminology that you use in your studio, clinic, or practice.

The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and you may complete it all at once, or in more than one sitting. By clicking on the survey link, you are consenting to voluntary participation, acknowledging that you are at least eighteen years of age, and that you treat or teach classical singers in your studio, clinic, or practice.

I anticipate collecting data 31st  March 2014, after which the survey link will no longer be active.

As a larger survey sample size will ensure more significant data, leading to a greater impact on the clarification of terminology used in the voice community, I would be grateful if you would consider forwarding the survey link to any of your colleagues who teach or treat classical singers.

The survey may be accessed via this link: Interdisciplinary Survey on Common Usage of Breathing Terminology

If you have any questions concerning my research or the survey, please contact me or my supervisor (contact information below). Your time and dedication to voice research is valuable and highly appreciated.

Shannon Coates, DMA Candidate in Vocal Performance, Specializing in Voice Pedagogy, University of Toronto

shannon.coates@utoronto.ca

Professor Lorna MacDonald, Lois Marshall Chair in Voice Studies, University of Toronto

lorna.macdonald@utoronto.ca

Dear friends of opera!

HEAR NATHAN GUNN IN HIS ONLY TORONTO APPEARANCE IN 2014! MONDAY, JUNE 2nd!

Come to an exclusive fundraising event for the intensive summer program, Highlands Opera Studio, providing highly advanced performance and networking opportunities for emerging operatic artists as well as supporting opera outreach and education in the region of the Haliburton Highlands. 

It will be held on MONDAY, JUNE 2ND, at the spectacular private Bank of Montreal (BMO) venue on the 68th floor of the BMO tower in downtown Toronto. The evening, generously sponsored by BMO, will include cocktails, a gourmet dinner with exceptional wine pairings, a spectacular silent and live auction and performances by NATHAN AND JULIE GUNN, RICHARD MARGISON, Lauren Margison, HOS alumni and surprise celebrity guests! 

'Opera is an art form that we both have devoted our lives to and one that we continue to support in every way we can. 

Eight years ago we decided to start a program in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands (2 1/2 hours north of Toronto) for very advanced emerging operatic artists in which we would concentrate not only on the goals of performance excellence, but also on networking and potential employment opportunities for young singers. We also felt that at this level, these young artists should no longer be expected to pay for a summer program, and, therefore, all Canadian artists attending the month-long intensive program are on full scholarship. This limited number of participants is chosen through a rigorous cross-Canada (and NYC) audition tour during which we listen to on average close to 200 applicants. Out of those we choose on average 15-20  highly qualified participants. 

The community of the Haliburton Highlands and the extended areas of Muskoka, Kawartha Lakes, and Bancroft, have welcomed us into the region.  Since our inaugural year in 2007 we have focused on providing community interaction and audience education through pre-performance chats, run-out concerts, and ‘Random Acts of Opera’, short concerts in local venues. In 2011 we established the Highlands Opera Community School in which we offer voice lessons, masterclasses, the opportunity to observe the Opera Studio participants, and potential involvement in one or the other of our staged productions.

We are extremely excited about this event, the young artists and the community that it is supporting. We hope you will join us on the evening and visit our website to learn more about the program itself.

Help us support the future of the art form we all love so much!

Sincerely,

Valerie Kuinka
General Director

Richard Margison
Artistic Director

Highlands Opera Studio'  (www.highlandsoperastudio.com)

COST IS $250/PERSON (tables of 8)

TO PURCHASE TICKETS PLEASE VISIT WWW.HIGHLANDSOPERASTUDIO.COM OR CALL 905-640-5235

TAX RECEIPTS WILL BE ISSUED PROMPTLY!

Highlands Opera Studio is operated by Highlands Opera Theatre, a not-for-profit organization. The charitable registration number is: 822457263RR0001. Tax deductible donations can be made to 'Highlands Opera Theatre'. Please write a memo stating that the money is for 'Highlands Opera Studio'. 

An Invitation to the Membership

My name is Emilio Pons (www.emiliopons.com) and I am an internationally active, Mexican/German professional opera singer (tenor), cultural entrepreneur, member of the European Cultural Parliament, as well as Artistic Director and Co-founder of the Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy (www.sg-imfa.com). 

While we hope to be able to expand the scope of our operations in the future, we decided to launch this project by focusing on the art song genre. As you well know, whereas interest in art song has dwindled by comparison to the operatic genre, it remains an integral part of the curriculum of every school of music and conservatory in the world, and should remain an essential component not just of the training but also of the performance repertoire of every serious artist. We are Europe's first and only institution to focus exclusively on the art song repertoire, and to do so while encompassing a large variety of repertoires, i. e. German Lied, French mélodie, Italian, Spanish, American and English art song (as opposed to just the German or the French repertoires).

Although this will be our inaugural season, thanks to the excellent professional contacts and good reputation that I was able to establish over the past several years as a professional, international opera singer myself, we already have quite an impressive faculty roster which includes the likes of Jennifer Larmore, Francisco Araiza, Roger Vignoles, Julius Drake, Petra Lang and Julia Hamari amongst many other remarkable artists of both the older and younger generations. Sophie will also be teaching with us this summer.

Since I myself studied in the United States and as a young student profited from the experience of studying in Italy during the summer on a couple of occasions, from the beginning I decided to target namely the American student population. After all, American students (as opposed to their European counterparts) for obvious reasons do not have readily accessible exposure to a myriad of languages within their original cultural context. In spite of the excellent quality of American and Canadian training, I believe the experience of studying in Europe, even if only for a summer, simply cannot be replicated, and it is enriching impact on a young individual, regardless of the capacity in which they end up developing professionally, is bound to last a life-time.

Furthermore, precisely based on my own experience as a young student, I am all too (painfully) aware of the fact that, while there are undoubtedly wonderful educational opportunities to be found, many summer programs in Europe cater to the American market with the sole aim of making a profit, taking advantage of the young students' naivité and their dreams and aspirations, rather than having their talent be carefully nurtured and the repertoire adjusted to their skills. I am convinced that, particularly within the span of a few weeks during the summer, the latter is a goal which is best accomplished through the study of art song.

At the Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy, students get:

• 24 individual voice/piano lessons;
• 15 hours of German instruction
• 15 hours of diction in German and the target language of the session of their choice;
• participation in two master classes per session, with internationally acclaimed singers and collaborative pianists;
• participation in concerts open to the public;
• shared accommodation over a 3 week period;
• half board (breakfast and lunch) from Monday through Friday.

No other institution comes even close to offering this many hours of instruction to their participants. Moreover, all this costs less than taking a single 3-credit hour graduate class in voice over the summer at most American universities! Our program costs €3,150 for singers and €2,750 for pianists. (By contrast, a single 3-credit hour voice class in an American music school over the summer costs, on average, more than US$4,500)

In spite of our best efforts, a very wide-ranging and expensive advertisement campaign, and the excellent quality of our faculty and the training that we offer, enrolment is still rather slow. Therefore, provided that this program is of interest to you, I was wondering whether you would be willing to assist us with your NATS colleagues both in Canada and in the United States. I can hardly think of a better way to reach both countries' finest voice teachers. Naturally, I would greatly appreciate any other assistance or advice you may wish to share with us. 

I can be reached any time over e-mail under this address (emiliopons@gmail.com) and over the phone at (+49) 151 24 15 81 26. Should you wish to call me, please bear in mind the time difference between your time zone and Europe.

Should you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I thank you for your time and with nothing further, I remain, 

Yours truly,

Emilio Pons

Doctor of Music, Indiana University

www.emiliopons.com

Co-founder and Artistic Director,

Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy

www.sg-imfa.com

Member of the European Cultural Parliament

Have a friend or colleague who is not a member of NATS?  
Why not forward this email?