OPERA NAPLES ACADEMY

Transcription

1 OPERA NAPLES ACADEMY Session 1: Oct 29 Nov 7, 2018 Session 2: March 31 April 9, 2019 NAPLES, FLORIDA U.S.A Faculty: Bruce Ford, Manny Perez, & Verónica Villarroel Guest Artists: Sherrill Milnes & Ramón Tebar The Opera Naples Academy offers a unique opportunity for exceptional singers to immerse in a ten day program that provides individual vocal instruction and coaching from master teachers. Singers receive private voice lessons as well as participate in various masterclasses presented by the teachers and special guests, Sherrill Milnes and Ramón Tebar. Various lectures and classes will be presented by internationally recognized artists. The session concludes with a public concert in which all participants perform. Program Fee: $ Partial and full scholarships are available to assist with the program fee as well as housing and travel to and from Naples, FL. Housing and travel are the responsibility of the participant.

2 OPERA NAPLES ACADEMY SHERRILL MILNES is universally acclaimed as the foremost operatic baritone of his generation. With his powerful voice, commanding stage presence and rugged handsomeness, he received the kind of adulation that is usually reserved for tenors. He sang over 650 performances at the Met, where he was honored with sixteen new productions, seven opening nights, and ten national telecasts. As a leading artist in all of the world s great opera houses, Mr. Milnes performed and recorded with the likes of Domingo, Pavarotti, Sutherland, Sills, Horne, Price, and Tebaldi. He is the winner of three Grammy Awards, and the most recorded American singer of his time. In 2008 he received the Opera News Award for Distinguished Achievement. Born on January 10, 1935 in Downers Grove, Illinois, Sherrill Milnes made his critically acclaimed debut at the Metropolitan Opera on December 22, 1965 as Valentin in Faust, an auspicious night that also featured the Met debut of Montserrat Caballé. He was launched to stardom, however, in 1968, when his riveting performance as Miller in Verdi s Luisa Miller literally stopped the show at the Met and immediately made him the dominant baritone of his time. Throughout his remarkable career, Mr. Milnes showed an affinity for Verdi, whose works formed the cornerstone of a repertoire of some 70 roles. His autobiography, American Aria: Encore, is available from Amadeus Press. Driven by his dedication to make the vocal arts vibrant, vital and entertaining in today s world, Mr. Milnes continues to give masterclasses, judge competitions, and mentor new generations of singers. With his wife, Maria Zouves, he co-founded and runs the Sherrill Milnes VOICE Programs: VOICExperience Foundation and the Savannah VOICE Festival, which provide training and performance opportunities for aspiring young artists while fostering new audiences for the arts. VERONICA VILLARROEL, soprano Discovered and guided in her beginnings by Renata Scotto, Verónica Villarroel received true praises from the specialized critics worldwide. Her career has developed in the most important venues in the world, such as Metropolitan Opera House, Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona, San Francisco Opera, Covent Garden, La Scala in Milan, Royal Albert Hall, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, New National Theater, Chatelete de Paris, to name a few. She has shared stages with artists such as Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, José Cura, Montserrat Caballé, Victoria from Los Angeles, Olga Borodina and many more. And great directors such as James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Eduardo Miller, and on stage was directed by some like Bob Wilson, Franco Zefirelli, Emilio Sagi. Today she runs her own singing academy and a foundation that bears her name, through which she teaches and delivers her knowledge to the next generations. BRUCE FORD, one of the finest tenors of his generation, has joined the board of directors of Opera Naples and we are thrilled to welcome him! Ford first rose to fame as one of the pioneers of the hugely significant Rossini and Donizetti revival of the 1990 s. His career spanned the major opera houses of the world and his signature roles include the title roles of Ferrando in Mozart s Cosi fan tutte, Almaviva in Il Barbieri di Siviglia and Otello in Rossini s Otello. He has recorded widely, often in world-premiere recordings of forgotten bel canto operas. Ford has been an ambassador for opera for many years, has judged competitions, performed masterclasses and while he has now retired from the opera and concert stage, he is passing on his considerable knowledge and expertise to the next generation of singers.!

3 OPERA NAPLES ACADEMY MANNY PEREZ, an in-demand voice teacher, Perez has discovered, nurtured and presented many of the top operatic vocal talents emerging today. Perez maintains a vocal studio in Miami and his students have graced many of the world s greatest stages including the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Florida Grand Opera, as well as the Teatro Solis in Uruguay, La Scala, Teatro dell'opera di Roma, The Royal Opera House, Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, Ópera de Oviedo, and Teatro Comunale di Bologna. His students pursue and enjoy national and international opera careers, and have included Eglise Gutierrez, Elizabeth Caballero, Sidney Outlaw, Mabel Ledo, Susana Diaz, Matthew Maness, Elaine Alvarez, Sandra Lopez, Armando Naranjo, Betsy Diaz, Martin Nusspaumer, Maria Antunez, Maria Aleida Rodriguez, Ray Gonzalez, Nathalie Avila and Eduardo Aladren. Lauded as a vocal pedagogue, Perez has served and taught voice as the Director of Vocal studies for the Miami Summer Music Festival since 2013 and has taught at the Washington National Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Barry University and the Audition Preparation Program held in Ponce, Puerto Rico to name a few. Perez occupied a prestigious seat on the Board of Directors of the Florida Grand Opera for over 10 years and South Florida Classical Review s Dorothy Hindman remarked the singers in Manny Perez s studio demonstrate polished maturity. Any one of them could go directly to a career with great success, and most have already made their professional debuts Perez has a knack for spotting talent. His coaching style was evident in every performance, in clear diction, seamless range, exceptional projection, and emotional characterizations. RAMON TEBAR Acclaimed for his musical versatility, compelling interpretations and orchestra building skills, conductor Ramón Tebar s international reputation in both the opera and orchestral arenas continues to expand. A popular guest conductor worldwide who has lead operatic and orchestral repertoire for major opera houses and orchestras throughout Europe and South America, Tebar is considered one of the leading Spanish conductors of his generation. He has the distinction of being the first Spanish conductor to be appointed Music Director of an American opera company, the Florida Grand Opera (FGO). Among his posts are Principal Guest Conductor of Spain s Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofia; Principal Conductor of FGO; Artistic Director of Palm Beach Symphony and of Opera Naples, and with the Dominican Republic s Santo Domingo Music Festival ( ). Born in Valencia, Spain, Ramón Tebar began working as a pianist and Assistant Conductor in his hometown at the age of fifteen. He has conducted orchestras such as Philharmonia Orchestra, Het Gelders Orkest, Malaysian Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra di Bari, Spanish National Orchestra, Spanish Radio Television Orchestra. In 2014, Ramón Tebar was honored to be granted the Cross of Office of the Order of Mérito Civil in recognition of his cultural accomplishments by His Majesty, the King of Spain Felipe VI.

4 OPERA NAPLES ACADEMY APPLICATION PROCESS Apply through YAPtracker.com. Required materials: Headshot Resume Video or audio files of two arias. Payment of an application fee of $20. Deadlines: September 22, 2018 for Session 1 February 1, 2019 for Session 2 The Opera Naples Academy is held at the David and Cecile Wang Opera Center in Naples, Florida. Perched on the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida s Paradise Coast, Naples is a destination known for its pristine white sand beaches, world class culture, sophisticated dining, beautiful golf courses, and high-end shopping. Bordered by the Florida Everglades National Park to the east, Naples offers visitors unique and diverse natural areas to discover with an abundance of wildlife. Contact Robin Frank for more information - rfrank@operanaples.org

5 OPERA NAPLES ACADEMY DEADLINES TO RECEIVE APPLICATION MATERIALS: September 22, 2018 for Session 1 (October 29 - November 7, 2018) February 1, 2019 for Session 2 (March 31 - April 9, 2019) Materials may be submitted by postal mail or electronically through the Opera Naples website: Opera Naples postal address: Opera Naples 2408 Linwood Ave. Naples, FL U.S.A Partial and full scholarships are available to assist with the program fee as well as housing and travel to and from Naples, FL. Housing and travel are the responsibility of the participant. REGISTRATION FORM Name Address Phone SESSION: o Session 1: Oct 29 Nov 7, 2018 o Session 2: March 31 April 9, 2019 DAVIS BLVD.