OPERA CLASS

Taught by Nicolas Vassiliou and Don Marrazzo, Opera Class examines the performance practices and traditions of opera. Opera Class features lectures on Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century opera; provides an in-depth study of voice types and the German fach system; provides weekly individual coachings in a masterclass setting to all class participants; enables each class participant to learn and coach up to six (6) opera arias per year in various languages, styles, and periods (1 Baroque aria, 2 Classical arias, 2 Romantic arias, and 1 20th century aria); and trains class participants in audition techniques and the business of the opera industry. The Opera Class concludes with a final class concert for the public. This is a course that students may take when their level of development allows them to successfully meet the technical and musical demands of the operatic repertoire.

SONG LITERATURE CLASS

Taught by Don Marrazzo and Yannis Aerionitis, Song Literature Class explores the rich canon of song repertoire and the relationships between poetry and music; singer and pianist; and performers and their audiences. There are five (5) semester-long sections of Song Literature class available, in which students – depending on in which section(s) they enroll – will become thoroughly acquainted with the repertoire, style, and performance practices of English, Italian, German, French, and Greek Art Song repertoire through lectures and individual coaching sessions in masterclass style. Each semester of study will conclude with a final Song Literature Class concert for the public. These are classes that students may take at any point during their study years at the MHC.

MOVEMENT CLASS

Taught by Christina Klissiouni, this course focuses on the needs of students/performers training in stage presence practices. Mrs. Klissiouni’s experience in dance and depth of knowledge of the body through the practices of somatics led her to study the support of voice and expression when she studied in New York (1986-1991). Her goal is to free movement on stage while using the voice, an extremely powerful tool of expression that gives form to emotion through the body.

DRAMA CLASS

Taught by Panagiotis Adam, students in the Drama Class will explore and make use of their creativity as actors by receiving tools that will help them discover and explore their unique talent, develop their individual personality, and strengthen their ability to connect and collaborate with others. Through an intensive study, students will learn to master the art of speaking on stage; acting and re-acting on internal and external impulses; improvisation; and finding an authentic connection between text and singing. Body, soul, and mind will be trained in various techniques that will help to open the imagination of the actor and their audiences. Using exercises that will increase awareness and teach the student how to activate and use their senses optimally, students will develop an intimate awareness of the time and space in which they exist on stage. They will develop theatrical intelligence through fantasy, a sense of style, and fun and will be trained to perform texts, songs, and operatic repertoire in different acting styles and periods, ultimately allowing them to successfully collaborate with a wide range of stage directors.

DICTION CLASSES (Italian, French, and German)

Taught by Anna Magdalena Fitzi (Italian and German) and Nathalie Doucet (French), the goal of the diction classes is for students to acquire knowledge of the fundamentals of Italian, French, and German lyric diction and to link the phonetics of these languages to the rhythmic and melodic aspects of singing. The activities of the diction classes will include the preparation and presentation of spoken and sung pieces from Italian, French, and German recitatives, songs, and operatic repertoire. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) will serve as the basis for the study of pronunciation and students will learn how to apply IPA to classical Italian, French, and German repertoire. Students will study the rules guiding the non-native speaker’s understanding of foreign language pronunciation; learn the rudiments of grammar and vocabulary they will need to translate foreign language texts, and learn the differences between spoken and sung diction.

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE CLASS

Taught by Nicolas Vassiliou, the Performance Practice class will provide class participants with intensive training in the various aspects of working with a conductor on operatic and orchestral song repertoire, specifically in the areas of recitatives (secco and accompagnato); the performance practices of the four musical periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century); musical matters involving patterns, subdivisions, empty bars, fermatas, and irregular tempi; aria coaching from a conductor's perspective; and how to work with a prompter. This is a course that students may take when their level of development allows them to successfully meet the technical and musical demands of operatic and orchestral song repertoire.

STAGECRAFT FOR SINGERS

Taught by Rodula Gaitanou, the monthly Stagecraft for Singers class will delve into the various skills required for singers to become authentic, flexible, efficient, reliable, and professional performers. This class will enable participants to develop and refine their ability to understand and take direction from a stage director or other theatre practitioner; maintain a focused and engaging performance standard while managing multiple artistic tasks on stage, and utilize specific tools to continuously develop the art of convincing an audience that the performance is truly spontaneous and happening at the moment. Participants in this class will also develop a flexible and innovative approach to the specific challenges singers face in the 21st century and will learn how to subtly modify their performance for different situations including staged productions, auditions, competitions, and recital and concert work.

VOCAL CHAMBER MUSIC

Taught by Krystalia Gaitanou, the Vocal Chamber Music class will explore a wide and diverse range of music composed to offer a uniquely collaborative experience between singers and instrumentalists. Vocal chamber music has been an essential part of the careers of many versatile and renowned professional singers and is performed in a variety of settings. The term “Vocal Chamber Music” encompasses a wide-ranging repertoire including everything from Baroque duets to 21st-century ensembles incorporating non-traditional vocal techniques and instrumentation. Many singers lack knowledge of the voluminous vocal chamber music repertoire that exists, and therefore lack experience performing with instrumentalists. The extraordinary benefits of performing chamber music include increased collaboration between singers and instrumentalists; the opportunity to improve one’s technique, musicianship, artistry, and communication; and the chance to expand concert and repertoire possibilities that stimulate and awaken the imaginations of performers and their audiences.