Independent Summer Program

Rachmaninoff "Aleko" June 2012 Performances

Tchaikovsky "The Queen of Spades" (Pique Dame) July 2012 Performances

Events



FREE EVENTS - JULY 2012

Russian Opera Workshop
Helen Corning Warden Theater
Academy of Vocal Arts
1920 Spruce Street, Philadelphia

Free admission.
No tickets required.


July 17 & 18, 2012 at 1:00 PM
Vocal Master Class

William Stone
Voice Faculty, Academy of Vocal Arts


July 19, 2012 at 1:00 PM
Vocal Master Class

David Hayes
Music Director, Philadelphia Singers


July 23, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Lecture & Concert

Daron Hagen
American Composer

Lecture on Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades"

Russian Romances Concert
Introducing summer artists

July 24, 25 & 26, 2012
7:30 PM
Opera in Concert

Tchaikovsky
"The Queen of Spades" 


PAST EVENTS -- JUNE 2012


June 7, 2012 at 1:00 PM
Piano/Vocal Master Class

Mikael Eliasen
Chair Vocal Studies, Curtis Institute of Music

Rachmaninoff Songs, a collaborative Piano/Vocal Master Class

June 8, 2012 at 1:00 PM
Vocal Master Class

Benita Valente
Distinguished American Soprano

June 25, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Lecture & Concert

Prof. Ilya Vinitsky
UPenn, Slavic Languages & Literatures Department

Lecture on Pushkin's works The Gypsies and Pique Dame

Rachmaninoff Songs Concert
Introducing summer program artists

June 26, 27 & 28, 2012
7:30 PM
Opera in Concert

Rachmaninoff "Aleko"



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Poster by Modern Good

Russian Opera Workshop
Alumni News

Cynthia Cook, Mezzo-Soprano

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Hometown: Portland, Maine
Current City: Philadelphia

Mezzo-soprano Cynthia Cook steps in to sing Olga in Opera Vashon production  of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin on May 18 & 20, 2012. 
 
Congratulations, Cindy!

John Viscardi, Tenor

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Hometown: Manhasset, NY
Current City: Philadelphia, PA
Bio

Tenor John Viscardi will reprise Lensky in Opera Naples performance of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin on May 17, 2012.  This productions is part of First Annual ArtsNaples World Festival. 

Congratulations, John! 


(2-20-2012) Congratulations to John Viscardi on a George London Foundation award. The New York Times writes:

"The charismatic melancholy of the poet Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” was there complete in the impassioned “Kuda, kuda” of the bright-voiced tenor John Viscardi, 28."

Shelley Jackson, Soprano

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Hometown: Manassas, VA
Current City: Philadelphia, PA

Soprano Shelley Jackson was accepted to the  Academy of Vocal Arts and will join the  AVA Artist Roster in the fall of  2012.

Russian Opera Workshop 2011 alumna, Shelley performed the title role of Iolanta in Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta.
 
Congratulations, Shelley!

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Youna Jang, Soprano

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Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Current City: Blue Bell, PA

Soprano Youna Jang was accepted to the Academy of Vocal  Arts  and will join the AVA Artist Roster in the fall of   2012.

Russian Opera Workshop 2011 alumna, Youna  performed the role of Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin.
  
Congratulations, Youna!

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Ryan Brock, Tenor

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Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Current City: Philadelphia
Bio

Tenor Ryan Brock will reprise the role of Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin with the  Bel Cantanti Opera Company. Performances will take place in Washington DC in April and May, 2012.

Youngjoo An, Soprano

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Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Current City: South Jersey
Bio

Soprano  Youngjoo An will sing Tatyana in Bel Cantanti Opera Company's production of  Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Performances will take place in Washington DC in April and May, 2012.

In 2012, she returns to Opera Delaware to perform Eugene Onegin Final Duet at the Spring Studio Series.

In September 2011, soprano Youngjoo An was a guest artists at the Opera Delaware Fall Studio Series. Accompanied by the music director Jeffrey Miller, she performed Tatyana's Letter Scene from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.

Efrain Solis, Baritone

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Hometown: Santa Ana, CA
Current City: San Francisco, CA
Bio

Congratulations to baritone Efrain Solis who reprised the title role of Eugene Onegin in August 2011 in Pasadena, CA




Summer Program Feature

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From Russia with Love
by Olivia  Giovetti
Classical Singer Magazine 
from-russia-with-love.pdf
File Size: 475 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Click on PDF above to open article, available by permission from Classical Singer Magazine

Ghenady Meirson (Ghena)
Founder and Principal Coach
Russian Opera Workshop

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"Meirson, the emissary of Russian music to Philadelphia, gave every note its exacting Russian accent. ... [audience] admiring the singing and Meirson's symphonic playing."
                        
               The Philadelphia Inquirer


"Music director, Ghenady Meirson, led the [AVA Eugene Onegin] cast from the piano, playing the score with an exciting forward momentum and more orchestral subtlety than I thought possible from a piano reduction."

                                LocalArtsLive.com

Tchaikovsky Pique Dame 
Artists Roster 2012

Raehann Bryce-Davis, Mezzo Soprano

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Current City: New York

Read Bio

Jeffrey Halili, Tenor

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Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Current City: Philadelphia


Read Bio

Liene Camarena, Soprano

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Hometown: Mexico City
Current City: Mexico City


Read Bio

Maude Paradis, Mezzo Soprano

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Current City: Montréal, Qc


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Nicholas Masters, Bass

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Current City: Houston


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Nathalie Avila, Soprano

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Current City: Miami

Read Bio

Jeffrey J. Williams, Baritone

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Current City: Miami

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Tara Austin, Mezzo Soprano

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Current City: Provo, UT

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Steven C. Williamson, Tenor

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Hometown: Boston, MA
Current City: Philadelphia


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Michèle Cusson, Soprano

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Current City: Calgary, Canada


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Kirsten C. Kunkle, Soprano

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Hometown: Fremont, Ohio
Current City: North East, MD


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Elizabeth Jones, Soprano

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Current City: Tucson, AZ


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Nicholas Pothier, 
Collaborative Pianist

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Current City: Derry, NH


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Rachel Carter, Soprano

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Current City: Athens, OH


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Stephanie Melzi, Mezzo Soprano

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Current City: Philadelphia


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James Dalton Caran, Tenor

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Hometown: Hamilton, NJ
Current City: Saint Petersburg,
Russia


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Ioanna Tsakalakos, Soprano

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Current City: Jersey City


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Jeff Chapman, Baritone

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Current City: Wilmington, Delaware

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Diana Cantrelle, Contralto

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Current Residence: Maryland


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Michael J. Davis, Baritone

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Hometown:  Santa Clarita, CA
Current  City: Los Angeles, CA


Read Bio 



 Guests and Speakers



Mikael Eliasen, Voice Coach

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SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST

Curtis Institute of Music Chair in Vocal Studies

Artistic Director of the Curtis Opera Theatre, Opera and Voice Coach

Biography

Benita Valente, Soprano 

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SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST

Boyer College of Music
Temple University
Artist in Residence

Metropolitan Opera
Marlboro Music Festival

Biography

William Stone, Baritone

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SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST

Academy of Vocal Arts
Voice Faculty

Temple University
Professor Emeritus
Voice & Opera

Biography

David Hayes, Conductor

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SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST

The Philadelphia Singers,
Music Director

Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Staff Conductor

Biography

Daron Hagen, Composer

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SPECIAL GUEST LECTURER

Operas:
Amelia
Shining Brow
Bandanna
Vera of Las Vegas
New York Stories
The Antient Concert

Biography

Prof. Ilya Vinitsky, Russian Literature

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SPECIAL GUEST LECTURER

Chair of Slavic Languages Department 
University of Pennsylvania

Biography


Laura Ward, Voice Coach

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Opera/Voice Coach

LyricFest
Co-Artistic Director

Biography

Donald St. Pierre, Voice Coach

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Opera/Voice Coach

Curtis Institute of Music
Opera Voice Coach

Biography

Tim Ribchester, Voice Coach

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Opera/Voice Coach

Opera Company of Philadelphia
Academy of Vocal Arts

Biography