NEWSLETTER 13 AUTUMN WINTER 2015/16 GEORG SOLTI ACCADEMIA Georgina Melville, class of 2015 GSA BRINGS BEL CANTO Jonathan Papp, Artistic Director GSA Barbara Frittoli MASTERCLASSES TO BEIJING © Clive Barda © Clive Barda Vasiljev © Alexander GEORG SOLTI SOLTI “EXTRAORDINARY ACCADEMIADirectors MASTER TEACHERS” Report We have had a highly successful 2015, with superb voices and exceptional master coaches and staff. It was so lovely to have baritone Leo Nucci back with us after 8 years, and to welcome Silvana Bartoli Bazzoni and Barbara Frittoli, never forgetting the unique presence The standard continues to rise at the GSA. This of Richard Bonynge, truly part of the GSA family. summer we welcomed two wonderful singers from 2016 promises to be an exciting year. In April, we the Young Artists’ Program at the Ryan Opera Center, return to our beloved Isola di San Giorgio and the Chicago, who will join us for the Venice Repetiteurs’ Giorgio Cini Foundation for the seventh edition course in 2016. of the Solti Peretti Repetiteurs’ course. We are so Richard Bonynge returned for his sixth year of privileged to work in this inspirational location and teaching. As you can read in their feedback, the with such a generous organization as the Fondazione young singers were hugely inspired by his insight Cini – long may it continue! I would also like to and his conducting, minutely and beautifully shaping take this opportunity to thank the Hotel Cipriani- the music with the smallest gestures. We finally Belmond, who look after many of our invited guests welcomed back, too, the incomparable Leo Nucci, with such care and generously host the cocktail event who brought his enormous energy to the classes, at our closing concert. filling the room and the music with drama, rigor and In May 2016, we’ll be launching a brand new project: humor. We hope he won’t be so long in returning. GSA Bel Canto Masterclasses in collaboration with Our first new visitor was Silvana Bartoli-Bazzoni, the National Centre of Performing Arts in Beijing. mother and mentor to Cecilia. She thought long and Jonathan Papp, our Artistic Director, and language hard about each singer, before offering them her coach Corradina Caporello will be joined by soprano vocal wisdom – and even her tips on making Chinese Barbara Frittoli, who delighted us this summer with dumplings! We were thrilled that in her thank you her inspiring masterclasses. We’re very excited to be speech she endorsed the GSA with the highest praise, starting this project and working with the fabulous saying that she had taught masterclasses all over the team at the NCPA, and would like to thank the Rolex world, but never with such talented young singers. Institute in Geneva for making this venture possible. A huge thank you to all the faculty who make this June and July will see the Bel Canto Masterclasses possible. return to Castiglione della Pescaia with a host of Our final visiting master teacher was the wonderful, fantastic guest artists to inspire our young singers: warm and dynamic Barbara Frittoli. She instilled Angela Gheorghiu, returning for the second time, great discipline and refinement in all the singers, Massimo Giordano, and Carmen Giannattasio. The insisting on in-depth technical work, and releasing a course would not be complete without Richard passion and freedom in their music-making. Barbara Bonynge and our fabulous core faculty, Jonathan even sat through their beach concert of pop songs Papp, Dennis O’Neill, Jonathon Swinard, Pepi with microphone, which gave her further insight into Ferrari, Corradina Caporello, Roberta Biondi and each of their characters and potential. We so enjoyed Alexander Zeldin. having her with us and look forward to working with My thanks go to all our supporters and sponsors her on our new GSA project in Beijing, an exciting and, in particular, to the Rolex Institute and the series of masterclasses involving young singers from Fondazione Nando Peretti, who have supported us all over China. I’m delighted that the Rolex Institute from our early days and helped us to develop into the is our partner for this venture, and we thank them leading organization we are today. most sincerely. Candice Wood Jonathan Papp Director of the Georg Solti Accademia Artistic Director of the Georg Solti Accademia “HOW TO MAKE THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE Student Feedback AND NOT ONLY on the 2015 Class THE LOUD VOICE” “A WONDERFUL TEAM OF COACHES” Twelve talented singers came together from all over the world: China, the USA, Mexico, UK, Holland, Lithuania, Italy and New Zealand. They had very different needs: while Chinese Haobin Wang Julie Miller baritone Haobin Wang worked on Italian language and refinement with Leo Nucci. Italian soprano “MAKING “EXPERT PLANNING Arianna Schiavi appreciated the NEW FRIENDS” AND PACING” individually-tailored approach, recognizing ‘it offers something that can hardly be met nowadays: a group of outstanding coaches at our full disposal who care for your training and take it to heart, in order to provide you with a special opportunity and more weapons in the hard world of opera’. John Irvin A theme that comes through their comments again and again is the pacing the mix of coaching, special intensity of the sessions with private study, masterclasses and core staff, the ‘wonderful team of performing opportunities – formal coaches’, as well as the inspiration and informal – so as to embed of the masterclasses: American Arianna Schiavi good technique without tiring the soprano Julie Miller, ‘really enjoyed voice, as soprano Georgina Melville working with Corradina Caporello The masterclasses were universally remarked: ‘Though each coach was as her understanding of the Italian appreciated, giving a broad very demanding I found that the language both as a native speaker spectrum of differing but never schedule, with its properly paced and a linguist made her explanations conflicting approaches from which breaks, allowed me to rest and very clear. ‘She particularly the students could draw. They prepare for my next coaching and appreciated the coaching of Artistic enjoyed both the taking part and not once in the three weeks did I feel Director Jonathan Papp, ‘his ability listening to others, as Liza Rebecca like I was doing harm to my voice.’ to pinpoint vocal issues and to fix van der Peijl noted: ‘Both ways them in a non-cerebral manner brought me a huge enrichment of my The atmosphere of cooperation and was ingenious.’ Coach Jonathan knowledge of Bel Canto style. It was support among the singers is one Swinard’s ‘sense of vocal style and interesting to see how every teacher of the great triumphs of the course, friendly manner made my work had a different approach to arrive and many noted that they learnt as with him a pleasure and always at the same goal.’ UK soprano Emily much from each other as they did productive.’ If anything, the students Garland particularly appreciated from the teachers, and appreciated wanted slightly longer sessions with Barbara Frittoli’s technical the positive, non-competitive these core teachers so that they exercises: ‘working on vocal ethos created at the GSA. As tenor could embed ideas more thoroughly. exercises with Barbara Frittoli has Jonathan Abernethy put it, ‘it was completely changed my perspective a really good group on the course on vocal technique.’ For Haobin and everyone was extremely An exceptional course and Wang, ‘As a baritone, of course, Leo supportive and encouraging of each a uniquely enriching experience: Nucci is our hero. We were so lucky other’. Schiavi felt that they also that was the judgement of the to meet this brilliant, outstanding, learnt a lot from each other: ‘we young singers from the Class of professional and kind singing exchanged ideas and helped each 2015. Above, clockwise: Haobin teacher.’ Lithuanian baritone other overcome our limitations’. The Wang, Julie Miller, John Irvin, Romanas Kudriasovas found it setting, ‘blue sea, blue sky, ancient Arianna Schiavi. ‘incredibly inspirational to see that city walls, amazing food, wonderful successful artists base their musical people‘ could not fail to enhance Opposite page: Barbara Frittoli the experience, nor the hospitality and Jonathan Papp with student decisions on honesty, truthfulness to the composer and the story line.’ at the Approdo, ‘we were treated Georgina Melville. like royalty’ and opportunities to They were all acutely aware of the perform both outdoors in the Piazza care taken by the GSA to devise a Solti but also in the beautiful small Photos ® Clive Barda 2015 course which maximizes learning theatre in Scansano, completed a and minimizes extraneous stresses, truly magical experience. GSA ALUMNI Gulnara Shafigullina (2012) has been singing in the company of Rostock RISE TO THE TOP Volksopera and performing in the IVC Russian Summer School at De National Jurgita Adamonyte (GSA 2007) Opera, Amsterdam. The Lithuanian mezzo-soprano has already Rachel Kelly (2011) enjoyed great success in principle roles at The Irish mezzo is now managed by Covent Garden as well as at the Salzburg Harrison Parrott. This November she Festival, Opéra de Lille, Teatro Colón (Buenos sang Mercedes in Carmen at the Royal Aires), the Ruhr-triennale and Chicago Opera Opera House. She has sung the role Theater. Her recent performances in Pelléas of Nerone in Agrippina with the Irish et Mélisande at Welsh National Opera elicited Chamber Orchestra, and created the role great critical acclaim. of Catherine in Stuart MacRae’s Jésus Léon GSA (2006) Jésus Léon The Devil Inside for Scottish Opera took the role of Nadir in Les pêcheurs de which will tour Scotland and Canada. perles this season for Korean National Opera. Sofia Fomina (GSA 2010)The Russian soprano’s career has risen rapidly. Over the last year she’s performed title roles at Opera National de Paris (Die Entfuhrung auf dem Serail) Royal Opera House, London (Adriadne auf Naxos and Jemmy in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell conducted by Antonio Pappano).