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Home , Kathleen Ferrier, Mariella Devia

Newsletter 11 Winter 2014 ACCADEMIA

An Amazing Anniversary Year

The Georg Solti Accademia sparkles in Verbier, Venice and Tuscany

This year has proved an unprecedented artistic beach in Castiglione, followed by a transfer success for the Georg Solti Accademia, with to the Verbier Festival. Our 2014 students gave a host of new projects and relationships. a stunning concert there in L’Eglise which In April we initiated a new partnership with received a standing ovation, while our alumni shone the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice who hosted in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore directed by Sir Thomas our Solti Peretti Repetiteurs Masterclasses on the Allen and conducted by Jesus Lopes-Cobos with beautiful island of San Giorgio Maggiore. the Verbier Festival Academy. The concert sold out before we arrived, and Barbara Frittoli, Leo Nucci and Silvana Bartoli will was very warmly received. We’re delighted be part of a wonderful teaching line-up in our 2015 to be returning there not once but twice in 2015, edition, while we welcome pianist Jonathon Swinard for the Repetiteurs’ course and a gala concert to our core staff. in aid of the restoration of the Fondazione Heartfelt thanks must go to the Rolex Institute, Giorgio Cini’s open-air Teatro Verde. the Nando Peretti Foundation, the Fondazione There followed a packed summer programme, Giorgio Cini, the Andana and Approdo Hotels including masterclasses with Mariella Devia and and their staff, and to all our supporters for Luciana Serra, concerts in the Piazza Solti and on the their enthusiasm and invaluable help.

Candice Wood Executive Director, Fondation Georg Solti Accademia Photo ® Aline Paley 2014 Photo ® GEORG SOLTI ACCADEMIAReport from the Artistic Director Jonathan Papp

The Solti-Peretti A new and welcome addition to the Bottom left, the Solti-Peretti Repetiteur’s Course, course was James Vaughan, the Repetiteur’s Course. Below and next Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice Director of Music at , who page, the Summer School with Mariella April 2014 inspired us all. Devia and Paolo Speca, students The Fondazione Giorgio Cini on the We’re delighted to be returning to Lancelot Nomura and Raquel Gonzalez. island of San Giorgio Maggiore made Venice in 2015. We also thank the an ideal home for the Solti-Peretti staff of the Hotel Cipriani for their course in Easter 2014. Along with gracious post-concert hospitality. its inspiring atmosphere, it had the practical advantage of having all the facilities in one place, which enabled The GSA Bel Canto us to focus totally on the work and Summer School, to achieve a quite extraordinary final Castiglione Della Pescaia performance. We watched and liste- July 2014 ned with joy as not only the pianists, After three weeks in Castiglione the but also the singers, blossomed. It students relocated to the Verbier was a pleasure to hear not only their Festival in Switzerland, so it was performances, culminating in a five- something of an epic course this piano full-score arrangement of the summer. We were pleased to welcome Tannhauser Overture, but the huge three Juilliard students with whom I appreciation of the audience. had worked in October 2013, Raquel The beautiful hall was hung with Gonzalez, Hyesang Park and Takaoki tapestries, and for the show we had Onishi. Even though it always seems lighting only on the performers and impossible, the level of the partici- these tapestries, which made a real pants continues to rise, while their spectacle. It was packed, so there was ages do not. The course was humming a real sense of occasion for these five with very intensive work, not least young artists to perform to a discer- from the ever-exacting Luciana Serra, ning public, which included guests whom we were delighted to welcome from . back, and Mariella Devia, whom I ® Clive Barda 2014

have long hoped would be one of our guest artists. The final concerts were exceptional in their professionalism and quality, while the more relaxed beach concert entertained the Casti- glionese and the tourists alike. Then, it was on up to Verbier where the pleasure of repeating the outdoor concerts was exceeded by the pleasure of doing one in a real, enclosed space, L’Eglise, before a discerning, and very appreciative, audience. After this, our four recent alumni, Ross Ramgobin, Christian Gansch, Marlena Devoe and Roberto Ortiz took the starring roles in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, directed by Sir and conducted by Jésus Lopéz-Cobos. They worked extremely hard to make the such a success, and success it was, drawing a full standing ovation from the audience in the Verbier festi- val’s main concert venue.

® Joseph Penn 2014 Jonathan Papp Artistic Director of the Georg Solti Accademia Student feedback on the 2014 Accademia

Haobin Wang Hyesang Park China 25 South Korea 23 I had an unforgettable time at the This summer was unforgettable. Georg Solti Accademia. It was really I’ve grown up listening to Mariella helpful to live with Italian people, Devia’s voice. There she was literally join their life, try to understand the in front of me, teaching me! I not language. It was such a valuable only listened to her advice about opportunity for me to hear many technique, but encountered her great young singers from all over the personality and character. She is still world. my dream singer… The teachers there really helped me to Also, Luciana Serra was kind and solve my singing problems. I felt that generous, and really helpful in I had a much better understanding improving my understanding of my of dynamic contrasts and singing high note position. I also want to send 2014 ® Clive Barda technique after the course. my biggest appreciation to Jonathan Papp. He changed my singing life. I realized I needed to use my body Takaoki Onishi Thomas Elwin while singing. I did so much hard UK 27 work myself after the coaching with Japan 24 him. Every day I felt, I am growing. My experience in Georg Solti Having heard much about the Georg That experience is the biggest click Accademia was absolutely fantastic; Solti Accademia from friends of mine point in my singing life. every teacher gave me something new, I was extremely excited to attend. I and the schedule was very comfortable wasn’t disappointed at all… Being in and well-organized. the same place for three weeks and Lancelot Nomura The two Masterclasses with Luciana working with the same supportive UK 27 team every day enabled me to get the Serra and Mariella Devia were very most out of every session and also I felt that I had a much better special to me. It reminded me that bel learn from my colleagues. understanding of vocal technique canto is a lifelong study. I also loved after the course, particularly singing the week we spent in Verbier. Working

® Clive Barda 2014 The disappointment of two visiting with more security at both ends of with two legendary singers was very staff withdrawing through illness was my vocal range and singing with a precious for every one of us. balanced by being able to have more consistent tonal quality throughout time with Jonathan Papp, who I feel the range. This was supported by a is surely one of the best coaches in the greater fluency with my sung (and world. spoken) Italian. I felt there was the right balance of Marie Jaerman work and rest, and I never felt too Switzerland 25 tired or under any vocal pressure. I also think that three weeks was a I had an amazing time this summer good amount of time to get properly at the Georg Solti Accademia di Bel stuck into bel canto singing, though I Canto. The quality of teaching was would have happily stayed longer. very impressive, and I particularly appreciated the Italian coaching with Pepi Ferrari and Corradina Caporello. Raquel Gonzalez They taught me so many important USA 23 things, not only about Italian diction, but also about the bel canto style. Participating in a course that is so masterclass-based was so helpful - The masterclasses were very stepping up in front of my colleagues enriching experiences, too, and it on a daily basis and trying out new was an honor to meet two amazing repertoire, improving old repertoire, bel canto specialists. Everything was and having the feedback of so many organized perfectly so that we could new ears is all as important to my concentrate only on our studies, development as a singer. which helped a lot. ® Clive Barda 2014 ® Clive Barda GEORG SOLTINews of our ACCADEMIAGeorg Solti Accademia Alumni

L ui s G o m e s (GSA 2012) sang the Rachel Kelly (GSA 2011) was Mirinda Chevalier in Les dialogues des Carmelites in Cavalli’s L’Ormindo at the new Sam

at the , where he is Wanamaker Theatre in London, and was now on the Jette Parker Young Artists Pisana in I due Foscari starring Placido Programme. He sang Gastone in La Domingo at the Royal Opera House. She Traviata and Borsa in this will be Prosperina in Orfeo in January September and has been signed to and Zaida in in Spring Askonas Holt. He will sing Albazar in 2015 (both ROH) Marlena Devoe Il Turco in Italia in April 2015 (ROH). George Von Bergen (GSA 2005) sang Marlena Devoe (GSA 2013) won the Nico Darmanin (GSA 2011) made his Marcello in La Bohème, English National 2014 & Richard Bonynge debut at Scottish Opera with the prince Opera. Bel Canto Awards in Sydney. in Rossini’s Cenerentola, and was a great Iurii Samoilov (GSA 2010) is working success in the role of Count Almaviva in Il Sonia Grané (GSA 2013) was given at Frankfurt Opera, and has new barbiere di Siviglia at Opera Holland Park a place at the International Opera management at Askonas Holt. This this summer. Studio at the Staatsopera Unter den autumn he sang Marcello in La Bohème Linden in Berlin, where she has played and in the spring he will sing Gralsritter Papagena, Barbarina, Tabaldo and Hirt in Parsifal. in Tannhaüser and been conducted by Ivor Bolton and . Jurgita Adamonyte (GSA 2007) sang the Forthcoming roles include Flora in The title role in Salome at Naples’s San Carlo Turn of the Screw, Blümenmädchen in Theatre. Parsifal, and Blonde in Entführung aus dem Serail.

Christina Gansch (GSA 2012) won the 2014 Kathleen Ferrier Award. In the 2014/15 season she will sing Servilia in La clemenza di Tito at the Opera National de Montpellier and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro at Salzburg Festival. Christina Gansch Iurii Samoilov 2015 Dates for the Diary

January 21st and 22nd Auditions , London

April 2nd - 11th Solti-Peretti Repetiteurs Course Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice

June 28th - July 22nd Bel Canto Masterclasses, Castiglione della Pescaia

Concerts at L’Andana, Piazza Solti and Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice ® Clive Barda 2014 ® Clive Barda www.georgsoltiaccademia.org

Fondation Georg Solti Accademia Georg Solti Accademia 34 rue de l’Athénée c/o Studio Commerciale Nicosia [email protected] PO Box 393 - 1211 Geneva 12 Switzerland Via dei Barberi 108 - 58100, Grosseto Italy www.georgsoltiaccademia.org