Conservatory of Music

Professional Activities

Every summer I spend two wonderful weeks teaching at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival http://www.fsaf.org  . People from all over Alaska and the "lower forty-eight" come to participate in a number of programs ranging from story-telling and the healings arts to orchestra and opera/music theater.  Our hosts in Alaska and the colleagues with whom I work make these two weeks a highlight of my year.

Photo 1:  Denali National Park is only two hours away
	Photo 2:  My good friend Louise Urban is the Coordinator of the Opera/Music Theater programis the Coordinator of the Opera/Music Theater program
Photo 3: Cindy Oxberry is the stage director for the two-hour scenes program
	Photo 4: Patrick O'Donnell played piano for the "Peal Fisher's Duet" performed by Dominic Cossa (baritone) and myself
Photo 5:  St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

I spent three weeks of my sabbatical leave in Russia.  The first two weeks I studied Russian at the Liden and Denz Language program in St. Petersburg.  The next week I went to Moscow, where I was part of a group of extremely talented musicians, lead by Ovidiu Marinescu, who made a recording of Samuel Barber's music to commemorate the centennial of his birth. 

	Photo 6:  Rehearsal at the Moscow Conservatory of Music with Randall Scarlata (baritone), Emily Bullock (soprano), and Kathleen Flynn (mezzo-soprano).
Photo 7: The recording session in Moscow
	Photo 8:  The old city of Jerusalem

Jan Radzynski�s Shirat Ma�yan is for mezzo-soprano, tenor and orchestra.  I was tenor soloist in its premiere with the Jerusalem Symphony http://www.jso.co.il/index-english.php.   During my week's stay in Israel I traveled to the Dead Sea, Masada, Tel Aviv and Ceasarea.                                                                
 
 

Photo 9:  Rehearsal with Rosemarie Danziger seated to my right
	Photo 10:  With Maestro Leon Botstein
Photo 11:  Advertisement for the  Franz Schubert Institut recitals

 The Franz Schubert Institut http://www.schubert-institut.at/ promotes the study and performance of the German Romantic Lied for the purpose of furthering and cultivating the art of the German Lied for the benefit of singers, pianists, and teachers who have a professional interest in the German Lied.  It is a five-week summer course of intensive study with leading interpreters of the classical Lied repertoire. The high artistic standards and unique structure of the course 'Poetry and Performance of the German Lied', together with its peerless guest faculty, explain why this master course is
widely regarded as the finest of its kind.

Photo 12:  Vienna

The International Donizetti Festival took place during 1997-1998 in Bergamo and Milan, Italy, to commemorate the bicentennial of the great composer�s birth.  Scholars and performers from across the globe were invited to Italy to make presentations and perform in celebratory performances.  I presented a lecture-recital entitled "Donizetti's Influence Abroad:  The Russian bel canto" which included the history of Italian music in Russia and performances of various arias and songs that reflect the bel canto style. 

	Photo 13:  A voice student of mine, Erika Goodman, was studying abroad in Milan during the International Donizetti Festival and was able to attend one of my presentations
Photo 14:  Picturesque Bergamo was the other site of the International Donizetti Festival
	Photo 15:  The group of NATS Interns at the closing concert

 Many teachers participate in the NATS Intern Program http://www.nats.org/snats.php Younger members of NATS are paired with experienced and recognized master teachers to promote the dynamic exchange of ideas and techniques in voice teaching.

Photo 16:  Soprano Barbara Honn, of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music was one of the master teachers
	Photo 17:  Paula Homer is Director of Opera at University of North Texas and conducts a number of singin/acting workshops;  she was also the founder and artistic director of OperaWorks and was co-director of the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice-Artists Program.

 The Apprentice Program at Des Moines Metro Opera is a valuable training experience.  It includes extended scene programs, small roles in the mainstage productions and the opportunity to work with amazing directors and coaches, including Robert Larsen!  The expectations are high, but it is worth the work.

 I have performed the role of Don Ottavio in two productions of Don Giovanni;  the first being with Lyric Opera Cleveland and the second with the Illinois Summer Music Festival.