(Youth Group and Director's Seminar offered during this session)
Session 2: July 27 to August 9, 2014 in Washington, DC (Chevy Chase)
This year the Crittenden Opera Studio will hold two Summer Workshops, both in Washington, D.C. which include in-depth study of acting, stage and rehearsal techniques for two weeks. Between 35 to 40 students attend the first session and between 23 to 33 the second. Using the scene study method, each singer performs three scenes of various styles that are appropriate to their vocal development, interests and needs.
The intense concentration over the two weeks includes:
Daily acting class
Daily movement class
Daily techniques class
Daily lectures on basic principles of acting, stage deportment, the business and personal preparedness
Staging rehearsals
Music rehearsals
Personal physical evaluation for particular problems
Each summer we have a guest artist who talks with the students to give them a personal insight from a successful member of the operatic community.
Past guests include
Singers:
Jerome Hines
Thomas Stewart
Evelyn Lear
Phyllis Curtin
Richard Cassilly
William Parcher
Kevin Short
Maria Spacagna
Drew Mintner
Sharon Sweet
Eric Fennell
Margaret Cusack
Anastasios Vrenios
Marilyn Cotlow
Carl Tanner
Jerome Hines with
The Crittenden Opera Studio Faculty
Director
Robert Darling
Administrator
Ed Purrington
Our workshops received the highest rating in the latest New York Opera Newsletter (Classical Singer) poll.
Singers attending the workshops have varying levels of experience. We accept extraordinarily gifted and advanced high school students, college students who are looking to get a more professional education than they may be receiving, post-graduate students who are looking to continue their operatic training, young professionals who need to learn the details of a most demanding craft or who wish to polish their skills, people in other professions who love opera and want to improve their acting abilities, and singers who know nothing about opera but are intrigued.
During the Washington, D.C. workshop of 2002, we included a Youth Group of talented high school students, along with recently graduated high schoolers, into our workshop. We had ten singers and they blended into our program smoothly. We intend to continue the Youth Group and build upon our success.
Our criteria for admission are a voice of a sufficient technical level to perform the scenes, enough musical training or ability to learn and memorize music, and a desire to commit their energies completely for the duration of the program. Each member comes with different backgrounds and goals, but we join together to experience the thrill of opera in rehearsals and performances. Each member receives our directors' personal attention to improve as far and as fast as possible.
2014 APPLICATION: All participants should complete and return the application form and include the application fee of $30 (made payable to Richard Crittenden), a résumé, photo, and a list of scenes and roles performed. Applicants not auditioning in person should include a cassette tape or CD of two arias with their application. Priority is given to applications received before April 27. After that date singers will be accepted if there are openings.
Link to application: www.crittendenopera.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64&Itemid=69
2014 AUDITIONS: Washington, DC— Saturday, April 5, 2014 and Saturday, April 12, 2014
TUITION: Tuition for the 2014 Summer Workshops is $650.
REDWOODS: A week long opera workshop will take place June 2014 in Mendocino, California. For information, contact www.redwoodsoperaworkshop.org or Elizabeth Vrenios.
