FACULTY

JUNE ANDERSON, Soprano (Session I and II)

 Born in Boston, June Anderson first came to public attention at the age of seventeen, the youngest finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions. She was graduated cum laude from Yale University.

 She made her professional debut with the New York City Opera as Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte and her Metropolitan Opera debut as Gilda in Rigoletto, with Luciano Pavarotti. At the Metropolitan Opera she has sung the title roles in Donizetti's La fille du Régiment, Lucia di Lammermoor, Semiramide and La Traviata, as well as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus and Leonora in Il Trovatore.

 She has performed in all the major opera houses including the La Scala, Covent Garden, the Opéra de Paris and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, and the Liceu in Barcelona and has collaborated with many of the greatest conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa and Michael Tilson Thomas. She is internationally renowned as a soprano of consummate artistry with a compelling dramatic presence. 

  Recitals and concerts have taken her to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Prague, Sao Paulo, Puerto Rico, Reyjkavik, Paris, Geneva, Seville and Venice. Operatic engagements have included Lucia at the Gran Teatro Liceu in Barcelona, the Opéra de Paris and the Megaron in Athens; Norma for the Opéra de Paris, Teatro Colon, Bilbao and Parma; La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera; Die Fledermaus in Washington, D.C., her first Richard Strauss opera: Capriccio at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, La Sonnambula in Marseille, Anna in Maometto II in Bilbao and Cortesa in Il Viaggio a Rheims for the Opéra de Monte Carlo with Benini.

  She continues to explore new repertoire with Henze's Die Bassariden at the Châtelet in Paris and Strauss's Daphne at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

   In 2006 she had a great success as Norma with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto which she also sang with the Opéra de Marseille conducted by Villaume. She recently sang Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder at La Monnaie conducted by Kazushi Ono and gave a recital with the Philharmonia Orchestra in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

  In 2007 she sang Norma in Leipzig with Campanella, Verdi's Requiem with Eschenbach and the Orchéstre de Paris and the title role in Anna Bolena in Bilbao. She also took part in the Maria Callas Tribute Gala at La Fenice, Venice singing excepts from Norma and I Puritani.  In 2008 she will give concerts in Aix, Brussels, Dubai with Cecilia Bartoli, Palma-Mallorca, Geneva, Bordeaux and in the Salle Pleyel in Paris and recitals in Paris and Brussels.In 2009 she will sing the title role in Lucrezia Borgia in Liège and Norma in Trieste. 

  Her large discography includes concert works of Beethoven, Pergolesi, and Orff as well as operas by Rossini, Donizetti, Mozart, Massenet, and Verdi. She has received a Grammy Award for Leonard Bernstein's Candide; and been named "Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Government.

SHERMAN LOWE, Vocal Pedagogue (Session II)

 Voice teacher and vocal pedagogue Sherman Lowe, is one of the most sought experts on operatic singing in Europe.

 By nature a vocal research scholar, he was awarded a grant from the renowned Fulbright Foundation to research and study teaching techniques in Italy. He frequently lectures at voice conferences and is often invited to hold masterclasses both privately and at schools, including the theatres of Maggio Musicale di Firenze, Teatro Communale di Bologna, La Fenice di Venezia, Geneva, Hamburg, Augsburg, Ticino Festival in Lugano, University of Bologna and the Accademia della Voce di Torino. Mr. Lowe now lives and dedicates himself to a teaching career in Venice. His studio is an international melting pot of singers from around the globe, many of whom are winners of important competitions and singing leading roles in theatres and concert halls throughout the world.

 A graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, University of North Carolina. He continued his formal training at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and the Hochshule Mozarteum in Salzburg. In New York City he trained with acclaimed voice teachers Daniel Ferro, Armen Boyajian, Shirlee Emmons, Leyna Gabriele and Randolph Mickelson. In addition he studied repertoire in Europe with Hans Hotter, Walter Berry, Simon Estes, Kim Borg, Licia Albanese, Graham Johnson ad Geoffrey Parsons. A bass-baritone and winner of international competitions, he has sung in numerous theatres and concert halls of North American and Europe, collaborating with many of the worlds most noted conductors and singers.

JOYCE FIELDSEND, Vocal Coach (Session I)

 Joyce Fieldsend began her career as a full-time repetiteur for Scottish Opera where she developed a large and varied repertoire and played many keyboard and harpsichord continuo parts on five European tours. During this time, she was also a guest coach with the New Israeli Opera and Assistant conductor for the Virginia Opera Association American Premiere and recording of Thea Musgrave's opera, Mary Qneen of Scots.

 From 1984 until 2000, Joyce was a permanent member of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Glyndebourne Touring Opera; she was Chief Coach on their videos of Death in Venice and Ermione and played the harpsichord continuo on their video of La Clemenza di Tito.

 Other interesting assignments have included Attila for Opera North, Tancredi at the Wexford Festival, Der Rosenkavalier, Tosca and Semele in Hong Kong: Jenufa in Edmonton:Rigoletto in Dallas:La Calisto, I Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana for the Glimmerglass Opera Festival and Katya Kabanova at the Wellington International Arts Festival in New Zealand.

  Joyce joined the San Francisco Opera Music Staff in 1992 where she was Senior Coach for over thirty operas before leaving to settle in Italy in 2002. Among these productions it is worth mentioning the world premiere in 1998 of A Streetcar Named Desire by Sir André Previn.In 2001 she played her first Der Ring des Nibelungen for the Seattle Opera.

   Some of Joyce's most recent engagements have included Die Koenigskinder, Simon Boccanegra, Elettra and Der Fliegende Hollaender for the San Carlo theatre in Naples and Capriccio, Katya Kabanova, The Mikado, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Der Freischuetz, Le Domino Noir, Les Pecheurs de Perles,Daphne, a Petrassi double-bill, L'Olimpiade by Galuppi with Andrea Marcon and many others for the Fenice theatre in Venice.She also collaborates regularly with Maestro Jeffrey Tate with whom she has done Die Walkuere and Siegfried at the Fenice and Candide at the San Carlo.She will be returning to Naples in their forthcoming season to assist Maestro Tate on Parsifal.

  Her wide experience and knowledge of the operas of Benjamin Britten and Janacek have made her a most welcome guest in the preparation of these works in some of the most important theatres in the world. However she is equally well-known in practically every aspect of the operatic repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to newly-commissioned pieces and is particularly enjoys exploring and coaching the italian belcanto repertoire.

  Joyce loves working with young artists and has been Guest Professor at the Royal Scottish Academy, The Academy for the Performing Arts in Hong Kong, The Royal College and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Britten and Pears School in Aldeburgh, The National Opera Studio in London, the Cardiff International Academy of Voice in Wales and Les Jeunes Voix du Rhin in Colmar.

   Joyce has also been on the Faculty of the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv and Montreal and goes to Mexico in July for the second time to work for Artescenica with young mexican artists in Saltillo. She also takes great pleasure in accompanying recitals, playing chamber music and coaching singers in her home in Venice.

 

ALAN WATT, Vocal Coach and Pedagogue (Session I and II)

 Alan Watt was born in Aberdeen and studied at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He has sung principal roles in many of the major opera houses throughout Britain and Europe. His extensive work abroad has included his Italian debut at La Fenice in Venice, singing Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, together with opera and concert work in Vienna, Basle, Brussels, Seville, Strasbourg, Bruges, Berlin and Tel Aviv, where he sang Papageno to great critical acclaim in a new production by Jonathan Miller of The Magic Flute, conducted by Zubin Mehta.

 In the UK he has appeared at festivals throughout the country including Aldeburgh, Buxton, Edinburgh and Perth and performed regularly with the Scottish Early Music Consort.

 Concert appearances in Scotland have included performances with Paragon Ensemble and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies at the St Magnus Festival in Orkney and with the Hebrides Ensemble in a critically acclaimed interpretation of Samuel Barber’s Dover Beach.

 His wide concert repertoire includes the major choral works of Bach and 19th-century and modern works ranging from the Requiems of Fauré, Durufle, Mozart, Brahms and Verdi, to Rachmaninov’s The Bells, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, and the Sea Symphony of Vaughan Williams.

   He now combines his opera and concert work with teaching at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

ANNUNZIATA LIA LANTIERI, Regista (Session I and II)

 Annunziata Lia Lantieri graduated from the Padua Conservatory, where she studied with such formidable instructors as Adriana Rognoni, Carlo Campogalliani, Elly Ameling and Paolo Vaglieri.

 She claimed international attention winning first place in international vocal competitions such as the "G. Borgatti" at Centro, the "G. Verdi" at Parma and the "R.Stolz" in Hamburg.

 Lia Lantieri has appeared in concert for italian music associations ATER, GMI and AGIMUS for concert seasons in Padua, Sala Bossi in Bologna, Asolo Musica, International Festival of Musical Automn in Como, Lecce, Cantu and Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

 She recorded for German television (ZDF) and the Swiss (RTV) with the Artemis Trio and collaborated with the Villa-Lobos Ochestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Turin under the direction of Enzo Ferrari.

 Recordings include "The Flood" by Donizetti and sacred music by Boccherini ( Bongiovanni Label) the Faure Requiem (Kicco Music) Music of Malipiero ( Rainbow Classics) and the Dino Durante songs, Music By B. Sanson (1st Pop Records).

 Apassionate educator, Lia Lantieri instructs master classes in the belcanto style at the State Conservatory in Smirne, the Jupiter Society in Nervi, the Japan Opera Foundation, The Showa University of Music in Tokyo and the Academy of Theatre in Cagli.

 She is a professor of artistic singing at the Conservatory of Music in Padova, Italy.

 

CLAUDIO ZANCOPE, Alexander Technique (Session I and II)

 Awarded his diploma in vocal studies from the “Cesare Pollini” conservatory in Padua, under the guidance of Adriana Rognoni, Claudio Zancopè furthered his vocal technique and lierder studies with the acclaimed repetiteur, Enza Ferrari and with the bass, Malcom King.

 Under Maestro Paolo Vaglieri, Claudio turned his specific attention to studying and perfecting operatic repertoire.

 Winner of the “AS.LI.CO.” competition in Milan and of the International Competition “Riccardo Stracciari” in Bologna, Claudio then made his operatic debut singing Leporello in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with Lelia Gencer and as Bartolo in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” with Graziella Sciutti.

 His operatic activities have led him to perform in many Italian theatres such as: “Il Teatro Donizzetti” in Bergamo, “Il Teatro Grande” in Brescia, “Il Teatro Comunale” in Treviso, “Il Teatro Sociale” in Rovigo, “Il Teatro Verdi” in Padua, “Il Grande Teatro La Fenice” in Venice and at various musical institutions such as: ”Asolo Musica” and with many ensemble groups such as: “La Stagione Armonica”, “Concertus Vocalis”, “I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano”, “The Chamber Orchestra of Belluno” and “The Arcimbold Ensemble”.

 His recent tour in Germany brought him much acclaimed success.

 He performed Haydn’s Mass under the direction of Maestro Massimo De Bernard in Savona and the premiere of Baldassarre Galluppi’s Gloria at the Basilica of San Marco in Venice under Claudio Scimone. Claudio’s repertoire spans from 1700 to the present day in both opera and chamber music. In 1999, he performed the role of The King in Baldassarre Galluppi’s opera “Il Re alla Caccia”. In 2001, he performed in the world premiere of Marcos Antonio Portugal Da Fonseca’s comic one act opera “lo Spazzacamino”.

 Mr Zancope is a member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT).

 

MADELYN SPRING GEARHEART, Artistic Director (Session I and II)

 Dr. Madelyn Spring Gearheart earned a Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude from the University of New Hampshire, a Master of Science in Music Education from the University of Illinois and a Doctorate in Music and Music Education from Columbia University.

  A lyric coloratura soprano, Dr. Gearheart performed with the Venice opera,
Teatro La Fenice, and the Verona opera, L'Arena di Verona during the seven years
that she lived in Italy. She was a finalist in the international opera competition,
"R. Stracciari" in Bologna. She studied with notable teachers such as
Mario Del Monaco, William Warfield and William Eddy.

 Dr Gearheart is the founder and conductor of the New Hampshire Youth Chorus
and the New Hampshire Women's Chorus. She has been a guest conductor and
vocal coach for the Summer Youth Music School at the University of New Hampshire and Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter. She operates a private voice studio and appears as a soloist, clinician
and adjudicator.

 Dr. Gearheart is a member of the National Music Educators Conference (MENC) and is President of the
New Hampshire chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

 

ANNA D'ERRICO, Staff Accompanist (Session I and II)

 Born near Venice in 1980, pianist Anna D’Errico studied with Giorgio Lovato at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude and her Masters degree, summa cum laude. She furthered her studies.

  A prize winner in several international competitions, Ms D’Errico has performed as soloist with prestigious orchestras, including the Orchestra of La Fenice in Venice and the Padova Orchestra.  She has given masterclasses and recitals at the Weber Music Hall at the University of Minnesota, Duluth and Farley’s House of Pianos in Madison, Wisconsin.

  Ms D’Errico is deeply interested in modern and contemporary music.  She is currently scheduled to take part in the Lucerne Festival, under the direction of Pierre Boulez, and will perform a program dedicated to the him that will tour Tokyo, Carnegie Hall and the Julliard School in New York.  She has performed with several contemporary music ensembles, including the Simultaneo Ensemble and the Ensemble ad Hoc.  Anna has also recorded a cycle of compositions for piano four-hands set to her original poetry.

 Since 2004, Ms D’Errico has been the director of the Cultural Association, “Musici Mojanesi”, whose aim is to support young musicians and new artistic projects.

 

RICHARD COLLINS, Italian (Session I and II)

 Mr. Collins is a certified language pedagogical director by Inlingua International of Bern, Switzerland. He holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Utah, a Masters of Arts Literature from New York University and is a candidate for a PhD in Languages and Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles.

 Mr. Collins is a lecturer at the Centro Linguistico Ateneo at the University of Verona and Director of the Inlingua School of Languages and Translation Center in Verona. Additionally, he is the foreign coordinator for the University of Southern California Cultural and Language Studies and Coordinator and Language Instructor for the Study Abroad Program at the University of Southern California, in Verona, Italy.

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