Hello singers, you've come to the right place if you're looking for a teacher with a proven record of success: I have nearly 25 years of experience as a voice teacher in addition to my 30+ years of experience as a professional soprano. I was trained at Manhattan School of Music, as well as numerous prestigious institutions such as the Santa Fe Opera, Tanglewood Music Center, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, among others. I have performed nationally and internationally including several seasons with the Leipzig Opera in Germany, and in the UK, France, Canada as well as the US.
Current and former students have won or placed in important competitions such as Opera Index, NOA's Argento Competition, YoungArts, Schmidt Vocal Arts, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Classical Singer, among others, and have attended or been accepted to many of the the most prestigious music programs such as Juilliard, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Boyer College of Music at Temple University, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman, Cali School of Music at Montclair, and Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, as well as performing arts high schools such as LaGuardia High School (of the movie "Fame"), Edward R. Murrow High School, Special Music High School, Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music (through my work as a mentor/teacher with ArtSmart), Professional Performing Arts School and Brooklyn High School of the Arts.
My teaching focuses on the use of old-school classical exercises rooted in the Italian "bel canto" period, which is considered the golden age of singing, and is combined with what's called CCM technique (i.e. belting!) for those singing contemporary styles. These exercises, when worked on diligently and regularly, will give you the technical freedom to enable you to sing well in any style, whether it is opera, musical theater, jazz, pop, experimental, Arabic, or basically anything that defines the verb "to sing". The root of all good singing is bel canto technique, just as the root of great contemporary dance technique is ballet training. Once your voice grows and improves with these exercises, we move on to repertoire that suits you and that you like to sing. I work with professionals, beginners, and amateurs of all ages to improve tone, range (including developing the upper register), pitch, breath support, phrasing, and ultimately confidence. The great French composer and teacher Nadia Boulanger once said - "Technique equals freedom." Truer words have never been spoken.
Personally, I have studied under many great teachers and singers over the years and know my craft well and am eager to pass that onto you. I was a voice faculty member of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for 14 years and am a voice faculty member of the Lunigiana International Music Festival in Fivizzano, Italy. I am also a mentor-voice teacher with ArtSmart, the national initiative co-founded by international tenor Michael Fabiano, that brings free voice lessons to disadvantaged middle and high-school students across the country. I speak several languages, including my native English as well as French, Italian, German, and Spanish fluently, and a little Arabic and Russian.
My private studio is based in Park Slope, Brooklyn (NYC). I also work from a midtown Manhattan studio and online through Skype, Zoom and FaceTime platforms.
