Black diva teaches public master classes Friday
By Tona Brown
For the St. Louis American
Shirley Verrett, a woman of profound distinction, elegance and talent, will share her gifts of song in a master class with the students of the Gerdine Young Artist Program (from the Opera Theatre of St. Louis) on Friday, June 23. The class will be open to the public and held in the Winifred Moore Auditorium on the campus of Webster University.
Verrett is not just an opera singer. She is an author, activist and professor who has opened the doors for African-American sopranos internationally. She is an American icon who has triumphed over many obstacles, such as being denied an opportunity in 1959 to sing with the Houston Symphony Orchestra (against the will of conductor Herbert von Karajan) because she is black.
Verrett told the American there is still not enough exposure or programming today for singers or composers of African-American descent. “I would have thought after opening the doors for others, we would see more of us in the major opera houses and companies around the U.S.,” she said. “But, unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case – it’s exactly the opposite!”
Verrett recommended that African Americans take a stand and get involved in national boards like the National Endowment for the Arts to ensure these companies are “living up to the words presented to get the government funding and to renew the contracts to support various programs.”
Despite that, Verrett remains optimistic about the future of opera in America. She said there are more opera houses in the U.S. now than when she was first pursuing a career in the field. “There were very few houses then and only in the bigger cities – San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta and New York,” she said. “But now, every major city and university in America has an opera company or program.”
She even argued that the same percentage of Americans attend opera now as do Italians. “Yet Italy doesn’t have as many opera houses as we do,” Verrett said.
She has a wealth of experience to share with the young artists she will tutor on Friday. She guides her students to be careful when selecting pieces for their programs. “No one wants to hear a program of nothing but slow tempos or esoteric music,” she said. “I don’t want to go to a recital and just hear beautiful singing. What else are you going to give me?”
Verrett also feels strongly that students should do the proper research, not only in vocal development but in their appearance as well. “I feel that students must dress the part – no singing in lessons, master classes or auditions in jeans with holes in them, or pants or dresses that are too short or too tight,” she said.
“The idea is to always be presentable and professional, because first impressions make a tremendous difference and adjudicators will form an opinion based on your appearance.”
She also feels that students are pushed prematurely and advises students to always “work smart, be intelligent and know yourself!” She said, with a vibrant tone in her voice, “Do your homework and take your time to develop your technique, so that you are able to do whatever the composer dictates in the piece!”
She said opera artists must take good care of their health and bodies and voices to achieve the best possible performances while acting on stage. She has gone through great lengths to fit a particular part. She said, “I have even used makeup to lighten my skin to better look the part of some roles, like Verdi’s MacBeth.”
Verrett is currently on the faculty at the Michigan School of Music as a professor of voice. She is the author of an autobiography, I Never Walk Alone: The Autobiography of an American Singer, written with Christopher Brooks. She is a lifetime member of the NAACP and was a leading figure in the Civil Rights Movement and the boycott of apartheid-era South Africa. She served on White House commissions to preserve American Antiquity under Presidents Carter and Reagan.
The Gerdine Young Artists Program offers extensive programs formulated to develop the careers of opera singers. It includes experience in supporting and featured roles in mainstage productions, choral responsibilities, extensive coaching, recitals and master classes.
“Miss Verrett was in St. Louis earlier in the spring to adjudicate the spring recital for our Artists-in-Training students, and we can’t wait to have her back here again,” said Maggie Stearns, of Opera Theatre of St. Louis.
“She is an unbelievably inspiring teacher who has had a truly dazzling career.”
The public is welcome to attend Shirley Verrett’s master class at 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 23, in the Winifred Moore Auditorium on the campus of Webster University, 470 E. Lockwood. Tickets are $10 and available at the door. For more information, visit www.experienceopera.org or call (314) 961-0644.
