Twenty-three students from 19 high schools in Opera Theatre’s Monsanto Artists-in-Training program will perform opera arias in a unique annual recital 2 p.m., Sunday, January 20 in Graham Chapel on the campus of Washington University.
The recital, which is free and open to the public, is the first public performance of this year’s students. They will perform together again in April in a recital and scholarship competition which will lead to awards of $12,000 in scholarship money including a $4,000 Monsanto Fund grant for the top prize winner.
The winter recital culminates a 10-day residency by renowned tenor Everett McCorvey, director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre.
“With young singers, what we have to work on a lot is helping them to understand their bodies, learning how to breathe,” McCorvey said on a recent National Endowment for the Arts podcast.
“I call them singing athletes. They are professional athletes. Their area just happens to be singing. But they have to learn their bodies, and how to breathe, and how to use their bodies to learn how to project the sound.”
McCorvey also teaches the voice as a musical instrument that is aided by playing other instruments, such as violin and piano.
“The other thing that we concentrate a lot on for young singers is helping them to be good musicians. And so it’s important, if parents see that they have a child that may have an aptitude for singing, it would be great to get that child in violin lessons to help them to train their ear,” he said.
“That’s the instrument that I recommend the most. Also help the student to get into piano. Piano is the mother instrument. And every performing artist has a relationship of some sort with the piano. And so we get them started there so that then when they come to college they have some of the tools that they’ll need to be able to grow as a singer and as a musician.”
He also thinks great singers should be great citizens.
“Something that I do that is very important to me is I talk about training the complete singer, the complete artist,” he said.
“And what does that mean? That means in addition to being a good singer, and a good musician, you must be a good colleague. And you have to be a giving colleague. Not a taker but a giver.”
Chosen through a highly competitive audition process, each Artists-in-Training student has engaged in weekly college-level vocal coaching since September from faculty at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,WashingtonUniversity,WebsterUniversity, and University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Currently in its 23rd year, Opera Theatre’s Monsanto Artists-in-Training has a proven track record for identifying, coaching, and encouraging talented singers inSt. Louisurban and suburban high schools.
Students receive individual weekly coaching and voice lessons by Opera Theatre’s professional staff; two artist residencies conducted by visiting guest artists; numerous chances to attend performing arts events; and a three-day college retreat where they learn about college life and academics. Each spring, the students perform in a free public recital at the Sheldon Concert Hall.
To date, more than 180 students have completed the program and Opera Theatre has awarded these graduates more than $364,000 in scholarships to support their college educations. Many graduates have continued to pursue academic degrees and professional careers in music.
In 2001, the program was recognized by the President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities at a ceremony in the Capitol inWashington,D.C.as one of 10 modelU.S.programs for at-risk youth.
Artists-in-Training is supported by the Monsanto Fund which has been the principal underwriter since the program’s inception.
For more information, visit ExperienceOpera.org.
