Voice PERFORMANCE Intensive

July 29 - August 4, 2022

The Voice Performance Intensive at Baldwin Wallace University is a highly selective program for high school students who are seeking to pursue vocal performance or opera studies at the collegiate level. Students will work closely with BW Conservatory of Music voice and opera faculty as well as world-renowned guest artists to prepare for college or conservatory auditions and to develop their total body instrument.

Spend a week discovering vocal performance at BW and develop your artistry alongside colleagues from across the United States!

2022 Guest Artist

We are thrilled to welcome back Soprano Jennifer Rowley as the 2022 Voice Performance Intensive Guest Artist.

BW Alumnus Jennifer Rowley is acclaimed worldwide for her unforgettable voice and remarkable stage presence, singing a richly varied repertoire that includes many of opera’s greatest heroines. In the 2021/22 season, Ms. Rowley makes her house debut at Opéra de Rouen Normandie as her signature role of Leonora in Verdi's 'Il Trovatore'. Following this engagement, she sings the title role of Verdi's 'Aida' at the Serbian National Theatre and then returns to Semperoper Dresden to star as the title role of Puccini's 'Tosca'. Jennifer concludes the season reprising the role of Amelia Grimaldi in Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra' at Opernhaus Zürich, and she makes her debut at Palm Beach Opera in Lehár's 'The Merry Widow'. On the concert stage, Ms. Rowley will perform a solo concert at the National Theatre in Belgrade, and she sings concert performances of Tosca with the Israel Philharmonic led by Zubin Mehta. She is the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s colossal Missa Solemnis with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Learn more about Jennifer Rowley.

Curriculum

Participants receive daily intensive training in voice, acting, movement, interpretation, audition techniques, and professional development.

You'll learn how to communicate with dynamic physical and vocal actions on stage, and how to maximize your audition potential through the following intensive curriculum:

Two 50-minute voice lessons with Conservatory voice faculty to develop your vocal technique
Two private music coaching sessions with BWVP Program Music Director to enhance your musical preparation and stylistic interpretation of your repertoire
Three private dramatic acting coaching sessions with BWVP Director of Opera Studies to develop the dramatic interpretation of your repertoire
Daily group moment, acting, and voice performance workshop classes with Baldwin Wallace faculty
Audition workshop and mock auditions, where students receive feedback from faculty panel
Additional song, aria, and monologue coaching, interpretation workshops, and rehearsals to prepare for a final performance
Opportunity to sing and receive feedback during a masterclass with VPI Guest Artist
Q&A sessions with leading directors, conductors, and other leading opera industry professionals from across the country
Daily two-hour song and aria coaching and interpretation workshops. You'll learn how to communicate with dynamic physical and vocal actions on stage, and how to maximize your audition potential

Application and Audition

The application deadline is June 13, 2022, no later than 11:59 p.m.

In order to be considered, applicants must submit:

Completed application
Recorded video audition (see repertoire requirements below)
$100 tuition deposit (refundable if student is not offered admission to the program)

NOTE: completed video recordings are not required at the time of application submission. You may submit your video audition links any time before June 13, 2022. Applications without video submissions will be considered incomplete after June 13, 2022.

Auditions are required for all voice and opera intensive applicants. Audition pieces must be uploaded to YouTube. You may choose to make your video "public" or "unlisted" (private videos cannot be viewed). Once uploaded, provide the link to your audition within the application. If you choose to create two videos (one for each audition piece), provide both links within the application. DVD and CD audition videos mailed to our office will NOT be accepted. Due to the selection process, all videos must be uploaded to YouTube.

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Frame yourself in a ¾ shot for the camera:

Position your camera or computer, phone or iPad to chest level (or as close as possible) for proper perspective and framing
Stand at the distance necessary to properly frame yourself in the video - typically 3’ to 4’ from the camera

Background
Find a neutral wall with no pictures or clutter. Remove pictures etc. to create a more neutral surface. A background like this or similar can be helpful too. These can be attached to a wall or ceiling, or you can purchase a collapsible stand to support

Attire
Wear solid colors. Avoid patterns, which can be distracting on video, avoid jewelry that reflects light, which can cause distraction video. When in doubt, take a video recording test and see how your attire and accessories play on camera. If it looks good, then you’re good to go. If things are distracting or reflecting, then change your attire and / or accessories

Basic Lighting
Be sure there is ample front light that illuminates your face:
• You want the most powerful source of light to be lighting your face from the front
• Avoid standing with your back to a window, or having any other bright light source behind you
• You can get Halo / Ring Lights or other more expensive lights and softbox attachments, or you can use household lamps (lamps typically work best with the lampshades taken off)

Sound
Please check the sound levels of your recording by singing the loudest and softest sections of your repertoire. Adjust the recording levels so that the loudest singing is not distorting the microphone, and that the softest singing is audible. Test and adjust the levels for your spoken monologue as well so that all is audible.

Video recordings from performances will not be accepted.

Tuition

Tuition - $1,200.00

Voice Performance Intensive Tuition includes all meals and housing. A $100 refundable tuition deposit is required and will be applied toward tuition if admitted. Students not admitted into the voice and opera intensive will be refunded this deposit. Students must register with full payment due no later than July 1, 2022. Payment plan options will be made available.