Collaborative Piano Studies
June 2 - 24
The role of the Pianist in the Art Song Collaboration is one of complete equality of contribution, stature, and interpretive creativity within the VISI spectrum of collaborative partnerships, courses and performances. Opportunities for discussion and coaching directed specifically toward the artistic and professional development of Collaborative Pianists are woven into all aspects of our diverse programs throughout June. Our teaching and interpretive philosophy is founded on creative partnership, and our program assists singers and pianists in developing skills for dynamic collaboration.
In addition to the classes for pianists, VISI offers classes on collaborative rehearsal skills for vocal-piano duos.
Our distinguished faculty of pianists includes:
Margo Garrett: TAS June 18-23
Laura Loewen, TAS, SONGFIRE Apprenticeship circa June 12-20
Russell Miller TAS June 4-18
Francis Perron TAS, French Immersion June 13-24
Cameron Stowe SSP June 4-16, TAS June 11-23
Arlene Shrut, TAS June 3-15
Alison d'Amato, Terence Dawson, Rena Sharon, and Erika Switzer will be available to all programs during VISI.
The Faculty offer classes and private coachings during their VISI visits. Additional private coaching sessions in addition to the assigned schedule are available by request at the discretion of the individual faculty. Sign-up sheets for extra coaching are posted daily by many of the faculty.
The following courses are all open to application for pianists. Please visit the main page for each program for more detailed information.
The Theatre of Art Song/Collaborative Piano Studies
Please click here to see the full description of the Theatre of Art Song program for all singers and pianists. A dedicated course of studies for Collaborative Pianists is a specialized component of the Theatre of Art Song (TAS) program. Pianists participate in all aspects of the TAS program, which includes lectures in poetic analysis, dramatic recitation, and theatrical staging, coaching and masterclasses with assigned vocal/piano student partnerships, as well as public performances.
HOW THE COLLABORATIVE PIANO COURSE WORKS:
Within the schedule of classes for TAS, there are classes and coaching specifically designed to address aspects of pianists’ craft, focusing on the unique skills of the art and profession such as coaching techniques, drama, diction, and techniques of collaboration. Pianists also partner with Faculty singers in coaching and concerts, and will be coached by internationally renowned collaborative pianists.
SONGFIRE Theatre Apprentice Program - June 2-24
VISI offers the world’s first program in Art Song Theatre program, for advanced singers and for pianists with background in Opera and Art Song. The program is production-based, with fully staged performances on June 23/24.
Daily classes include Art Song Theatre techniques in Staging, Improvisation, Devising, Scripting, Dramatic recitation, acting; private coachings with renowned faculty artists, masterclasses and lectures merged with the entire VISI group of participants from all programs.
Song Scholarship and Performance : - June 2-16
Brahms and Wolf
If you are an Art Song artist who loves doing deep research as part of your interpretative preparation, this will be an unforgettable experience of inspired collaborations. Share ideas and performance with some of the world’s most renowned Song Musicologists, Theorists, Humanities Scholars, and Performance Artists. Please click on the program to see the full list of faculty. The focus of the repertoire for this course is on the music of Brahms and Wolf.
Directed by Dr. Benjamin Binder, Musicologist and Collaborative Pianist from Duquesne University, Week One of the program includes daily seminar-style discussions and presentations, and daily 2-hour masterclasses with Dr. Cameron Stowe. Week Two includes coachings with diverse VISI faculty pianists, and two performances duos with singers participating in the program. Please visit the Song Scholarship page for more information.
Immersion in French Mélodie - June 13-24
Experience the great repertoire of Debussy – the songs, the style, the poetry, the era - with a remarkable team of immensely knowledgeable experts for a week of lectures classes, and performances. Other French repertoire is also included, Art Song by Québec composers The course will be taught (in English) by Mme Rosemarie Landry, François Le Roux, Francis Perron, Bruno Laplante, Sima Godfrey, and guest lecturers in topics of poetry analysis, translation, and style periods, cultural history and philosophy, with intensive mentoring in performance diction and dramatic recitation of poetic texts.
You may join this course as an add-on to the Scholarship course (date overlap can be accommodated) or you can register for this course as a single program.
How to Register
Once you have chosen the VISI program that suits your interests, please access registration through that program directly. Application deadlines and specific required supporting materials can be found on each program’s specific page.
Theatre of Art Song
SONGFIRE Apprenticeship
Interdisciplinary Song Scholarship and Performance French Mélodie Immersion
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