Guildhall School of Music & Drama: Vocal Studies

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Vocal Studies

Individual Lessons and Coaching • Masterclasses • Opera Studies • Song Repertoire • Recitative • Oratorio • Contemporary Repertoire • Drama • Movement • Languages • Musicianship • Vocal Ensemble • Performance Projects

At the heart of the Vocal Studies specialism lies the development of each student’s individuality as a performer and artist. Through an intensive programme of one-to-one lessons, coaching, small-group work, repertoire classes, performance platforms and rehearsals, the student is helped to build the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for finding their own way as a professional singer. Establishing and maintaining a healthy, consistent vocal technique is the focus of the regular one-to-one lessons with the student’s voice teacher, while the innovative array of classes and performance projects is designed to hone the student’s understanding of musical style, languages, stagecraft, communication, musicianship and ensemble work.

Undergraduate

The four-year undergraduate programme is carefully structured to build and set firm foundations in the core disciplines necessary for a singer: Vocal Technique, Repertoire & Musicianship, Performance Craft, Languages.

Studies in Years 1 & 2 involve:

Individual singing lessons
Individual coaching
Song repertoire
Diction & recitative (English, Italian & German)
Language study (Italian, German & French)
Phonetics
Performance craft (drama, movement & stagecraft, including light music & music theatre)
Sight-singing
Vocal ensemble
Keyboard skills
Performance platform

In Year 3 the various subjects are integrated and an ever greater focus is placed on putting the various disciplines into practice through rehearsal and showcase performance. Studies in Year 3 involve:

Individual singing lessons
Individual coaching
Introduction to opera (operatic repertoire, drama & movement)
Italian repertoire
Spoken and sung German
Song repertoire
Historical performance (Baroque & classical repertoire)
Dramatised poetry and song (elective – see below)
Performance platform

Year 4 is almost exclusively practical and involves:

Individual singing lessons
Individual coaching
Opera and theatre (see below)
Song repertoire
Voiceworks – contemporary repertoire (see below)
Oratorio
Guildhall Consort (elective – see below)
Dramatised poetry and song (elective – see below)
Teaching skills
Audition preparation
Professional skills
Performance platform

Postgraduate

The breadth of studies available at postgraduate level allows advanced students to specialise in areas of particular interest and importance to them. Students are encouraged to promote their existing abilities while expanding their range and depth of experience. The emphasis for each student at this stage is on consolidating their vocal-technical abilities as necessary, deepening their understanding of style and performance practice, and building rehearsal and performance expertise for stage and concert work both in the School and in professional contexts. By the end of postgraduate study each student will have been able to consolidate their understanding of the needs of the professional singer, with intensive help and guidance from our internationally renowned faculty and visiting artists.

The postgraduate course offers:

Individual singing lessons
Individual coaching
Opera and theatre (see below)
Language coaching
Italian repertoire
German lied
French mélodie
English song
Russian repertoire
Spanish song
Dramatised poetry and song (elective - see below)
Voiceworks - contemporary repertoire (elective - see below)
Oratorio
Historical performance (Baroque and classical repertoire)
Guildhall Consort (elective - see below)
Audition preparation
Professional skills
Performance platform

Opera and theatre, led by Linnhe Robertson, involves all aspects of opera performance, such as drama, movement, stage-craft, role preparation, music ensemble, and the rehearsing and performance of scenes from operas. There is a link, as well, to the Opera Department, where students form a chorus for the Opera Department’s public productions each term. They also receive coaching on roles and repertoire and have occasional opportunities to take on roles and understudies in productions. ‘Opera Scenes’ are presented in staged concert performances within the School and also at outside venues in London and throughout England.

Dramatised poetry and song, led by Iain Burnside & Victoria Newlyn, puts song repertoire and poetry into a dramatic, theatrical context. Each year a small team of singers and pianists creates and performs an original stage work. The elective is both practical and creative, concentrating on teamwork and a professional level of engagement and performance. Repertoire is generally English song but may involve a variety of genres. Recent performances of these staged works have been given in the Barbican Pit Theatre, Theatro Technis and at the Cheltenham & Ludlow Festivals.

Voiceworks, led by Armin Zanner, is the Vocal Department’s New Music strand. It offers singers the opportunity to collaborate with composers, writers, pianists and directors in the development of new works for voice, and also to perform more established contemporary repertoire. Wigmore Voiceworks is an annual project linking Guildhall School singers and composers with poets from Birkbeck College, which culminates in a concert of new songs at Wigmore Hall. Other recent Voiceworks projects have included: the Complete Songs of Olivier Messiaen at The Forge in Camden, coached by Jane Manning; Extraordinary Voices, a joint project with James Weeks and EXAUDI on experimental music, including a special commission from Christopher Fox, performed at the Courtauld Gallery and in the Barbican Conservatory; the songs of Thomas Adès at LSO St Luke’s, coached and conducted by the composer; George Crumb’s Apparition at the City of London Festival.

Guildhall Consort, led by Eamonn Dougan in collaboration with The Sixteen and the Historical Performance Department, is the School’s advanced vocal ensemble. Covering repertoire from the Renaissance to the 21st century, the Consort performs regularly throughout the year, either a cappella or with ensembles such as the Baroque Orchestra, offering students the opportunity to develop high-level consort-singing skills. Recent highlights have been a BBC-broadcast concert of works by Arvo Pärt, Bach Motets at St. Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield, a performance at St-Martin-in-the-Fields, and pre-concert events for The Sixteen at the Barbican Centre and South Bank Centre. Graduates of the Guildhall Consort are achieving success in a number of specialist vocal ensembles and moving quickly into solo roles.

Recent Department Highlights

Masterclasses: Sir Thomas Allen, Eugene Asti, Christine Brewer, Susan Bullock, Pamela Bullock, Sally Burgess, Graham Clark, Sarah Connolly, Julius Drake, Gerald Finley, Amy Jarman, Graham Johnson, Martin Katz, Dame Emma Kirkby, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Anthony Legge, Malcolm Martineau, Susan McCulloch, Elijah Moshinsky, Paolo Olmi, Rudolf Piernay, Peter Robinson, Amanda Roocroft, Laura Sarti, Anne Sofie von Otter, Susan Waters, Edith Wiens, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Susan Youens, Brian Zeger
Performances include: Mahler Symphony No. 2, Verdi Requiem, Walton Belshazzar's Feast (Barbican Hall); Bach St Matthew Passion directed by Jonathan Miller at the National Theatre; Handel's Messiah (St Giles’ Cripplegate); Stravinsky Les Noces (LSO St Luke's and French tour); The Song Guild Italienisches Liederbuch directed by Graham Johnson (LSO St Luke’s); The Lads in their Hundreds, Unknown Doors and A Soldier and a Maker – dramatised song projects by Iain Burnside (Barbican Pit Theatre; Theatro Technis; Chelthenham Festival); Guildhall Artists at the Barbican Song Recital Series (Barbican Hall); Guildhall Artists in Recital at Carnegie Hall; Opera Ensemble Scenes Series (London & UK tour venues); City of London Festival & LSO St Luke's Recitals; Wigmore Voiceworks Showcase Concerts (Wigmore Hall); Guildhall Consort Performances; Song Repertoire Concert Series (Guildhall School); Brett Dean, Jonathan Harvey & Hans Werner Henze Total Immersion Concerts (BBC Broadcasts, Barbican Hall)

Recent Student Successes

Kayleigh Anger (BMus Vocal Studies) Winner of the North London Music Festival Singing Competition

Benjamin Appl (Postgraduate Vocal Studies) Winner of the Public’s Choice Award at the Das Lied Competition, Berlin

Barbara Barradas (Postgraduate Vocal Studies) Winner of the Audience Prize, Concurso de Canto Lirico Fundacao Rotaria Portuguesa

Keri Fuge (Postgraduate Vocal Studies) Winner of the Michael Oliver Prize at the Handel Singing Competition

Susana Gaspar (Vocal Studies Fellow) Semi-finalist, BBC Radio 2 Kiri Prize; Winner of 1st Prize, Lieder Prize and Portuguese Song Prize, Concurso de Canto Lirico Fundacao Rotaria Portuguesa

Martin Hässler (BMus Vocal Studies) Winner of 1st Prize at the Bundeswettbewerb Gesang Berlin; Winner of 2nd Prize at the Das Lied Competition, Berlin

Mae Heydorn (Postgraduate Vocal Studies) Winner of the Schubert Competition

Szymon Komosa (Postgraduate Vocal Studies) Selected to represent Poland in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2011

Raphaela Papdakis (Postgraduate Vocal Studies) Winner of the Courtney-Kenny Award from the Association of English Singers and Speakers

“ You have access to some of the best musicians in London and all the knowledge they have about their profession. ”

Thanihan Jeyapalan
BMus Bassoon

“ I've had amazing masterclasses with great musicians such as Richard Goode and Paul Lewis. ”

Grace Yeo
MMus Piano

“ A world-class staff, whose dedication and passion inspire students to achieve their utmost potential. ”

Anna Anandarajah
BMus Vocal Studies

“ The performance opportunities available through Guildhall are second to none, and act as a springboard into the profession. ”

Edward Pick
Postgraduate Piano

“ The School’s reputation of providing world-class tuition and support for every student has proved to be true – I have been supported every step of the way. ”

Ben Gernon
BMus Tuba

“ I am thrilled with my teacher; every session confirms the decision to be here studying with him. ”

Charlie Mellor
MMus Opera Studies

“ It’s amazing to be learning from some of the leading figures in the contemporary music scene, teachers who constantly inspire and who truly wish you to succeed. ”

Sylvia Lim
BMus Composition

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