Classical and Opera
Vocal Training

Quality counts - not just your beautiful voice, but also your reliable vocal technique that will allow you to soar, sing with dynamics easily, 'float the tone' in a sumptuous pianissimo without vocal strain, shade the timbre of your sound in response to the music and style, and power up when needed - and without vocal fatigue.

Precision counts -

Intonation is a given but often overlooked on what excellent intonation really is and how to achieve it as a singer, so that you are in tune with the notes, the ensemble, the orchestra, the key, the period of music, and the pitch, whether it is A440 or A415, or somewhere in-between.  Are you singing in the middle of the pitch, on the high end, the low end?  Does it matter?  Yes, it does.

To sing Runs and florid passagework well, a solid technique for both lighter and heavier voices is needed, so that you can pop out those phrases with incredible consistency, clarity, great intonation, and artistic nuance.

Some say that Diction is about how much you can move your mouth and tongue and that this will result in excellent diction.... There is much more to phenomenal diction than mouth and tongue movement.  Let's talk.

Bel Canto is a term that is used across the board, but how many actually understand it?  Sure, we all want a beautiful sound.   But when we talk about how to achieve it, that is exactly where there have been disagreements for several centuries.  Whether you are talking about Manuel Garcia Jr., Lamperti, Pauline Viardot, Adelina Patti, Farinelli, and countless artists and vocal pedagogues dating back to the 16th century up to our present day, there are a lot of misconceptions, myths, and misunderstandings of terminology, concepts, approaches, and how 'science' plays its part.

How does one sing Baroque music these days?  Some say it should be sung full throttle like a Puccini opera singer; some say it requires a small voice and no vibrato.  What do you think and upon what are you basing your opinion and decisions?

You.  You are the most important component in singing.  You are much more than a beautiful sound.  

 

Let's dig deep.  Let's work together and help you explore all aspects of your singing so that you can sing with the greatest level of excellence and artistic interpretation that is 'you', not just a copy.

- Zoe Vandermeer

Dramatic Coloratura Soprano

Baroque, Bel Canto, Contemporary Classical

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