Voice

The Voice Department consists of approximately 110 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students, eight private voice teachers, ten individually assigned coach-accompanists, and specialists in diction, pedagogy, and physiology. In addition, situated within walking distance to the San Francisco Opera House and Davies Symphony Hall, students enjoy impromptu visits from many internationally acclaimed artists who come to visit the Conservatory and offer invaluable information in regard to performing and starting a career.

In 2007-2008, two fully staged operas, The Magic Flute by Mozart and L'Egisto by Cavalli will be presented along with six additional opera workshop performances. A brand new opera class, "Preparing a Role," will perform Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges and Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti in the fall; additional one-act operas for spring semester will be announced at a later date. The ongoing "Art Song as Theater" class offers younger students the opportunity to perform art song in a staged venue. The Baroque Vocal Ensemble will perform Vivaldi's Gloria and Charpentier's Les Arts Florissant along with two additional recitals, one of Vivaldi Cantatas and the other of French Cantatas. This year there will be four Musical Theater performances: Sondheim's Into the Woods and Simon's Secret Garden, and an Ahrens and Flaherty Review and Guettel's Myths and Hymns. Master Class presenters this year include Ann Baltz, Barbara Bonney and Thomas Hampson with others to be announced. Acclaimed composer, John Adams, will be in residence during the month of December.

The voice department is happy to answer any specific questions you have about the vocal program. Visiting prospective students can also arrange a consultative lesson with our faculty. If you would like any other voice faculty contact information, please call us at 415.503.6231.

Download Voice Department Handbook (pdf)

FACULTY

Voice department
Leroy Kromm, co-chair
Pamela Fry, chair

Sylvia Anderson
Catherine Cook
Wendy Hillhouse
Ruby Pleasure
Jane Randolph
César Ulloa

QUICK FACTS

• Two fully-staged, fully costumed operas a year
• Four one-act operas
• Six evenings of opera scenes
• New Music Ensemble: various composers
• Four evenings of Musical Theater performances
• Annual Vocal Concerto Competition (winner performs with the Conservatory Orchestra)
• Annual Baroque Opera or Oratorio
• Conservatory Chorus (two performances per year including major works)
• Vocal Performance Lab (2-hr performance class every week with all vocal students and faculty)
• Voice Division Recitals-Opportunity to perform on one or more of eight recitals per year, open to the public
• One hour coaching session with personal accompanist every week in addition to one fifty minute lesson (which the accompanist also attends)