Music Performance Voice Major | Baldwin Wallace University

OVERVIEW

Prepare for 21^st century performance success as a Baldwin Wallace voice performance major.

Innovative, real-world-focused curriculum.
World-class faculty of dedicated voice teachers, directors and coaches.
Eight-semester opera workshop sequence.
Master classes with internationally acclaimed guest artists.
Two full opera productions per year.
Numerous performance opportunities on and off campus.
Undergraduate-only Conservatory. No competition with grad students.
20-minute proximity to Cleveland – a cultural capital of the Midwest.
Comprehensive preparation for success leading to top graduate schools and beyond.
The only program in the U.S. with a vocal pedagogy emphasis.

BW’s undergraduate-only Conservatory provides voice majors with exceptional performance opportunities. BW operas are cast entirely with undergraduate students, from lead roles to the chorus.
You'll hone your craft through intensive coursework and individual mentoring from our award-winning faculty, all practicing professionals with national and international experience.
BW takes a contemporary approach to the classics. In 2016, BW produced Peter Brook's “The Tragedy of Carmen," an adaptation that pares the beloved opera down to its most essential parts and stages the drama in a giant sand pit.
BW voice performance majors collaborate with world-class guest artists and directors through master classes, opera productions and other performances. A student performs with renowned bass-baritone Daniel Lichti in BW's annual BW Bach Festival.
With more than 325 events a year, the BW Conservatory offers an impressive array of performance opportunities. Voice performance majors take the stage as soloists and chamber musicians and perform with a variety of small and large ensembles.
Proximity to a major urban arts center provides opportunities for professional connections and off-campus performance. Students performed in the downtown Cleveland Arcade in a world-premiere adaptation of Handel's "Serse" produced in collaboration with Cleveland Opera Theater.

Baldwin Wallace Opera

Two full-scale opera productions engage students in contemporary and classical approaches to opera:

Fall opera (November) is a fully staged and produced production with costumes, lights and orchestra that explores non-traditional spaces and contemporary interdisciplinary approaches to opera in the 21st century.

Spring opera (March) is a traditional production with full sets, lights, costumes and orchestra performed in BW's Kleist Center Blackbox.

At BW, you'll work with a wide range of stage directors. Each year, Scott Skiba, director of opera studies, directs one production and a specially chosen guest stage director leads the other production. This, combined with additional on- and off-campus performance opportunities, connects you to a valuable network of industry professionals.

World-Premiere Productions

In 2016, BW presented a world-premiere adaptation of Händel's "Serse" in conjunction with Cleveland Opera Theater. The production featured renowned guest director and conductor Timothy Nelson.

BW received national media attention for its first-ever, in repertory productions of "La Bohème" and "Rent", directed by Victoria Bussert and conducted by Constantine Kitsopoulos (conductor of the highly acclaimed Broadway production of "La Bohème").

Top Honors for Opera

BW's voice performance program is ascending to national prominence through award-winning opera productions, renowned collaborations and innovative programs. Among successes is a recent first-place national award for last year's main stage production of "Dialogues of the Carmelites."

Alumna Performs at Met

BW voice performance majors receive training that positions them for top performance opportunities. The career of Jennifer Rowley '02 includes the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, among other major credits.

NOW Festival In-Residence

Hailed by The Plain Dealer as "cutting-edge" and "the future of opera," the NOW (New Opera Works) Festival is currently in-residence at BW.

Master Classes

A highlight of the voice performance experience is participating in master classes with internationally renowned artists and leading industry professionals.

Motet Choir

BW's popular Motet Choir has performed nationally, including at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Recent Guest Stage Directors

Timothy Nelson (hailed by Opera News as “the future of opera”); Cindy Oxberry (Washington National Opera); Beth Greenberg (New York City Opera).

Guest Conductors

Dean Williamson (Seattle Opera); Lucy Arner '77 (Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and the Metropolitan Opera).

Future Guest Artists

Eric Einhorn (stage director of Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago) will direct the BW spring 2019 main stage opera production.

Career Opportunities

Operatic performer
Professional singer
Studio voice teacher
Music educator
Arts administrator

CURRICULUM

BW's comprehensive curriculum gives you skills to excel in voice, acting, movement, improvisation, dance and interpretation.

You’ll develop your whole-body-instrument. You’ll learn to interpret text and music with imagination and communicate with power and authenticity through dynamic physical and vocal actions.

Rigorous coursework provides a foundation for your studies. Private lessons, coaching, workshops, master classes, scenes programs and fully staged opera productions offer real-world-focused learning opportunities.

Vocal Pedagogy Emphasis

The emphasis in vocal pedagogy is an interdisciplinary program between the Conservatory of Music, the communication sciences & disorders department and the Baldwin Wallace Speech Clinic. It is a unique program for undergraduate students that has received national attention and is made possible because of the collaborative relationship between faculty.

Lessons & Coaching

At the heart of the curriculum is the individual voice lesson. You’ll spend 60 minutes each week with one of our acclaimed faculty developing your technical and interpretive mastery.

The extraordinary versatility of our faculty allows you to explore a vast array of repertoire and styles. You'll delve into Bach and Schubert, as well Sondheim, Porter, Heggie, Rachmaninoff and Obradors.

Complementing that work is individual coaching with our opera music director. You’ll also have opportunities to refine your performance skills and experience new repertoire in weekly studio classes.

The work in the studio is supported and augmented by the Conservatory core music curriculum and a thorough course sequence in diction and literature, including English, Italian, German and French repertoire. Four semesters of foreign language study are also required for the major.

Opera Workshop

BW's eight-semester opera workshop offers exceptional learning opportunities that are distinctive to our program. You'll work with leading opera, theatre, music theatre and dance faculty members. You’ll receive comprehensive training to prepare you for graduate school and beyond as you build a solid foundation of singing acting techniques that are responsive to current industry expectations. Through the workshop, you'll:

Learn about opera, operetta, theatre, music theatre, oratorio and art song ranging from baroque to contemporary.
Develop practical skills and insights you can apply to graduate school auditions, young artist programs and more.
Integrate skills and techniques from private voice lessons, voice studio classes, coaching and other classroom-based studies to develop your whole-body instrument.
Experience numerous performance opportunities. Each semester culminates in a fully staged workshop performance.

Workshop coursework includes:

Acting technique and singing acting technique
Spoken theatre monologues and scenes
Opera and music theatre scene work
Song and aria interpretation
Physical and vocal characterization
Ensemble opera theatre
Improvisation, devised theatre and mask work
Musical and dramatic preparation
Dance, movement and stage combat
Audition technique
Professional development

The musical performance: voice major prepares students to:

Sing with tone appropriate to entry-level professional work
Approach foreign language diction and IPA with professional-level competence

STUDENT EXPERIENCES

With an emphasis on experiential learning within a liberal arts environment, the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music blends artistic excellence with innovation. You are encouraged to participate and attend BW’s numerous productions and programs. Also beneficial to your studies and networking opportunities is BW’s connection to Cleveland and its vibrant performing arts community, a quick 20-minute drive from campus.

Master Classes

A highlight of the voice performance experience is participating in master classes with internationally renowned artists and leading industry professionals. Recent master class clinicians include:

Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke
"The Dean of Collaborative Pianists" Martin Katz
Wiliam Burden
Elizabeth Futral
Jamie Barton
Jennifer Rowley '02
David Cangelosi '85

Master classes afford the opportunity to establish connections with teachers from major summer programs like the Franco-American Vocal Academy and CoOPERAtive, as well as top-tier graduate institutions such as CCM and Westminster Choir College.

Exceptional Performance Opportunities

Our undergraduate-only Conservatory provides you with direct access to prepare and perform for lead roles in BW main stage and opera workshop productions, music theatre and theatre productions, and choral concerts. You'll be challenged, inspired and prepared to become the best artist you can be through experiences that include vibrant and dynamic works of theatre. Opportunities include:

Main stage opera performances (October and March)
Opera workshop performances (December and May)
{NOW} Festival - Cleveland Opera Theater's annual festival to create, develop and perform new opera.
Junior and senior recitals
Voice departmental recital performances
Conservatory convocation
Four choral ensembles
Audition opportunities for all BW theatre and musical theatre productions
Annual concerto competition
Hakola Scholarship Competition
Other performance-based projects on and off campus.

Choral Ensembles and Orchestra

BW choral ensembles offer impressive learning and performance experiences. BW has four curricular choirs – Motet Choir, University Choir, Treble Choir and BW Singers – and several co-curricular groups. The Motet Choir has performed nationally, including at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Others have performed regionally and on campus. Students with an interest in jazz can sing with the BW Jazz Ensemble.

The choirs often prepare major works with featured soloists. Past works have included Beethoven's "Mass in C" and Schubert's "Mass in E-flat Major." The annual concerto competition is an outstanding opportunity for individuals who are willing to undertake a special challenge.

BW's acclaimed Bach Festival offers an exceptional learning experience. BW students participate as colleagues with prominent professional soloists and musicians. This world-renowned festival is the oldest collegiate Bach festival in the nation.

ALUMNI SUCCESS

At Baldwin Wallace, you'll experience personal and professional growth in a supportive community that challenges and inspires you to succeed.

Students who graduate with a major in vocal performance have gone on to pursue graduate studies at top schools such as Eastman School of Music, Florida State University, Indiana University, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Maryland Opera Studio.

Alumni of the program also have performed on the stages of the best opera houses and have achieved success in other areas of the arts and education.

Stephen Rieger '16

"After graduation, I decided to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. I earned an M.A. in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Cincinnati and did a medical internship with the UC Barrett Center’s Voice and Swallow Clinic. I have worked in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky region as a voice therapist and swallowing specialist, providing therapy to those who are professional voice users, vocal performers, those with neurological or functional voice disorders, cancer patients and total laryngectomees. My education at Baldwin Wallace prepared me for this rewarding and challenging career by training me in performance, vocal pedagogy and the liberal arts, giving me the ability to think critically and inventively so that I can care for my patients in a holistic manner."

William Vallandingham '10

"I went on to earn a Master of Music in voice performance and pedagogy at Westminster Choir College. I moved to Los Angeles where I performed with several regional opera companies, including Opera Santa Barbara and was featured at the Microsoft Theater, where I performed with the Distant Worlds Symphony, singing the music of Nobuo Uematsu. I am currently in Chicago pursuing an artist diploma at DePaul University. My education at Baldwin Wallace, particularly the experiences of Bach Festival and the pedagogical studies, instilled a love of singing great choral music as well as a genuine curiosity for the function of the vocal mechanism that continues more than a decade after graduating."

Gene Stenger '10

"I earned degrees from Baldwin Wallace, Colorado State and Yale University. My career took off when internationally renowned conductor Helmut Rilling invited me to sing the tenor solos in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart, which toured in Germany and South America. I was later featured in a documentary about Maestro Rilling’s life. I have enjoyed a career in early music, singing with renowned orchestras and festivals across the U.S. I am truly grateful for the opportunities and training I received at BW. It is there I first got to sing Bach, and it was a dream come true to be invited back and sing at the BW Bach Festival!"

Jen D’Agostino '03

"I attended University of Tennessee-Knoxville where I was a member of the opera studio while completing my Master's and later attended University of Wisconsin-Madison for my Doctor of Musical Arts. I am in a teaching position at UT-Knoxville, and I’m also on the board of directors for Knoxville Opera and the New York Singing Teacher’s Association. I am the editor-in-chief of VOICEPrints (NYSTA) and have presented some of my creative innovations for practice technique in two NATS Conferences. I continue to explore new ways to research and connect all of my interests, and I feel lucky that BW prepared and empowered me with a variety of skills."

Jennifer Rowley '02

"BW prepared me for all of my next steps after graduation, which included earning a Master's degree at Indiana University, young artist programs at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in Italy, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the Caramoor Bel Canto Festival. I have gone on to have a major international career with leading roles at The Metropolitan Opera, Opera de Paris, The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Semper Oper Dresden, Opernhaus Zurich, Opera del Liceu in Barcelona, Carnegie Hall, and as far around the world as the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea, and West Australian Opera, in Perth, Australia. BW prepared me to do what I do every single day, and I could not have an international career without these skills."