Undergoing growth and renewal in any organization can be tough to manage, but undergoing growth and renewal while singing an aria can be twice as challenging.
As the new school year unfolds, voice students in the Department of Music embark on a journey of learning and discovery which will not only provide these burgeoning opera and singing stars with the skills and confidence to contend in the highly competitive field of vocal performance, but will also allow students the opportunity to leave the halls of the University of Alberta with the connections necessary to really make it.??
The vibrant teaching faculty ? each of whom is exploring a varied and successful career as a professional performer while balancing the intense demands of teaching ? brings with her and him an equal mix of specialized expertise and hometown appreciation.
?Interestingly, many of the voice faculty earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees in this very Department, or have taught or performed here as visiting artists,? said Voice Area Coordinator and mezzo Elizabeth Turnbull. ?We are proud to bring our experiences abroad back to the very halls where we perfected our own craft.?
With the goal to provide students a diverse learning experience reflective of a highly competitive industry, the skills learned contribute to a well-rounded performance education which goes beyond the art of basic vocal performance.
?We are dedicated to providing students a full performance education ? one which draws on our experiences as professional performers and helps students achieve and refine the competitive, dramatic, inspiring talents which will define them in the industry," continued Turnbull.
This education is only enhanced by the real-world connections offered by the teaching faculty.
?It?s our hope,??explained Turnbull, ?our professional connections will provide students in the Department of Music a chance to learn under some of the world?s most outstanding talents.?
The rolling list of resident and guest artists is nothing short of impressive.
This year?s resident artists include tenor John Tessier, a Juno Award winning performer renowned for his refined style and artistic versatility, and first-class bass-baritone Nathan Berg, one of the most in-demand performers of his generation.
Visiting artists include the elegant soprano?Laura Whalen who tours actively throughout North America; Canadian stage director Rob Herriot; soprano?Susanna Eaton Jones who offers a diverse repertoire of opera, oratorio and concert music experience; mezzo-soprano Norine Burgess; and renowned Canadian conductor, composer and vocal coach John Greer.
?We are also strengthening connections with experts abroad,? said Turnbull. ?Building on the already celebrated relationship between the Department of Music and the?Franz Schubert Institut in Baden bei Wien, Austria, students will be privy to lectures and masterclasses by Department of Music Adjunct Professor and German Lied expert Dr Deen Larsen.?
The education doesn?t stop there. The Department of Music hopes to also provide students the opportunity to tap into learning resources available through other performance organizations and institutions here at home.
?It?s an exciting year of change and opportunity,? said Turnbull. ?We look forward to providing students the absolute best possible educational experience based on our own development as professional artists.?
A native Edmontonian, Elizabeth Turnbull earned a Bachelor's degree in the University of Alberta before moving on to study at the?Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie in Detmold, Germany. She then completed a Diploma in Opera Performance at the University of Toronto. She taught at the University of Ottawa before returning to Edmonton to join the voice faculty here.?Elizabeth Turnbull is a mezzo with a distinguished reputation in the U.S. and Canada and is hailed by the press as "(one) of this country's finest singers, luminous and rich-voiced."
An important figure of the vocal area in the Department of Music, Jolaine Kerley is active as a soloist, clinician, adjudicator, conductor, and vocal instructor throughout North America. Jolaine received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta, and graduate degrees from the University of Alberta and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Jolaine is currently co-coordinator in the voice area, and instructor of diction and early music at the University of Alberta.
"As a U of A Department of Music alumni, I am so excited about the upcoming year in the voice area," said Kerley.?"We have a busy year of singing and workshops lined up for the students and the buzz around the corridors is one of eagerness and excitement. We want to give our students every opportunity to succeed as professionals in their field and I believe that this year, we are focused on helping the students pave that path."?
New to the Department of Music this year is internationally acclaimed tenor Stuart Howe. One of the finest tenors of his generation, Howe has appeared on stages in Europe, Canada, the US and the Middle East. Regarded internationally as a creator of new operatic roles, Howe has performed in a number of world premiers and celebrates countless oratorio credits.??
Also new to the Department of Music is voice instructor and soprano Catherine Abele, who won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Western Canada District) and was awarded the top vocal prize at the Orchestre Symphonique de Montr?al Standard Life Competition in 2008. Abele has appeared onstage with Opera NUOVA, Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute and Rising Star Singers? Audition Works, among countless other organizations, and was up until this year, a member of the teaching faculty with the University of Cincinnati.