LAYLA VINSON
Staff Writer
It’s a busy week for Chautauqua Opera Conservatory faculty Carol Vaness and Kensho Watanabe. With Vaness facilitating the master class at 10 a.m. Wednesday in McKnight Hall and Watanabe conducting the annual School of Music Opera Scenes program at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, both educators will contribute their pedagogical insights to Chautauqua Opera Conservatory’s bustling schedule.
As a frequent guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera and orchestras around the world, Watanabe has been working individually with Conservatory singers leading up to the Opera Scenes performance. This year’s program features scenes from Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila, Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor and Don Giovanni, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, highlighting fewer but larger scenes compared to Watanabe’s compelling conduction of last year’s recital.
Providing a small vignette of larger-scale opera, Watanabe described the scenes as serving an opportunity for students to master the art of multitasking as they sing arias, interact with colleagues, take direction from the stage director and navigate how to move their bodies in the most optimal way for singing while simultaneously being in contact with the conductor.
Through his extensive background as a violinist and continual work with symphonic orchestras, Watanabe brings a unique perspective in his collaboration with singers.
“I find that my role is to make sure the singers are aware of the actual orchestral sound, even if they won’t hear it in their rehearsal rooms when they’re playing piano,” Watanabe explained, describing the aspects of teaching he feels he can provide the most value. “Just to make sure that they are aware and use that information to inspire more nuance and more layers of complexity in how they approach their role or a particular aria.”
In opera, where singers are their own instruments, Watanabe makes it a priority to establish a warm environment before the work itself can begin.
“I think we all have this natural response of wondering or worrying if it’s good enough of if I am going to perform to the best of my ability today,” Watanabe recognized, taking direct responsibility for the energy in a rehearsal. “And I want to make sure that when I enter a room or space, that as much as I can, I eliminate that level of anxiety. We’re here to create something together in a collaborative aspect.”
The young artists singing in the performance — Anna Maria Vacca, Ethan Neal, Brendon Rapushaj, Ella Canney, Zoe Brooks, Maria Jo Phelps, Haley Guerra, Dean Tarriff, Victoria McGrath, Hannah Verduzco and Jaydon Beleford — will be accompanied by pianists from the Conservatory faculty including Mark Trawka, Stephen Hargreaves, Lynn Kompass, Raphael Cho and directed by Madison Supino.
“It’s been great to work with singers that are right on the cusp of entering the professional world and also some singers that are just starting their journey,” Watanabe said. “I’m not a singer in terms of my instrument. So it’s fun to be involved and connected to a faculty that’s really focused on vocal technique.”
In addition to his work, Watanabe commonly attends lectures and master classes within Chautauqua, harboring great appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of such events and continual learning. Vaness, distinguished professor of music at Indiana University Bloomington and renowned American soprano, meanwhile, further promotes integrative teaching styles in her master class strategy.
“I don’t believe in one size fits all. Not in any way, shape or form,” Vaness said, referencing her versatile approach to each individual student with whom she collaborates. “I believe that people can have a similar issue or problem, but the difference is that your head is smaller than my head. The inside of your mouth is totally different.”
With approximately 20 minutes of practice time in a master class, Vaness noted the challenges of trying to teach all-encompassing techniques, instead focusing on a specific facet where a singer might be struggling. Locating a particular goal, whether it be using a head voice versus a chest voice or emphasizing postural corrections, allows her to help singers give their voice more direction and reduce nerves.
“You hope that people, whether they like it or not, that they respect the effort that singers are doing,” she said, acknowledging the vulnerability of performance and the effort it takes for young artists to garner confidence in themselves. “… Getting up and singing in front of people is hard.”
