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Bel Canto Bella Voce Masterclass
Rusalina Mochukova, soprano
Chanda VanderHart, piano
Soprano Rusalina Mochukova, scholarship student of Mirella Freni and Bel Canto technique expert, and pianist Chanda VanderHart offer a unique masterclass series in Vienna for singers of every level and age to learn and grow in an informal environment.
Offered in 5-day blocks, this atelier-style program gives classical singers the opportunity to refine audition arias, polish or learn new roles, or simply focus on Italian diction and Bel Canto technique.
From June 2010 till October 2013, Chanda and Rusalina have organized 14 masterclass in Vienna to over a hundred participants.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_video title=”Video courtesy of Maximilian van London (www.maximilianvanlondon.com)” link=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/5cSjz3zS6Fg?rel=0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The studio is equipped with professional recording equipment, should participants want to extend their stay to record, a Masterclass special rate is offered, please contact Chanda for details or to book your session.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_text_separator title=”What they say about the masterclass” title_align=”separator_align_center” align=”align_center” color=”pink” el_width=”80″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]
I took part in my first Bel Canto Bella Voce masterclass in October 2012, after a friend recommended the course to me. I’d never been to Austria before, I spoke very little German, and I had no idea how to get around or what there was to do in the city. However, Vienna is such a friendly city, and so easy to navigate, that I soon found my feet and felt confident ordering my apple strudel and buying my tickets to the opera in a strange language. Chanda was instantly welcoming and made me feel right at home, suggesting the best places to eat, drink and hear live music.
As a singer at the beginning of my career, I was looking forward to the chance to spend some time immersing myself in technique, refining my Italian and trying out some new music. I had spent the past five years training as a dramatic mezzo, but I had recently changed teachers and was weighing up the question of whether I might in fact be a soprano. Within the first twenty minutes of working with Rusalina, she not only convinced me that I am a lyric soprano, but also explained why my voice is built like a soprano’s – which was enormously helpful as it meant I had some concrete evidence to back up this feeling of where my voice wanted to go.
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Changing voice type is quite an emotional experience – around half way through the week, I felt as though I was going right back to square one and knew nothing about singing or music. But Rusalina and Chanda were very supportive, and encouraged me to challenge myself and push my own boundaries, whilst remaining sensitive to how I was feeling. By the end of the week, I had worked on three new arias which perfectly suit my voice and I was inspired and excited about the new repertoire I could start to sing. I felt like I had much more control over my voice, and that I could really own the sound I was making. I’m going to spend the next three months working hard on my Italian and exploring new soprano roles, before heading back to Vienna in January for another masterclass, and to record a few of these new arias with Chanda.
I would recommend Bel Canto Bella Voce to any singer who wants to focus intensively on technique, language and interpretation or simply polish some arias for audition, performance or recording. The experience of studying in another country has inspired me to ‘think bigger’ about the world of music, to challenge myself to learn new languages and embrace new cultures – all of which will make my own musical journey more of an adventure.
Caroline Challis, Soprano (UK)
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