Summer Voice Intensive
JUNE 22–28, 2025
Ages 12–16
Young singers are invited to join our expert faculty to explore classical art song and lyrical musical theater repertoire in a supportive and encouraging environment. Daily classes, workshops and private lessons will introduce a variety of skills and strategies for song preparation, developing confidence in solo singing, building vocal technique, and exploring one's personal artistry. The Summer Voice Intensive will be led by Walnut Hill School for the Arts faculty on our beautiful campus just outside of Boston.
About the Program
Details
Program Overview:
- Daily classes and workshops will introduce a variety of skills and strategies for song preparation, developing confidence in solo singing, building vocal technique, and exploring one's personal artistry
- Every day includes a morning movement class, a master class, and a performance workshop, as well as lessons or coachings and practice time
- Students will be supported through voice lessons, coachings and practice time throughout the week
- Carefully selected repertoire will be assigned to each student in advance
- All singers will perform informally on the first day of the program as a kick off and starting point for the work of the week
- Singers will have an opportunity to share performances and receive feedback regularly throughout the week in lessons and coachings, as well as workshops and master classes
- Students will present a final showcase performance of their new repertoire on Friday evening
Our robust one-week program includes:
- Two 45-minute Private Voice Lessons, to focus on technique and artistry through vocal exercises as well as repertoire work
- Two 20-minute Private Vocal Coachings, to focus on language, diction and rehearsing the piece for performance preparation
- Movement for singers
- Masterclasses
- Workshops presented by experts on topics such as
- Acting the Song/Singing the Story
- Intro to lyric diction for song and text preparation
- Anatomy of the Voice and Breath
- Vocal Health
- Great Performers and Great Rep
- Effective Practice Strategies
- Audition Skills
- Crossing Over (singing multiple genres and making it work!)
Auditions
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Please submit the following three video recordings via Slideroom: two contrasting song selections performed from memory, and a personal statement.
For song selections, you should include 1 classical art song in any language, and 1 additional contrasting song of your choice. The second song can be either a classical art song in a different language or tempo, or a musical theater piece, preferably "Golden Age" or written before 1975. Please do not submit opera arias or pop/rock pieces.
For your personal statement video, help us get to know you a little bit by introducing yourself, telling us a little about what you love about singing, and why you are interested in attending our program. Be yourself!
Recording Tips:
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You can use a smartphone! It is best to frame it in landscape mode, and to include the top 2/3s of you in the frame (just above your head to your hips or thighs) - full length is also fine as long as we can see your face. Make sure that you are in good light so that we can see your facial expressions and gestures/movement clearly. If the camera is too far away, or if there is hair in your face, we won't be able to see you clearly enough. If the phone camera is too close, the sound might overwhelm the microphone.
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Make sure there is no additional room noise (like a loud fan etc) that makes it hard to hear you clearly.
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Slate before each song. "My name is ______ and I am singing ________ by ___________." Each song and the personal statement can be a different video file, so there should be a total of 3 in your application.
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You may use an accompaniment track, or sing with a live pianist accompanying you. Be sure you are singing in the key and tempo that you have been working on, and that is best for you (double check any pre-recorded tracks you find, be sure to go over them with your teacher if you have one, and practice with them before you record).
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Make sure that the accompaniment is loud enough to support you and for us to be able to hear, but the accompaniment should not be louder than your voice - we want to hear YOU.
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You should be memorized. Focus on giving your most well-prepared, authentic and expressive performance.
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For your personal statement video, keep it natural. Zoom in a little bit (frame head and shoulders) so we can see you and you can speak at a normal conversational volume and still be heard.
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You don't have to record all at the same time. You can, but just focus on one piece at a time. Aim to capture what you wish to capture in 2-4 takes, and choose your most beautiful and overall expressive performance. A tiny "mistake" is not a reason to record for the hundredth time or not to choose that recording, if overall it is your best - please don't wear out your voice to make these recordings! Then, submit your favorite and be proud of your work. Self-taping can be challenging, but you've got this! We want to see your joy and know who you are as a person and as a young artist.
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You can use recordings from a recent recital or performance if the material meets the requirements above, as long as we can see your face and hear you clearly, and as long as you feel the performance best represents you.
Tuition & Fees
Faculty
Teresa Winner Blume
Teresa Winner Blume is an accomplished singer, actress, and teacher. As Head of Voice at Walnut Hill School for the Arts since 2015, she is passionate about helping young artists deepen their skill, artistry and joy in singing. She has designed a thoughtful and comprehensive curriculum to train budding young singers, while teaching private voice lessons in classical and musical theater styles, leading master classes, and directing the spring opera each year. Her students have placed nationally at YoungArts, NATS, Schmidt and CS Music and continue their training at institutions including Curtis, Juilliard, MSM, NEC, CCM, Eastman, UMich, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Boston Conservatory, and more. She continues to perform professionally in classical, musical theater and concert works. She also performs professionally, and has been featured as a soloist with the Boston Pops, North Carolina Symphony, Opera Carolina, Lyric Stage of Boston, and others. Her artistry has been recognized in such competitions as the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards (National semi-finalist) and New York Oratorio Society Solo Competition (semi-finalist). B.M. University of Illinois, M.M./P.C. Eastman School of Music. Learn more at TeresaWinnerBlume.com
Patricia Au
Known for her vivacious energy, Dr. Patricia Au is a versatile collaborative pianist, music director, and educator. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Voice at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She has held positions at New England Conservatory, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Victoria Conservatory of Music, as well as conducted master classes at Bucknell University and New World School of the Arts. As music director, she has led productions at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, HeliosOpera, OperaHub, and Boston Opera Collaborative. A frequent interpreter of contemporary music, she has workshopped with living composers, including Sofia Gubaidulina and John Harbison.
As an educator, Au served as resident teaching artist and education pianist for Boston Lyric Opera, where she realized her passion for introducing young people to opera as a storytelling art. Many of her coaching students have gone on to majoring in voice and opera at some of the top music programs in the country and continue to have thriving careers in the performing arts. Along with performing, she is equally comfortable as an arts administrator, having held positions with Vancouver International Song Institute and SongFest.
Au is also an active collaborative pianist member of the National Association of Teachers of Singers (NATS). A native of West Coast Canada, Au has earned degrees at University of Victoria and University of British Columbia, and received her M.M. and D.M.A. in collaborative piano from New England Conservatory of Music. She has also studied at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Orford Arts Centre, Franz Schubert Institut, and AcadeĢmie Francis Poulenc.
Craig Juricka
Craig Juricka is a vocal pedagogue, actor and singer. Praised by OperaToday as an “engaging, malleable baritone,” Mr. Juricka’s versatile performance career has brought him to musical theatre, concert, choral, and opera stages around the nation. Mr. Juricka has recently been seen in the Boston POPS’ production of Ragtime as Harry K Thaw/Lower East Side Ensemble, FPAC’s Little Mermaid as King Triton, and in a broadway workroom workshop of Michael Mott’s new musical In the Light. He has sung with esteemed ensembles and orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Boston POPS, Boston Baroque, Handel and Haydn Society, Ensemble Altera, Emmanuel Music, Bach Akademie Charlotte, and Marsh Chapel. And he has performed in opera houses with Des Moines Metro Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Odyssey Opera, and MassOpera. He most recently made his Boston Symphony Hall solo debut with the Handel and Haydn Society, performing Handel’s Israel in Egypt.
As an advocate for the pedagogy behind a versatile mechanism, Craig's approach to teaching singing is routed in his cross-trained background as a singer. Comfortable in teaching all genres, Craig’s students range from high school through graduate students, as well as with professional actors and singers. His students can be seen working on Broadway (Funny Girl, Great Gatsby), in National Tours (Jagged Little Pill), and in regional theatre and opera houses around the nation. His goal as a voice teacher is to help students access their strengths and develop their weaknesses, so they can become reliable and employable singers. Developing their “tool belt” and ultimately fostering sustainable technique routed in the ability to be expressive emotionally and physically in any genre of singing. Craig serves on voice faculty with The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee College of Music, and The Walnut Hill School of the Arts. Mr. Juricka holds a Masters of Music in Vocal Pedagogy, from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee. In 2016, he received his BM from Capital University in Vocal Performance, with an emphasis on Opera and Musical Theatre. Mr. Juricka is a proud member of AEA (Actor’s Equity Association).
Sarah Whitten
Voice and movement expert Sarah Whitten focuses on whole body wellness and function for singers. Her work is built on the concept of Vocal Interdependence, recognizing that the voice is influenced by every other system of the body and acknowledging that vocal technique alone cannot solve every issue. She pulls from her background as a professional singer and voice teacher as well as certifications and studies in a variety of movement modalities. Using principles of biomechanics, research-backed movement and pain science, she works with singers’ bodies to address physical issues and find their optimal sound.
She holds an MA in Vocal Pedagogy, and MM in Vocal Performance both from The Ohio State University. After 13 years of teaching voice at Harvard’s Holden Voice Program she left to launch her own business. Over the years she has presented and worked with singers and voice teachers at National and regional NATS conferences, The Voice Foundation Symposium, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Walnut Hill School, and numerous other schools and colleges in addition to public workshops and courses both in person and online. To connect and learn more about her work visit www.sarahwhitten.com.
Other faculty members to be announced.
Additional Teaching Artists and Guest Presenters include members of the Walnut Hill Voice Faculty.
Walnut Hill School for the Arts reserves the right to cancel a course that fails to meet the required minimum enrollment. All payments are due in full at the time of registration and non-refundable. Refunds will only be issued in the event of program cancellation due to low enrollment.