Studio Class

Chelsea Hollow “has rewritten the book on the potential of musical activism," curating & commissioning solo recitals based on activist texts as well as exploring ways to make traditional opera exciting to new audiences. In recognition of this work, she presented on Art and Activism (2021) for the United Nations’ Office of Human Rights. This past April, Chelsea released her debut album Cycles o...

An omnivore when it comes to performing, soprano Peyee Chen enjoys singing Monteverdi with lute and bass viol as much as singing Bernhard Lang with electronics and electric bass. Up for physical challenges, she has performed with poet Caroline Bergvall on her Raga Dawn series, outdoors and starting before sunrise. She is interested in vocal and physical improvisation, DIY electronic instruments, a...

Praised for her “rich dramatics” (The Boston Globe) and called "Magnificent" by Fanfare Magazine, Pamela Stein Lynde is a versatile singer, composer, choral conductor and music educator. As a singer, Pamela has built a career working with contemporary composers of all levels, from students to internationally recognized artists. As an educator, Pamela has taught, lectured, and given master classes...

Whitney George’s music traverses the affective terrain between tragedy and ecstasy, fragility and strength, bringing together romantically delicate intimacy and the spectacular darkness of the macabre. Haunted by ghosts and/of love, George’s operas, staged multimedia works, and chamber music coloristically explore the mysteries of irrationality, nightmare, and memory, sonically seeking lost object...

Jenni Bank was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, grew up in Binghamton, New York, & studied at Peabody Conservatory. She has worked with Seattle Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Chicago Lyric Opera, New York City Opera, Anchorage Opera, Opera Delaware, Des Moines Metro Opera, Florentine Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Knoxville Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Bard Summer Music Fes...

Soprano Maggie Finnegan has been hailed by Opera News for her “clear, poised and defiant soprano” and the Washington Post for her “silvery, pitch-perfect voice." Recent career highlights include Maggie's European Operatic debut in L'Enfant et les Sortilèges with the Belgian National Orchestra, her Dutch debut in Louis Andriessien's Odysseus' Women / Anais Nin , the world premiere of PermaDeath: A...

Kathleen Kelly’s projects and repertoire are wide-ranging and diverse. From Mozart to commissioned works by her peers, she is both deeply experienced in the classical vocal canon and engaged in new creation. Recent notable projects include a recording with soprano Emily Albrink - which we’ll reference in this episode, leading the world premiere of Matt Bohler’s opera FAT PIG (composed for activist...

Carrie Hennessey is a wayfinder through the deep, spiritual and technical discoveries of the voice. Early success in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions led to high expectations, but singing after trauma in her early 20s dismantled the ease in her voice and presence. A top artistic mentor once reviewed, ‘This is not the same singer I heard 2 years ago. Go back home’, and a famous singer/coach exclaim...

Kala is the Founder of Five Senses Tastings, a Certified Women-Owned Business. Her philosophy of Sensory Wellness encourages guests to harness the energy, power, and play of their five senses using music, wine, and food, and sweet treats. Inspired by her childhood abroad, Kala believes that diversifying our own sensory ecosystems leads us to find beauty and inspiration not just in ourselves but in...

No one likes to receive negative feedback - it's true. But, how you respond to criticism will influence what kind and speed of progress you can make in your professionally creative career. In this Micro Action Monday, Megan discusses how to take in, respond to negative feedback, and turn it into a positive situation. Do you like these micro action episodes? You'll probably like the 29 Days to Diva...

Opera Now Magazine in their article, “Written in the Stars” profiled Hilary Ginther in May 2016 as one of ten young American singers intent on taking the opera world by storm, calling attention to her “substantial and richly colored instrument”. This was followed by her Philadelphia Orchestra debut in Bernstein’s MASS under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, which was recorded by Deutsche Grammoph...

"Having an audition that really shines is not about, 'Oh, I wore this dress that they really liked.' It's about, 'I made a moment for them in that room. They felt so inspired by my work that they knew I would be the right fit for an entire production or I would be the right fit for their company.'" In this Micro Action Monday episode, Megan discusses a few tips to make your auditions really stand...

"Go ahead and actually prepare with efficiency and effectiveness so that you can make the most out of your work and feel like you're bringing your best musical self to the situation." In this Micro Action Monday episode, Megan breaks down the process of creating an efficient practice schedule in 7 steps. Do you like these micro action episodes? You'll probably like the 29 Days to Diva series on Th...

Megan does a crossover episode with Rebecca Hass of "Being a Whole Person" podcast! Here's what Rebecca wrote about our chat... "I had a delightful conversation with Megan Ihnen, a mezzo-soprano and “new music force of nature” who wears many hats as a performer, educator, coach/consultant for musicians, and also in arts admin. With these many roles, she is an amazing connector and natural communit...

Named “Best Classical Conductor” by the Nashville Scene, Kelly Corcoran is Artistic Director & Conductor of Intersection, a contemporary music ensemble now in its 9th season in Nashville. Corcoran founded the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted the Nashville Symphony in hundreds of performances for nine seasons as Associate Conductor and Director of the Symphony Chorus. Join us in t...

Ask yourself, "Am I bringing my best self to each collaboration?" In any collaboration when you start working with somebody new, I want you to think, "Wow, it's really an honor to get to work with this person. How can we both achieve our goals together through this piece, through this music, and then also honor the composer's intentions, the composer's creativity, and our shared musical imaginatio...

A soprano of "fearlessness and consummate artistry" ( Opera News ), Ah Young Hong has interpreted a vast array of repertoire, ranging from the music of Monteverdi to Georg Friedrich Haas. Widely recognized for her work in Michael Hersch's monodrama,  On the Threshold of Winter , The New York Times praised Ms. Hong’s performance in the world premiere as "the opera's blazing, lon...

"If you have done any freelance music work or any kind of freelance creative work, at some point you will need to invoice someone. And now's the time to figure out what you're going to do." In this Micro Action Monday, Megan talks about how to set yourself up for invoice success. Do you like these micro action episodes? You'll probably like the 29 Days to Diva series on The Sybaritic Singer too. C...

“So asking about logistics and style really help you know whether this is the right situation or if you’re just going to be studying with someone who might be fantastic at what they do… but the ‘what they do’ is not the right thing for you . And, vice verse. You’re not going to be a great student in their studio if you’re expecting different things but you haven’t communicated about what those exp...

Michelle Trovato has sparked praise in Opera News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others for her “lush” voice and dynamic characterizations. She has won prizes in the U.S., Canada, and Europe and she also maintains an active private vocal studio. Michelle also teaches at FMDG Music School which is the only school in the US devoted completely to supporting the musical and artistic liv...

“I want you to know that you have way more control over your financial life in the arts than you might have been led to believe. I love helping people figure out how to live sustainable lives in the arts. That’s what I want for you. I want you to be sustainable. I want you to be the artist you want to be. If you have questions about setting your own fees/prices, hit me up. It’s my pleasure to help...

“I can’t be the only one who feels this way… Do you sometimes procrastinate practicing? Practice really is the number one anxiety killer, the number one performance anxiety killer, so have a great time. Be joyful in your practicing because you’ve built in all of these ways to get better at it and to not procrastinate. Enjoy what you’re doing. This helps you grow and challenge yourself!” Join Megan...

“Ask yourself to go much deeper with what you’re performing. Show me both the internal and the external so that I can just lose myself in the performance that you’re giving!” In this Micro Action Monday episode, Megan talks about tools, tips, and strategies to help you make better dramatic choices in auditions and performances. Do you like these micro action episodes? You'll probably like the 29 D...

“You are inhabiting information that may or may not be useful to you anymore. I want you to interrogate what you think the rules of the game are. That you can only “make it’ if you follow these rules, if you do all of the things on this checklist, then you’ll get what you want. I would love for you to dig into that and ask yourself, ‘Is that true?’ As your micro action today, I want you to identif...

So ideal client exercise is this super charger of empathy. You’re putting yourself into the feelings, thoughts, desires, goals, and pain points of somebody else. This is somebody you care about because you really want to work with them. This can be anybody.” Divas, I really want you to ask yourself the questions in this episode so you can work with more people you absolutely love to work with! You...