There will be three singing-focussed masterclasses and one acting-focussed masterclass, with highly respected presenters. Some will include a segment with participation from the whole group, and each masterclass will feature three or four solo singers.
CCM / Contemporary Music - Arlie McCormick
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About this Masterclass
My passion for teaching singing comes down to two things, how to encourage safe vocal technique and ensure longevity as a singer. The demands on the modern contemporary singer are high, often with full-time work followed by performing at night, myself included. The influences of vocal techniques (good and bad) that we hear today from famous singers can create a generation of singers implementing vocal tricks that can be harmful. It is important to dismantle these ideas and techniques and ensure that a singer understands what these singers are doing and how to safely implement these qualities/effects/onsets. Focussing on instilling a solid understanding of breath management (breath flow and support), how to manipulate resonance and the spaces, articulation, freedom of movement and how to listen to your body, to ultimately create good habits and muscle memory when we are singing is imperative to the modern singer. I will also discuss ‘belt’ and the lack of understanding around this technique, as well as how amplification and a microphone can be used to greatly assist the contemporary singer. Biography Arlie McCormick is a highly skilled performer, voice specialist, musician and award-winning actress and currently lectures in Contemporary and Musical Theatre Voice at the University of Otago. |
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In 2015 she completed her Masters of Vocal Pedagogy at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Brisbane under the mentorship of Dr Irene Bartlett and Dr Ron Morris.
She also holds a Bachelor of Jazz Voice, also completed at the Queensland Conservatorium. Since moving to Aotearoa in 2016, Arlie has travelled extensively taking workshops in Contemporary Voice on both the North and South Islands. When she is not teaching, Arlie still performs regularly, singing and playing piano in her jazz duo ‘Zephyr’ as well as singing with well-known Dunedin band, ‘The Oxo Cubans’. Arlie’s passion for music and all things musical, has most recently led her to become a producer and she is now one half of a brand-new theatre company, ‘Pop Up Productions’ and has just successfully produced a sold-out season of ‘Heathers the Musical’. In late 2019 she was cast in an NZ tour of MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL which was sadly cut short due to Covid-19 but she hopes to reprise this role in late 2021. For a number of years prior to her move to NZ Arlie toured extensively throughout Australia with Multi Award-Winning Cabaret Group Babushka. |
This speaker is sponsored by
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Classical / Art-song - Oliver Sewell
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About this Masterclass
In this masterclass Oliver will focus on finding ease and resonance within classical vocal production. As someone who has recently been through the voice education gauntlet, studying for ten years with some of the very best teachers and coaches, he will share his ideas and observations regarding what techniques and approaches have made the most significant developments with him and his colleagues. Oliver is hugely passionate about helping people unlock their voices. Areas of particular focus will be matching vowel resonance, supporting consonants, onset, support and text intention with the specific aim of freeing up the voice. Biography Tenor Oliver Sewell has been praised for “his lovely, burnished tone colour, natural sense of line, and unstinting generosity” (Phillymag). He has performed as a soloist at the Lincoln Centre’s Alice Tully Hall and the Rose Theatre, and in Carnegie Hall. Other highlights include performing Giannetto in La gazza ladra with Teatro Nuovo, Fernand in La favorite, Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte and Alfredo in La Traviata all at the Academy of Vocal Arts, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Kent Tritle, with George Manahan performing Danceny in The Dangerous Liaisons and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, plus playing Father Pirrone in scenes and workshop of Michael Dellaria’s upcoming opera The Leopard. Other roles include Brighella and Tanzmeister in Ariadne aux Naxos (Academy of Vocal Arts), Ernesto in Don Pasquale (Crested Butte Music Festival, Colorado), Gastone in La Traviata (New Jersey Festival Orchestra and New Zealand Opera), Benoit in Le roi l'a dit, (Manhattan School of Music Opera Studio), Corrado in Il Corsaro (New Zealand School of Music) and Biondello in L’oca dell Cairo (Days Bay Opera). |
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From 2018 until 2020 he was a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Oliver gratefully acknowledges the support of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.
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This session
sponsored by 
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Musical Theatre - The ROLE OF THE MD - Mark Dorrell
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About this Masterclass and Workshop
Mark will explore hands-on with your participation what the role of an MD (as in Musical Director, not medical doctor) is in a musical theatre context and in particular the vagaries of notation, matters of style, and methods of approaching the material. After working with the whole group, he will work with a few solo singers to further demonstrate in a masterclass style. He is passionate about the need for specialised training for the genre, encompassing as it does, a huge variety of musical and vocal styles and qualities. So come along armed with your questions and be prepared to sing and have fun! Biography Mark studied music at Cambridge University, the Royal College of Music and the National Opera Studio in London. He was a member of the Music Staff at Scottish Opera for four years before returning to London where he enjoyed a busy and varied career as a freelance pianist, coach and conductor. |
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His many credits as Musical Director at the National Theatre London include A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC with Dame Judi Dench, OKLAHOMA ! with Hugh Jackman, PETER PAN with Sir Ian McKellen, MOTHER COURAGE, GUYS AND DOLLS, LADY IN THE DARK, CANDIDE and SWEENEY TODD. He conducted the original London productions of Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS, ASSASSINS and PASSION.
Since relocating to New Zealand fourteen years ago he has worked for NZ Opera , the NZ Symphony Orchestra , Capital E Theatre Company, Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Opera School and the New Zealand Singing School. He was for many years Head Accompanist/Vocal Coach at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. He is currently Head of Music for NZ Opera. |
All Sunday sessions sponsored by:
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Musical Theatre - Story-telling through Song - Jennifer Ward-Lealand (Te Atamira)
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Flying Solo - Story-telling Through Song
In this masterclass participants are directed in a musical theatre song of their choice. There is a strong emphasis on identifying and developing story-telling craft,
Biography
Since training at Auckland’s Theatre Corporate, Jennifer has worked extensively in theatre, film, television, musical and radio for 40 years. She is also a trained Intimacy Coordinator for stage and screen. Jennifer was a founding board member of the Watershed Theatre and a co-founder of the drama school, The Actors' Program. She is President of Equity New Zealand (since 2008), Patron of Q Theatre, Theatre New Zealand and Te Manu Tīoriori Trust and serves as a trust board member of the Actors Benevolent Fund. |
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In the 2007 New Year’s Honours List, she was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to theatre and the community. In 2018 she was named SPADA Industry Champion and in 2019 New Year’s Honours List, she was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to theatre, film and television and presented with a Woman of Influence Award (for arts and culture). Most recently, Jennifer was
honoured as the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2020. She was gifted the name Te Atamira (The Stage) by Sir Timoti Karetu and the late Dr Te Wharehuia Milroy for her championing of te reo Māori throughout the performing arts community. |
All Sunday Sessions
sponsored by
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