During each week of the festival, participants will receive two or more one-on-one lessons with different faculty members, as well as perform at least twice at a masterclass. Daily lectures and group classes will discuss in depth:

Past topics have included:

• Musical style and interpretation (instrumental sonatas, chamber music, concerti, art song, aria and opera):
• • Sonatas for Cello and Piano 
  • Austrian/German string and piano repertoire
  • Clarinet and Piano Repertoire 
  • South American Chamber music
  • Art Song by Women Composers
  • Strauss Lieder
  • Brahms: Zigeunerlieder, Op. 103
  • Ravel: Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques
  • Debussy: Ariettes oubliées
  • Copland: Emily Dickinson songs
  • Duparc Mélodie
  • Barber: Hermit Songs
  • American Art Song 
  • Recital Programming
  • Latin American art song

• • Audition preparation for graduate school, summer festivals, and Young Artist Programs:
    • Orchestral Sound at the Piano
    • Stravinsky: arias from Rake’s Progress
    • Strauss: audition arias
    • La Boheme: Act I opening, Act IV opening, Act III Quartet
    • Mozart: Finales, Quartets, Sextets
    • Ensembles: Carmen Quintet, Rigoletto Quartet
    • Wolftrap Aria Lists Overview

• Technique issues and practice strategies
  • Choosing Fingering
  • Develop Your Sight Reading
  • Effective learning techniques and time management 
  • Performance anxiety
  • Performance etiquette

• Vocal coaching and score preparation
  • How to Approach Recitatives
  • How to Prepare an Opera Score Step by Step
  • Working with and as a conductor
  • The Role of the Pianist in the Rehearsal Room

• Introduction and in-depth discussion of language, diction, and poetry
  • Italian, French, German, English, Czech, Russian, Spanish

• Setting up a studio and career building tips
• Freelancing and entrepreneurship, commissioning new music
• Round table Q&A with faculty members
• Opportunity to record prescreening video and audio
• Maintaining physical and mental health

Week 1

During this week’s private lessons we will be focusing on your individual needs, and preparing the pieces that you will be rehearsing, coaching, and performing with the instrumental partners during the second and third weeks. In addition, you will begin collaborations with the Vocal Academy participants. You will be expected to participate in several Masterclasses. This week will feature at least one open practice/coaching session, in which members of the faculty will discuss and present the best way of approaching the practice process – an important knowledge to acquire in a field where much has to be accomplished in a short period of time. The first week will feature Faculty recitals and one student recital. 

Weeks 2-3

Continuation of rehearsals, lessons, classes, group lessons, and masterclasses. Several student and faculty recitals. During the final week, you will have the opportunity (optional) to sign up for recordings that you can use for prescreenings.