Eastman Opera Theatre offers a comprehensive program of training and performance opportunities for the modern singer-actor. Performance techniques courses offer concentrated study in body self-awareness and movement, acting, text analysis, role study, stage combat, audition techniques, and stage directing.  Each year, productions feature a wide range of musical styles, unusual lyric forms, and both traditional and contemporary repertoire that prepare the motivated student for the professional lyric theater world of tomorrow.

The coaches at Eastman strive to assist the voice teachers in preparing our students for both current performance needs and for a lifetime of thoughtful and disciplined musical and linguistic preparation. There is no extra fee for coaching at Eastman. Our coaching team includes two full-time faculty members, one part-time faculty member, and several affiliate faculty from other Eastman departments. Our coaches do not address any technical matters of voice production, but rather focus on repertoire, diction, rhythm, interpretation and style. The singers’ own pianists are welcome and encouraged to come to their coaching sessions whenever possible, but this is not required.

Every full-time voice major currently studying with an Eastman faculty member is entitled to regular coaching sessions in conjunction with their lessons. All coaching is registered and graded like any other course. Repertoire is selected and prioritized in collaboration with the student’s major teacher. Vocal chamber repertoire and oratorio are welcome in addition to songs and opera arias.

Frequent visits and master classes by such guest artists as Renée Fleming (MA ‘83), Marilyn Horne, Christine Brewer, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephanie Blythe, Jake Heggie, Gene Scheer, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, William Sharp (MA ‘76), Håkan Hagegård, Martina Arroyo, Benita Valente and Dawn Upshaw help to enhance the vocal experience at Eastman. Vocal coaches such as Margo Garrett, Armen Guzelimian, Martin Katz, Thomas Muraco, Craig Rutenberg, Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles and Warren Jones have also presented master classes at Eastman.