Masterclass with Carol Vaness
Bre Valdez sings Musetta for Carol Vaness
Bre Valdez sings Musetta for Carol Vaness
Through Vincerò Academy, I had the opportunity to perform for one of the most prolific sopranos of our time, Carol Vaness.
Beginning her career in 1979, Carol Vaness has sung in premier houses around the world such as The Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, The Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, and many more. In 2004 Carol Vaness sang opposite Luciano Pavarotti in the legendary tenor's final operatic performance of Puccini’s Tosca. She is a staff member at Vincerò Academy, and currently teaches voice at Indiana University and continues to give performances, masterclasses, lectures, and seminars internationally.
Working with Carol was one of the most fulfilling masterclass experiences I’ve had yet.
Carol Vaness is one of the most down to earth opera stars that I have had to opportunity of singing for - not to mention that she has an incredible sense of humor! I was nervous at first, but she quickly put me at ease with her friendly, easy-going personality. She helped me get out of my body and into the character of Musetta, which in turn freed my voice up as well. I learned a lot from her about vowel modification in Italian, which is so necessary when traveling through the passagio - which is where most of this aria sits for me. I am very thankful for this experience, and it was deeply encouraging and inspiring. I very much look forward to working with her again in the future.
An Oral History with Carol Vaness
On May 24th, 2022, soprano and educator Carol Vaness sat down with OPERA America's President/CEO Marc A. Scorca for a conversation about opera and their life. Listen and learn more about the history of her career.