Renée Fleming to Return For Fifth Year To Lead SongStudio Workshop Beginning This Month

From January 30-February 4, 2023, renowned soprano Renée Fleming will mentor 10 aspiring young singers and 10 collaborative pianists from around the world in the fifth year of SongStudio, an innovative program exploring the future of the vocal recital. The annual intensive workshop-hosted by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI)-brings emerging vocalists and pianists together with leading artists and coaches for a week of instruction and performance at Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Ms. Fleming at Carnegie Hall since 2019, SongStudio is designed to renew and refresh the presentation and experience of the vocal recital, inviting new and familiar audiences to engage with this time-honored yet ever-evolving art form. The program builds on the remarkable legacy of supporting young vocalists and the art of the vocal recital that renowned soprano Marilyn Horne sustained over two decades through her series, The Song Continues.

The 2023 edition of Song Studio will feature leading vocalists, collaborative pianists, and other artists lending their insights and expertise. On Monday, January 30 at 6:00 p.m., South African soprano Golda Schultz kicks off the week with a public master class, honing the artistry of these talented musicians. The following day, Tuesday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m., acclaimed collaborative pianist and lieder expert Hartmut Höll joins to work with the musicians. On Thursday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m., Ms. Fleming will lend her expert insight in a public master class. Fan-favorite mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton closes out the public master classes on Friday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m.

The week will culminate in a compelling "Young Artists Recital" on Saturday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall. The program, which is on sale now, has become an eagerly-awaited annual event for lovers of classical song. Tickets for the public master classes in Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing will go on sale for the general public on Friday, January 20.

All participating singers and pianists will receive one-on-one private lessons and coaching throughout the week with Ms. Fleming and learn from teachers, coaches, and collaborative pianists including Gerald Martin Moore, Director of Yale Opera at the university's School of Music; Javier Arrebola, song specialist faculty member at the Tanglewood Music Center, Ravinia Festival, and top US universities; and Hartmut Höll, professor at the Karlsruhe University of Music in Germany. Additional workshops on relevant topics are planned.

Following a rigorous audition process open to talented young singers and collaborative pianists from around the world, twenty artists have been selected to participate with singers and pianists paired by faculty. The 2023 edition of SongStudio includes artists from Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States.

Participating artists include:

Eirin Rognerud, Soprano
Malte Schäfer, Piano

Julie Roset, Soprano
Liza Armistead, Piano

Charlotte Wajnberg, Soprano
Aäron Wajnberg, Piano

Maire Therese Carmack, Mezzo-Soprano
Pei-Hsuan Lin, Piano

Shannon Keegan, Mezzo-Soprano
Yun-Ho Chen, Piano

Zhuohan Sun, Tenor
Yuriko Watanabe, Piano

Travon Walker, Tenor
Ye In Kwak, Piano

Yuriy Hadzetskyy, Baritone
You Zhao, Piano

Joël Terrin, Baritone
Cole Knutson, Piano

Vinícius Costa, Bass-Baritone
Hikaru Kanki, Piano

Program Information
Monday, January 30 at 6:00 p.m.
Resnick Education Wing

SONGSTUDIO: GOLDA SCHULTZ MASTER CLASS

From frequent performances at The Metropolitan Opera to runaway success at major international festivals, soprano Golda Schultz is "a newcomer who simply has everything" (The Financial Times). In this master class, emerging vocalists and collaborative pianists come together under her expert guidance to explore innovative approaches to vocal art song repertoire.
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Tuesday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m.
Resnick Education Wing

SONGSTUDIO: HARTMUT HÖLL MASTER CLASS

As a well-established collaborator with such performers as world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming and legendary baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, pianist Hartmut Höll knows the key to a successful singer-pianist relationship. Watch as this virtuoso artist coaches singers and collaborative pianists on how to work together to put on a dazzling recital.
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Thursday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m.
Resnick Education Wing

SONGSTUDIO: RENEE FLEMING MASTER CLASS

Renée Fleming leads a master class that features young artists from SongStudio, showcasing emerging vocalists and collaborative pianists from around the world. A renowned performer and a passionate advocate for the art of singing, as well as the study of the intersection of arts and health, Fleming serves as coach, helping the young musicians hone their artistry as the audience observes the fascinating process.
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Friday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m.
Resnick Education Wing

SONGSTUDIO: JAMIE BARTON MASTER CLASS

Emerging vocalists and collaborative pianists explore innovative approaches to vocal art song repertoire under the guidance of acclaimed mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, called "a once-in-a-generation voice, a born communicator, a deeply compassionate human being with so much to give to audiences ... an artist whose time truly has come" (Opera Magazine). Audiences are invited to witness first-hand the process of artistic growth and cultivation under the leadership of a master of the craft.
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Saturday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
SONGSTUDIO: YOUNG ARTISTS RECITAL

"America's soprano of choice" (The New York Times) Renée Fleming hosts a recital that features gifted vocalists and pianists who have trained with her throughout the intensive SongStudio workshop. Designed to renew and refresh the vocal recital experience, SongStudio invites new and familiar audiences to engage with the time-honored, evolving art form.

About the Artist

Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world's great opera houses and concert halls. Honored with four Grammy awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2014 she brought her voice to a vast new audience when she became the first classical artist ever to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.

Renée's current concert calendar includes appearances in Paris, Vienna, London, Milan, and at Carnegie Hall, where she will perform a rare duo recital with world-renowned pianist Evgeny Kissin in May. In November, she starred in the world premiere staging of The Hours, a new opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and award-winning film, at the Metropolitan Opera. In March, she will appear as Pat Nixon in a new production of Nixon in China at the Paris Opera.

Renée's most recent album, released in January by Decca, is a two-disc compilation of her greatest live moments at the Metropolitan Opera, including some material never before released. Her previous recording Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, has been nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Album. A collection of classical songs and world premieres, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin as pianist, the album focuses on nature as both inspiration and casualty of humans.

In recent years, Renée has become a leading advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience. As Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, she launched the first ongoing collaboration between America's national cultural center and the National Institutes of Health. She has presented her program Music and the Mind in more than 50 cities around the world, and launched Music and Mind LIVE, a weekly web show that amassed nearly 700,000 views, from 70 countries.

In addition to leading SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, Renée is Co-Director of the Aspen Opera Center and VocalArts at the Aspen Music Festival, and Advisor for Special Projects at LA Opera. Renée's other awards include the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, Germany's Cross of the Order of Merit, Sweden's Polar Music Prize, and France's Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. For more information, visit www.reneefleming.com

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About Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute 
Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) creates visionary programs that embody Carnegie Hall's commitment to music education, playing a central role in fulfilling the Hall's mission of making great music accessible to as many people as possible. With unparalleled access to the world's greatest artists, WMI's programs are designed to inspire audiences of all ages, nurture tomorrow's musical talent, and harness the power of music to make a meaningful difference in people's lives. An integral part of Carnegie Hall's concert season, these programs facilitate creative expression, develop musical skills and capacities at all levels, and encourage participants to make lifelong personal connections to music. 

More than 800,000 people each year engage in WMI's programs through national and international partnerships, in New York City schools and community settings, and at Carnegie Hall. This includes more than 155 orchestras, music presenters, and education organizations in 40 U.S. states as well as internationally in 15 countries on 6 continents. WMI's hands-on programs tap into the creativity of audiences of all ages, inviting them to make their own music in all genres, express their viewpoints, and raise their voices. WMI shares an extensive range of online music education resources and program materials for free with teachers, families, orchestras, arts organizations, and music lovers worldwide. As a leader in music education, WMI generates new knowledge through original research, which inform Carnegie Hall's own programs and are also available as a resource to artists, organizations, and peers.

For more information, please visit: carnegiehall.org/education

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Lead support for SongStudio is provided by Mr. and Mrs. Anthony B. Evnin and the A.E. Charitable Foundation.

Major support for SongStudio is provided by the Titus Family Charitable Remainder Unitrust.

SongStudio is part of the Marilyn Horne legacy at Carnegie Hall.

Lead support for workshops and master classes is provided by Beatrice Santo Domingo, and Mr. and Mrs. Anthony B. Evnin and the A.E. Charitable Foundation.

Ticket Information

Beginning January 20 for the general public, tickets, priced at $20, for SongStudio master classes held in Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing can be purchased exclusively by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org. Tickets for master classes are not available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office.

Tickets, priced at $20 and $30, for the February 4 performance in Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For more information on discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts. Artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.