The Horn in Opera

The Horn in Opera Master Class

Richard Chenoweth is available to give master classes to your students in the area of operatic repertoire and performance practices. These classes are partially underwritten by Yamaha Corporation of America.

Dr. Richard Chenoweth
Teaching a masterclass
in Beijing, PRC

The master class includes:
• A Power Point presentation of the differences between playing on stage and in the pit
• An exciting playing opportunity for the students as they perform music from the operatic repertoire (I mail the music to you prior to the class)
• A hand-out of Operatic Essential Repertoire
• A question and answer session about the field of opera
• A discussion of successful audition strategies
• A discussion of resources about opera
• If time permits, individual coaching sessions for your students

This class has been presented successfully at numerous schools and festivals in the US, including the following:

University of Indiana, Northwestern University, Eastman School of Music, University of Wisconsin, The Kendall Betts Horn Camp, College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati, Penn State University, University of Akron, Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory, The Ohio State University, The International Horn Society Symposium, Stetson University, The University of Texas, Northwestern State University (LA), University of Central Arkansas, The Western US Horn Symposium, University of North Texas

Format
I usually begin the class by briefly discussing the differences between playing on the stage and the pit, using a Power Point presentation, followed by Q&A from the students. Then, for the performance part of the class, we focus on the students playing through the excerpts that I have sent prior to my visit. Once I am on your campus, I am totally flexible with my schedule, so if you wish to schedule me for some individual sessions during free time, I am happy to listen to your students and work with them The only equipment that I need is for the discussion part of the class is a computer/projector (for the Power Point presentation, which I have on a memory stick, so I believe that either a Mac or PC will work). If you want me to perform for your students, I like to play a piece written for me by Steve Winteregg for horn and synthesizer. That work requires a CD player with good speakers: the bigger the speakers, the better. The horn class generally lasts ca. 2 hours, with a slight break to allow the students to warm-up after the discussion. If necessary, I can vary that time according to the schedule of you and your students (2 hours usually works out to be just about right…).

Contact Information
The best way to reach me is at my personal email address: r.chenoweth@sbcglobal.net/ or by calling me at 937-657-5107 (cell). You can also reach me at: Richard.chenoweth@notes.udayton.edu/ or through my academic web-site. Obviously, this is a topic in which I have a strong interest, and I hope that my class will develop some enthusiasm on the part of your students for this exciting repertoire. I will have copies of my latest CD, “The Horn in Opera” available at the class in case your students want to have recorded examples of important opera excerpts.

Yamaha Performing Artist Info
Several months prior to my visit, I will send you a form that Yamaha requires in order to sponsor my class. They request that this form be returned 60 days before the event in advance of my visit. Yamaha does like to see portion of the financial support from the host to help cover my expenses. The funds come from your local Yamaha representative and prior to my visit, Yamaha will send you some publicity and hand-out materials for your students. My daily fee is $300, which may include transportation and per diem costs, as itemized on the form. Yamaha will not pay for performances, so if you are also requesting a recital, my fee will be somewhat higher. You may want to visit my Yamaha web-site that includes information about the Yamaha equipment that I am using.

Other Opportunities
I have also given master classes in other areas of performance, such as recital preparation and audition strategies. Schools where I have given those classes include:

The University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College, University of Evansville, Southern Methodist University, West Texas State University, Oberlin University, The Sichuan Conservatory, Chengdu; PRC Beijing Central Conservatory, Beijing PRC; The Sarejevo Conservatory, Bosnia; The Hong Kong Academy of Music