Kenneth Q. Voice lessons, Opera Voice, Broadway Singing, Pop, Speaking & Acting Voice, Theatrical... Philadelphia, PA

Ken has just returned from 6 years in Europe. He lived, taught and sang in London and Italy. He studied with great teachers at The Royal College of Music in London and coaches from La Fenice in Venice and La Scala in Milan. The vocal timber of tenor K.E. closely resembles that of the great Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling. Ken has a full round Heroic voice with brilliant solid high-notes to a sustainable top `Eb` and a top `F` for Coloratura! His teacher once lovingly exclaimed that the squillo in his voice `could peel the paint off the walls.` He sings comfortably in: Italian, French, German, Spanish, English and Neapolitan, and his repertoire is primarily 19th Century Bel Canto & Romantic opera. Ken's repertoire is primarily 19th Century Bel Canto & Romantic Repertoire, and he sings comfortably in: Italian, French, German, Spanish, English and Neapolitan.

His present prepared roles include Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Titus (La Clemenza di Tito), Belmonte (Die Entfuhrung), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Idreno (Semiramide), Elvino (La Sonnambula), Pollione (Norma), Arturo (I Puritani), Tonio (La fille du regiment), Percy (Anna Bolena), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Alfredo (La Traviata), Rodolfo (La Boheme), Faust (Faust), Romeo (Romeo & Juliet) and Nadir (Pearl Fishers), Curley (Of Mice and Men).  Ken is currently expanding his repertoire to include: Roberto Devereaux & Maria Stuarda by Donizetti, as well as two Rossini operas: 'Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra' & 'Otello.'

He has also prepared many tenor arias, songs and oratorio from: Handel, Haydn (Lord Nelson Masse), Von Flotow (Martha), Carissini, Donaudy, Giordani, Stradella, Scarlatti, Malotte, Rossini, Bellini (Bianca e Fernando), Donizetti (Don Pasquale & La Favorita), Verdi (Luisa Miller), Puccini (Turandot), Cilea (L’Arlesianna & Adriana Lecouveur), Giordano (Fedora), Faure, Bizet (Carmen), Massenet (Herodiade, Le Cid & Manon), Strauss, Britten (Serenade for Tenor Horn & Strings), Barber, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky (Rake’s Progress) and Weill (Street Scene).

At the age of 8, Ken began singing with school and church choirs as a boy soprano, however peculiarly, he had vibrato and began performing as soloist. He continued singing throughout high school into university, where in 1992 he began formal vocal study with Spinto Soprano Suzan Munzer. Ms. Munzer studied with Madame Gregory at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, who was in the tradition of Marcella Sembrich and Lamperti.

In 1997, Ken changed voice teachers, and began vocal study with another Lyrico Spinto Dramatico Soprano, Georgyn Geetlein from the Metropolitan Opera. Ms. Geetlein taught him how to bridge his passagio, and within a week was singing full-voiced 'Bb,' and soon thereafter the voice opened to a top ‘D.’ Ms. Geetlein studied with Madame Gregory at the Curtis Institute, then with the famed MET soprano Rose Bampton, who was trained by Queena Mario at The Curtis Institute of Music (who studied with Sembrich), then by Francis Alda and Lotte Lehmann, each in the tradition of Mathilde Marchesi (trained in the antique Spanish Garcia tradition).

The Marchesi School produced great singers such as: Nelly Melba, Estelle Liebling, Emma Navada and vicariously Marilyn Horne and Dame Joan Sutherland who was first trained by her mother who had herself been trained by a student of Marchesi.  Ms. Geetlein also studied with: Carolina Segrerra (teacher of Montserrat Caballe), Rosa Ponselle (student of Enrico Caruso and teacher of Sherill Milnes and Beverly Sills), Gino Bechi and Margaret Hoswell, and was also featured in the original Maria Callas Master Class series.

In 2001, Ken moved to London to continue his opera training through the Royal College of Music, with Heldon Tenor Kenneth Woolham. Ken has sinced coached with Joyce Fieldsend and Roberto Bertuzzi at La Fenice Opera house in Venezia, Itay and studied with famed teacher Sherman Lowe, also in Venezia.

• Georgyn Geetlein - Philadelphia; From '98 
• Sherman Lowe - Venezia, Italia; 2007
• Ken Woolham - Royal College of Music London; '02
• Susan Munzer - Philadelphia; '92-'97

• Joyce Fieldsend - La Fenice, Italia
• Roberto Bertuzzi - La Fenice, Italia
• Lyndall Dawson - London

I teach classical Bel Canto technique in the Manuel Garcia / Mathilde Marchesi tradition.

I help students free the natural voice, through use of Bel Canto exercises handed down in the Garcia / Marchesi tradition from the 1800's.

I help the student understand how their physical and emotional states affect the singing voice, and rectify any negative impact.

I explain the use of legato, support / appoggio and placement 'in maschera' through demonstration and technical / physiological / anatomical explanations. This allows the student to produce a free and clear tone, placed correctly in maschera for proper tone projection and teaches correct breath usage / control, without forcing or 'pushing'.

As a fundament to good singing, all students, regardless of style, will be expected to learn classical technique and learn standard song repertoire.

I will provide periodic Master Classes and group work so that the students will have the chance to sing together. For Master Class they will learn vocal and dramatic interpretation, preparation and presentation skills.

The student will also learn the respective vocal / musical styles associated with the vocal literature performed.

I am fluent in European languages and will coach in all major operatic languages. So, the student will also learn to sing in a variety of musical languages and styles.

Voice Lessons: Bel Canto, Placement, Maschera, Projection, Legato, Breathing, Support, Appoggio, Manuel Garcia, Mathilde Marchesi

Arcadia University - Humanities, Music - 1997-2000
Arcadia University - Language, Music - 1992-1997
CRHS - Advanced Prep - 1988-1992

Voice lessons, Opera Voice, Broadway Singing, Pop, Speaking & Acting Voice, Theatrical Singing, Language Diction: Italian, French, German, English, Spanish

From my studio in London I had students taken for first-run West-End Andrew Lloyd weber musicals, 3 in commercials and film and 2 with major European recording contracts.

• Juan Camus
  
• PVK Pictures Ltd.
• Joyce Fieldsend - La Fenice
• Roberto Bertuzzi - La Fenice
• Georgyn Geetlein