San Francisco, CA Opera Voice Lessons

, slow breath that expands the ribcage before starting to sing
-initiate the vocal tone with an onset that is neither breathy nor pressed
-manage breath efficiently so you never feel like you "run out" of air in the middle of a phrase
-connect from pitch to pitch and vowel to vowel for a seamless legato
-sing any dynamic from piano to forte
-increase your vocal range from top to bottom with balanced resonance and smooth register transitions

If you study with me, you will learn why common expressions like "breathe from the diaphragm" are essentially meaningless (we can only breathe from the diaphragm). And you will come to understand why things like trying to "bring the sound forward" or "send the voice to the back of the room" are physically impossible (sound doesn't move like that).

Whether you are interested in singing opera, choral music, or musical theater, you will learn a foundational classical singing technique that will allow you to make the artistic choices you want with confidence, poise, and finesse. Students must be serious about improving their singing and commit to a minimum of 60 minutes of at-home practice between lessons.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Lessons in the living room, upright Kawai piano, sitting area, mirror, music stand, Edirol/Roland digital recorder

*** Travel Equipment ***
Must have piano

*** Specialties ***
classical, opera, and "legit" musical theater

dents choose songs meaningful to them along with songs the teacher recommends to broaden their muscial appreciation and vocal skill. Styles of music include: folk, show, pop, classical.

Interpretation and acting skills are developed.

Students learn the language of music (rhythm, pitch, symbols ) through games and activities.

Students will find their voices getting stronger and more beautiful through increased awareness of posture, diaphragmatic breathing, and vitality of jaw movement. This creates a wonderful sensation of freedom and relaxation. In 3-6 months time the student will experience an increase in range, beauty and power. I can guarantee your most beautiful and powerful voice with perfect high notes in 3-5 years of regular lessons.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Piano and Keyboard

*** Specialties ***
All styles of music except woman's chest voice (belting).
very strong with children's voice training and classical ,especially
opera. Natural method of singing using awareness of posture.

cademic competitions, and was awarded the Triangle Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the North Carolina State University’s Theatre Endowment Award for Best Male Lead.

Dan is an alum of Broadway Theatre Project and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. He has directed, music directed, choreographed and starred in several theatrical productions and benefit concerts across the country for a variety of national nonprofits. He dreams of owning his own nonprofit healing and performing arts center in San Francisco.

Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Lived in: New York, NY
Current City: San Francisco, CA

Quote: “Everything starts with the decision and passion to succeed. Let’s unleash your potential and share your gift with the world!”

Top 10 artists: Luciano Pavarotti, Eva Cassidy, Samuel Barber, Jennifer Hudson, Frederic Chopin, Whitney Houston, Jason Robert Brown, Heather Headley, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Sondheim.

co and across the United States, giving voice to her research into the lesser known Art Songs of great Classical composers.
In the summer of 2008, she created the role of Principessa Louling under the baton of Bruno Riggacci in the World Premier of his one act opera €œDodici personaggi in cerca di voce.” Some of her opera credits include Cendrillon, Die Fledermaus, Hansel and Gretel, Griffelkin by the late great Lucas Foss and West Coast premier of the new opera Miss Lonelyhearts. With Orchestra she has performed Handel’s Messiah and Brockes passion, Durufle’s Requiem and this past summer, she was the featured soloist with the Capriccio Chamber Orchestra in their toast to Vienna.
Ms. R is the recipient of several awards including the Schoenfeld Award from the Holt Memorial Scholarship Competition and 1st place in the Pacific Musical Society Competition made famous by its first winner, violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
Ms. R holds a Master of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with international opera diva Mignon Dunn, and a Bachelors from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. She has performed in Masterclasses with Karen Morrow and Luana Devol. She is also a featured vocalist on several independent film soundtracks.

nd colleagues' essence.

I set my expectations high for all students. Students are expected to learn all the assigned music and practice throughout the week. Music is fun but it also takes a lot of work. However, students' progress will vary. As long you are eager to learn, passion about music, diligent with the work, you will far exceed even your own expectations.

Most of my students improve tremendously in a short period of time. I not only teach them singing, phrasing, and language, but I stress vocal techniques, emotions behind music, acting in character, and performing as a professional.

also has a wealth of color... Her stage presence...is magnetic" (Peninsula Reviews), "Her mezzo tones...evoked memories of Maria Callas' spell-binding rendition" (San Jose Mercury News),
Olga was announced the Best Leading Female Singer in North East in season 2006-2007 by Opera Online.
A native of Russia, she appeared on the stages of the Bolshoi Opera (Maria in Mazeppa, Prilepa in Pique Dame, Brigitta in Iolanta, Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, Musetta in La Boheme, to name a few), Kazan Opera Theater (Mimi in La Boheme), Stanislavsky Opera Theater (Micaela in Carmen), and Malmo Opera Theater in Sweden (Musetta) before emigrating to the U.S.A., where she appeared with Hawaii Opera Teater as Mimi in La Boheme, San Francisco Lyric Opera in title role of Aida, West Bay Opera and DiCapo Opera in New York in the title role of Manon Lescaut, Opera San Jose and Illinois Opera Theater as Tosca, and with Cedar Rapids Opera, Gold Coast Opera，Golden Gate Opera and Opera North as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, with San Francisco Opera Merola Program and Tampa Opera as Musetta in La Boheme. In autumn of 2009 she appeared in Cairo as Tosca and, in spring of 2010 debuted it Italy at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo as Carlotta in Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten, where she returned following summer in the title role of Aida. From 2006 till 2010 Olga performed with touring company Teatro Lirico d’Europa all over United States in multiple performances of Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Aida, Carmen，La Boheme, Turandot, Le Nozze di Figaro, I Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana. Olga appeared in title roles with local opera companies like Opera San Jose (Tosca)，;; West Bay Opera (Manon Lescaut, La Forza del Destino), Livermore Opera (I Pagliacci), Martinez Opera (Madama Butterfly), Golden Gate Opera (Madama Butterfly, Suor Angelica, I Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana), San Francisco Opera Company (Aida)
Olga appeared with Orchestra Sinfonica Romana at the concert stage of Santa Cecilia in Rome and Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Verdi Requiem, Quatar with Gala concerts, Opera Santa Barbara in an evening of music by Giocomo Puccini, DiCapo Opera (Rachmaninoff’s Francesca da Rimini), in Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Concert Hall for Bach’s Mass in B-minor, at the Grand Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory for Mahler’s Sympony No. 4 and for Orff’s Carmina Burana, Moscow’s Cathedral Catholic Church for Bach’s Easter Oratorio, as a featured soloist for both the Notti Musicali Modenesi Festival and Costa Rica’s XIII Festival de Musica Credomatic; and as a featured soloist for the political-cultural event entitled “Days of Russian Culture in Bulgaria, jointly sponsored by the Russian and Bulgarian Ministries of Culture and attended by the presidents of both countries.
In 2002 Olga participated in San Francisco Opera Center Merola Opera Program for young singers and sang Musetta with Western Opera on tour.

Currently Olga devotes herself to voice teaching and performs locally."

s that the student can call upon at any time to sing with ease.

As I am still a working singer and will travel every few months to perform in a different concert or show. All of which is an attribute to my students as the more I learn in a professional setting, the more I can pass along to those I teach. Don't hesitate to ask if you would like to see my professional bio to get a better grasp of where I have worked in the country and the world.

My passions are Disney music, Broadway both classic and new, Opera, and really anything that can get your heart racing when you sing it. So let us get started on our musical journey! Looking forward to meeting you and to helping you unlock the singer you always had inside you.