R. Mollicone and N. Printz Feb. 2

MASTERFUL SINGING CLASS IN SCHROEDER HALL

Santa Rosa born and rising Bay Area operatic luminary Nikola Printz graced the Schroeder Hall stage Feb. 2 in a hybrid concert/master class featuring four Sonoma State University voice student alums. Printz was a stellar participating singer as well as teacher.

The master class is a coproduction of the Redwood Empire chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the new musical organization Sonoma Sings. NATS chapter President Cris Walker co-hosted the program with Sonoma Sings’ Artistic Director Melinda Moreaux. An enthusiastic audience of about 50 family and friends were there to cheer on the singers at work.

There was a lot of buzz about Printz’s appearance, the subject of a recent Classical Sonoma review of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Vallejo Symphony. Billing as a singer and aerialist (one who has performed as such on the wires at San Francisco’s Club Fugazi) is intriguing and naturally peaked a lot of interest, but as Ms. Moreaux jokingly lamented in her introduction, there was no rigging available in Schroeder Hall to facilitate a live demonstration. It would have been a great bonus!

The concert showcased only Printz’s talents as an acting singer and teacher, and those talents are plentiful. In addition to SF Opera performances as an Adler Fellow, the mezzo-soprano also has sung at Opera San Jose, West Edge Opera, Livermore and Festival Opera companies. The artist seemed uniquely relevant to student singers only a few years younger than the teacher. Attired in jeans, bowling shirt and clodhopper boots, Printz could have been mistaken for one of the students, which set up an instant camaraderie and seemed to set the students at ease.

Sonoma Sings Junior Ensemble, comprised of middle and high school singing students, joined with the four SSU alums who were the class’s featured singers. Conducted by Ms. Moreaux, they opened the program with a sweetly earnest rendering of Bernstein’s iconic “Somewhere” from West Side Story. This was followed by Printz’s impressive performance of Rosina’s “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, with pianist Robert Mollicone. Friends and colleagues of long standing, these two formidable musicians work in perfect tandem.

Printz’s voice is large and of an exceptionally well-integrated quality, from terrific low chest voice notes up to a killer top high B. Coloratura passages were musically zippy and distinct, and their playful personality and musical characterization bespoke Rosina’s spunkiness completely. It was a wonderful way to introduce this singer and that as a teacher they proved to be knowledgeable and intuitive teachers as well. Printz’s introductory remarks assured the student singers that they were all in the same general process of discovering voice, technique, style and performance, and that as teachers they are there to encourage and make suggestions, not criticize.

The first student was tenor Andrew Cedeño, who gave a solid performance of “Johanna” from Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. A lovely, easy, well-produced tenor floated out of his throat and did not tire with many repetitions. The challenge was for him to be physically and emotionally as open and available as possible, while imbuing the words with the most specificity possible. He was successful in all points, while remaining vocally consistent. Mezzo-soprano Charlie Whitaker tackled Erika’s dreamy “Must the Winter Come So Soon?” from Barber’s 20th century opera Vanessa”. She has a beautiful and clear voice, and one can hear the potential there. Erika happens to be a role Printz has sung so they were able to help Ms. Whitaker add more contour and pizzazz to the color, phrasing, diction and dynamics of her performance. Printz also pointed out the importance of understanding the source material, i.e. all the characters (not just the one singing), also the setting and story.

Following intermission coloratura soprano Kaela Mariano offered a shortened “Glitter and Be Gay” from Bernstein’s Candide. Ms. Mariano is an eager, energetic young performer with excellent potential but an alarming tendency to push her voice extremely hard, a dangerous combination. The overwrought drama inherent in this number only encourages it. Here she overreached to the extent that her voice fatigued and went out of tune almost immediately. This provided a good lesson on the importance of talent plus technique and the necessity of acquiring a solid technical foundation and thorough understanding of pacing and control before tackling such challenging repertoire in public. The practical takeaway for young singers is that pieces like this should be held in reserve until musicianship and vocal control are established. For the moment, Printz was able to gently and tactfully guide Ms. Mariano into a more relaxed and focused delivery with excellent results.

The last singer of the afternoon was Baritenor Brayden Simmons-Ayala, who sang “Toreador Song” from Bizet’s Opera Carmen. The quality and weight of his voice sounding more tenor than baritone, this aria was a good choice, enabling him to showcase his upper range and play with some musical bravado without forcing the lower range. Printz was able to help him focus his dramatic delivery of the aria, making it more natural, and corrected some of his French, which made a significant difference.

All four singers benefited noticeably from Printz’s guidance and specific suggestions. An approachable, empathetic and charming personality combined with their already substantial knowledge was inspiring, not just for the singers but to the observers as well.

The Junior Ensemble and performing singers joined again to close with a moving performance “No one is Alone” from the Act II finale of Sondheim’s Into the Woods.