Karen S. TakeLessons Instructor Voice, Vocal technique, Breathing, Coach Repertoire, Stage Deportment, Auditioning Techniques ... Route 6, Carmel, NY

About Me

Created over 25 roles on the stages throughout Europe, and achieved high standards as a professional operatic singing artist.

• Worked together successfully with numerous staging, and musical directors in the United States and Europe for the purpose of major operatic productions.
• Created vocal methods with enthusiasm and interest for the individual singer which improved vocal maturity, and stage presence.
• Effectively prepared singers vocally for regional vocal competitions and theatre auditions.

Professional Experience

  Performing Experience

• Highly motivated, enthusiastic professional Opera Singer involved in concert, and theatrical productions in the United States and Europe who provided and created creative solutions to musical, and staging directors’ visions of operatic roles. Solo singing artist able to work with a musical ensemble for an entire operatic production.

• Highly capable of working in a fast-paced environment where there was an on going need to prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines of an opera premier.
• Worked with colleagues and directors around the world: used excellent interpersonal skills.

Teaching Experience 1999-2005                                      

• Enthusiastically assisted choral directors in Wittlich, Emmelshausen, and Kastellaun West Germany, teaching vocal exercises, and coaching songs to individuals, and chorus’ up to 60 singers.
• Assisted the musical director by teaching:

•  private/group voice lessons
  • • new repertoire
    • style and dynamics
    • movement for stage appearances 

• Conducted musical numbers to a chorus. (Conducting teaches musical nuances of a piece, guiding singers as a group throughout a piece.)
• Effectively taught vocal exercises to solo artists, and groups up to 5 singers preparing them for vocal competitions.
• Instructed group workshops in Germany to help advance singers interested in auditioning, and furthering their classical careers.

• Workshop I: Themes for Professional Singers 
• Included vocal coaching for auditions, staging for the arias, interpretation of arias, appropriate repertoire for the voice type, and figure.
• Workshop II: Themes for Aspiring Professionals
  •  Included vocal technique, breathing, song selection interpretation of songs, and interpretation of text.

  Musical Director                                                                                                     

• Responsibilities included instructing Gospel music style, text translation, interpretation, staging, and vocalization, program concepts, arranging tours, ordering music, and producing a full program of Gospel music repertoire for German audiences. 
  •  
    • Neumagen Drhon Youth Choir
    • Gospel Choir Wittlich
    • Volkshochschule Saarburg
    • Gospel Choir Kastellaun
    • Gospel Choir Emmelshausen

Employment History

Tri-Cities Opera, Binghamton, New  York 1986-1989

Zurich International Opera, Zurich, Switzerland 1989-1990

Trier State Theatre, Trier,  Germany 1990-1994

Hagen State Theatre, Hagen,  Germany 1994-1997

Braunschweig Opera, Braunschweig, Germany (guest) 1997-1997

Guest Appearances in theaters throughout Europe 1997-2005

Skills

Fluent in German

Education and Training

B.A. in Music, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee

Attended Lehman College Graduate School, Teaching Fellows Program (6 credits)

Zurich International Opera Studio, Zurich, Switzerland-Selected for one year program

Tri-Cities Opera, Performance Workshop, Binghamton, New York

Performance Information

Soloist with Orchestra                                                                                1999-2004

Westfalisches Symphony Orchester-Il Trovatore, Zigeuner Baron

Theatre Royal de Liege-Porgy and Bess/ West Side Story

Munster Stadt Theater-Porgy and Bess, under the direction from R. Herbig

Opera Lyrico-Operetta Gala-Gent, Belgium

Christian Church of Berlin-Gospel Tour Moscow, Russia

Nord Nederlandes Orkest Opera Tour Holland, under the direction from Istvan Denes

Thuringer Landes Theatre Rudolstadt-R.Strass, Lieder under the direction of

Oliver Weder

L'opera de Walonie-Opera/Operetta Gala-Gent, Belgium

Soloist in Operatic Productions

Trier State Theatre – Member of the opera studio and regional company

Zurich International Opera Theatre, Carmen-Carmen, G. Bizet

Braunschweig State Theatre, Elizabeth-Don Carlos, G. Verdi

Hagen State Theatre, Fiordiligi-Cosi Fan Tutte, W. A. Mozart

Trier State Theatre, Elizabeth-Don Carlos, G. Verdi; Sarema-Sarema, A. Zemlinsky

Linz State Theatre, Elizabetta-Erani, G. Verdi

Recordings: Sarema; Composer: Alexander Zemlinsky (Title Role)

Acclaimed Reviews

Trierer Volksfreund wrote, “The role of Sarema has been sung on the operatic stage in Trier, and in concert in its entire length. The concert was recorded during the performance, and is currently sold world wide. The CD has been noted as a {Re-discovery of a Worthy Musical Document} and received excellent reviews from newspapers around the world including, Opera News, in New York; Feuillton, in Luxembourg; Die Deutsche Biihne, in Germany; NM 2 Schallplatten/Records, in Germany; Opernglas, in Germany; and, Belgium Opera News, in Belgium.

The Opernglas newspaper in Germany wrote, “…fascinating in the title role

with youthful, blooming, strong soprano. Her slender beautiful tone has enough

dramatic substance and lyric fuse in order to bring across all the emotional

expression in the character. Karin Clarke is definitely the central figure and has

impressively brought to the role all the musicality and characteristic impetus the

young composer might have wanted.”

Master Classes

Ralf Weikert, Conductor, Zurich International Opera House, Zurich, Switzerland

Joan Dornemann, Vocal Coach, Metropolitan Opera, New York

Jessey Normann, Opera singer, Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee

Voice Teachers/Coaches

Valija Bumbalis - Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee

Carmen Savoca and Peyton Hibbitt - Tri-Cities Opera, Binghamton, New York

Wayne Sanders, Ebony Opera, New York

Pierre Valey, Vocal Coach-Metropolitan Opera, New York

Opera Workshop Programs

Tri-Cities Opera, Binghamton, New York

Zurich International Opera Studio, Zurich, Switzerland

In my classroom, all are welcome who are interested in improving their voices!  If you have a goal, or the occasion then you’re in the right place!

I believe that it is imperative that singers learn how to breathe properly, and support their voices because it will ultimately perfect their vocal production. 

Students come to me from all over the world and are mostly being trained for the professional stages in Europe.  However, I enjoy the challenge of working with hobby singers, and beginners. As long as you have an aim, goal, and the will to sing, then I can help you on your way.  Naturally, if you are interested in Theatre here, or the Opera stages in Germany, I would:

• prepare you in the best possible way to meet the standards of the European Agents and Directors. By this I mean I would not only prepare you to Sing well, but I would:
• prepare your German language, stage presentation,
• go over what to wear for an audition, rehearse stage choreography (how to enter a stage),
• coach the interpretation of song, and delivery of lyrics, and,
• find the right repertoire for your figure and voice.

Coach Repertoire in German, Italian, English,
I specialize in Opera, Classical Style, Broadway, Standards, Operetta, R&B.

Voice, Vocal technique, Breathing, Coach Repertoire, Stage Deportment, Auditioning Techniques
Specialty in the German language and expectations of German agents/directors, etc.
Ear Training, general music-piano skills