“As singers, CLA is a haven that helps sustain you through this beautiful and wild journey and its impression will last forever. I will always recommend CLA to any singer for a passion for bel canto and a desire to enhance their craft and bring their artistry to the next level.” - Sianna Monti, CLA Bel Canto 2026
Sianna Monti
To wake up in the morning to the sound of church bells and the opening of Italian bakeries preparing to make fresh bread before a day full of music making is something I will never forget. I opened my window and gazed over the hills surrounding the beautiful town of Novefeltria and admired the beauty of the ancient structures of Talamello, its neighboring village, in the distance.
The days leading up to any music program can feel nerve-wracking. For any young singer, your mind can race with a myriad of thoughts such as “will they like my sound?” and “what will they think of my performance?” I struggled with these doubts before attending CLA Bel Canto (previously CLA Italy) for the first time in 2024. At that orientation, all of these thoughts were put at ease when I looked at the smiling, welcoming faces of the faculty members. I immediately felt an atmosphere centered around the question, “how can we meet you where you are at and bring your artistry to another level - while still keeping the essence of the qualities that make you who you are?”
Both this summer, and in 2024, the warm welcome we received from the village of Novafeltria the day we arrived made a lasting impression on me. We were met with smiling faces or restaurant owners and a delicious feast to celebrate our arrival. You can tell that the warm and beautiful memories that the CLA team creates are ones that remain with the people of Novefeltria forever.
Desara Leka and Sianna Monti
Our days began with an optional morning chant.This practice helped me grow immensely. To make noise that was not judged or controlled in any way is something that I had not done in a long time. I left every session feeling grounded, refreshed and connected with my natural sound. This is something that is easy to become disconnected with throughout the journey of being a singer. This was a recurring theme throughout my time at CLA. What is your organic sound at its most free and comfortable? The freedom you feel when this is reinforced is ground-breaking.
A view of Talamello
I worked with many incredible coaches throughout my time there, including Glenn Morton, Daniel Isengart, Ubaldo Fabbri, John Viscardi and Raphael Fusco. I would leave every coaching bursting with new ideas and methods on how to achieve new interpretations, clearer diction and vocal freedom. During my coachings with incredible acting teacher, Daniel Isengart, I gained so many tools on how to embody the essence of a character. What I found so insightful about his coachings was that it was not centered around “right” and “wrong” but how to achieve more freedom on stage in order to tell the story of the character.
All of the coachings were open for attendance by other singers. During these sessions, our colleagues would participate, and I loved that feeling of coming to conclusions together and having a team of cheerleaders behind me through every measure of music. This was an atmosphere that was so different from any program I have experienced.
One of my favorite aspects about my coachings at CLA was that I never left feeling anxious that my voice should sound different or that I needed to change myself in order to succeed. Every coaching helped me connect more with myself and I would leave feeling inspired to show the world what Sianna’s voice sounded like.
Before our coachings, most mornings included a lecture on recitative and Italian diction, led by Glenn, Ubaldo, or Raphael. This was done in a masterclass style that was highly collaborative and engaging. What I loved about these sessions was that you could tell that the faculty was full of curiosity, learning from us as much as we were learning from them. I gained so much insightful information through the faculty’s years of expertise and research.
We also had incredible artists such as soprano Ana Maria Labin, conductor Enrico Onofri and Soprano Donata Lombardi join us for masterclasses and discussions. To hear from artists with such rich careers and who took a different path than the traditional route we are often fed as young singers was life-changing for me.
Sianna Monti
As a three-time Classic Lyric Arts Alumni (CLA Bel Canto 2024, CLA France 2025, CLA Bel Canto 2026), I can confidently say that this organization has changed my life for the better. It is crucial as artists to have places that remind you of your “why,” reinforcing that there is no other artist like you in the world in an industry that can often make you feel replaceable. Every year I return to CLA, I am reminded that my heart and my sensitivities are a superpower in this industry, not a weakness, and I always leave feeling so grounded in the impact I want to make on the world as a singer. CLA is a beautiful, one-of-a kind place for every singer no matter what age or stage you are at on your journey. I would emphasize that it is not just the musical impact, but the emotional one that is one of the most crucial aspects of Classic Lyric Arts. As singers, CLA is a haven that helps sustain you through this beautiful and wild journey and its impression will last forever. I will always recommend CLA to any singer for a passion for bel canto and a desire to enhance their craft and bring their artistry to the next level.