“Maybe it was energy or maybe it was magic, but for the first time the flow of the music felt organic.” - Eloise Fox, CLA Mozart 2026
Eloise Fox
CLA Mozart was nothing short of magical. On the first day we were told to treat the program as a retreat and immerse ourselves in our work and development. For eleven days we had the privilege and the luxury to live in a suspended reality of exquisite music, wonderful company, and the most stunning horizon line I’ve ever seen.
The trip to Todi was filled was anticipation: curiosity about the new friends I would make, nerves about if I’d prepared my scenes well enough, and expectations of how exquisite the Convento would be. When the van pulled up the driveway, I was not disappointed. I stepped into a fairytale that would be my home for the next eleven days. I wandered the grounds completely enchanted by the tiered gardens, countless bedrooms, multiple pools, and a gorgeous chapel where we would work and host our concerts. This is how I will forever imagine the Count’s Mansion in the Marriage of Figaro. Nothing I did could convince me it was real - that not only did I get to live here, but that I got to fill this space with music too.
The CLA Mozart Artists & Faculty
Each day began with group class where we discussed the inner workings of recitative and the nuances of Da Ponte’s brilliant texts, which were set to three of Mozart’s famous operas. The rest of the morning and the afternoon were divided into a mix of one-on-one coachings and small group sessions. In the evening, we ate dinner together at a long table in the garden overlooking the hills of Umbria, dotted with clusters of houses, rolling towards the horizon. We held lively discussions about the differences between Italy's many regional cuisines and learned the correct way to cut pecorino. After dinner, many of us swam in the pool, our conversations from dinner spilling over and continuing until well after dark. These evenings swimming and playing in the water was when I most bonded with my peers.
The Coaches at CLA Mozart were the dream team. Each one had a different skillset which perfectly complimented the others. There were pieces of music I brought to coach throughout the program. I received helpful insights from each coach, which didn’t conflict with the feedback rom the others.
In my sessions with Glenn, we focused on finding resonance in the voic We alternated between singing and speaking, finding an easy consistent flow of the text that was on the body and the voice. The Convento had a gift to aid us in our work. The beautiful room with its fresco of The Last Supper on the wall and cross vaulted ceiling was a perfect resonant chamber. You could distinctly hear the difference between when your sound sank to the floor, bounced off the walls, or floated to the ceiling. When it rang off the ceiling, you were rewarded with a wash of sound returning to you and filling the whole space. This work helped me access deeper, fuller resonance, and easier sound production.
Eloise Fox and Raphael Fusco
I brought several recitatives to Rapheal which we worked through together, realizing the meaning, nuance, and color behind each word. One of my most memorable coachings with him was on the second day of the program. My "Sorella” and fellow CLA Artist, Lucie and I were working on a particularly difficult duet from Così Fan Tutte. Dorabella and Fiordigli were arguing about the morals and practicalities of taking on new lovers. Together, we worked through the text in English and Italian, discovering the words, pacing, and tone of the dialogue. The dialogue came to life with the organic flow of Mozart and Da Ponte’s wit and snark. It was thrilling. Despite being the end of the day, all three of us left that coaching feeling refreshed and reinvigorated in the way only the sheer joy of the creative process can bring you.
My coachings with Daniel were a space to play, explore, and take risks. I brought him several arias that I’d sung for a long time. With each one, he brought a fresh perspective that changed my understanding of the character. Often, he’d find a detail in the text which he would illuminate and bring to the foreground of the scene. This small shift recontextualized the emotional stakes of that moment for the character. It gave me something new to respond to. As an artist, these coachings were filled with freedom and fullness – specifically the fullness you feel when you learn something new about an old friend.
My sessions with John brought valuable and timely career advice. We talked about long term career and educational goals and focused on planning for my immediate future. I’m currently in my last year of undergrad and planning on applying for master’s degree programs next year. John advised me on which of my arias to include in my audition package and recommended new repertoire options to help round it out. The momentum of this work has carried past the end of CLA and has made me excited to prepare for this coming school year and my future.
Benjamin Meera and Eloise Fox
There were a few highlights of the program for me. The first was my aria during our first concert. I sang “Per Pietà” from Così Fan Tutte. It’s a seven-minute monster aria due to how vocally, technically, and dramatically challenging it is. It’s been a project I’ve been tackling over the past 6 months. The work I did with the coaches at CLA polished my interpretation of the piece and led to an incredibly rewarding performance. I was vocally confident and present. I was able to respond to the rise and fall of the emotions of the character in the moment. I was flexible and musically in tune with my collaborator, my friend and incredible pianist Chris, giving me the freedom to take time to fully realize the silence of a rest, knowing that we would enter together with momentum. It was the most powerful performing experience I’ve ever had.
The grounds of the Convento di San Giacomo
My greatest challenge at CLA was the Sextet from Act II of Don Giovanni. I was cast in the role of Don Anna. I was a little surprised; this was a role I didn’t think I would begin to tackle for several years. However, as I worked on the scene, I discovered how comfortable it fits in my voice. Our first music rehearsal was exhilarating. There’s a transformation that happens the moment you take your part from a solo practice room and into an ensemble setting. Being surrounded by peers of such a high caliber who give their full self to the love and detail of their craft pushes you to be your best. Maybe it was energy or maybe it was magic, but for the first time the flow of the music felt organic. As I continued working on this scene, I realized not only does this music suit me, but it fits my voice like a glove. Working on this scene changed my understanding of what I and my voice are capable of, for both in the future and for now. cheer for as I watch them grow as artists and who I know will be cheering for me. I’m also very excited that many of us currently live in New York City! There are already plans in the works for us to reconnect and spend time together in the near future.
How do you say goodbye to the most beautiful place on earth? Honestly, I think a piece of me will always live at the Convento di San Giacomo. I know a piece of it will always live in me. It’s not the kind of place you go to that leaves you unchanged. It will be there each time I learn a new recitative or whenever I make gnocchi from scratch. It's there in my voice, in this new resonant legato that’s rich and full and entirely mine. And every time I sing the Marriage of Figaro finale, it will be embedded in the stillness of each pianissimo phrase, “Ah, tutti contenti saremo così”.