“The Faculty cared so much about encouraging your own artistry… That sense of trust between coaches and students was special for all of us, and something nearly everyone expressed gratitude for in our final days at the program.” - Amber Scherer, CLA France 2026
Mary Margaret McNeil, Jenna Fererra, Amber Scherer, Daisy Dalit Sigal, and Bridig Mack
I knew that I wanted to participate in Classic Lyric Arts as soon as I started Glenn Morton’s French Vocal Literature class last fall at Juilliard. French language has always been a weak point for me, even though I love the repertoire, and I’d always heard how incredible Glenn is as both a coach and human being. Glenn has a way of helping students step out of their comfort zones. Right away, our class dove into French poetry readings. Every week, we all had to read aloud, and Glenn would guide us along with tips. We would also listen to the amazing trio that I came to know this summer: Gaspard, Raphaël, and Hélène. They had recorded and recited poetry for our benefit, to study and try to emulate.
As a pianist who wants to work with singers (and on mélodie and opera) the rest of my life, I was drawn to Glenn’s unique ability to help us feel phrasing and language more naturally. Without touching anything technical, he helped pianists get more color and buoyancy from the instrument and helped singers to phonate and engage with musical flow so beautifully. By October, I knew I needed to study with him more and audition for the pianist fellowship at CLA France.
The grounds of La Ferme d’Hermance
Skipping forward eight months, it was time to start! I was amazed by the beautiful countryside and the huge open skies around Bergerac, France. It was a quiet and quaint chateau where the twenty of us stayed, with pianos and farm animals dotting the property.
Every day, we took French language and diction with Raphaël, then played or sang in coachings with Glenn, Gaspard, and Hélène. I was not alone in my shyness with the French language, but Raphaël guided us along pragmatically, with new grammatical topics or songs (classical, pop, rock, etc.) each day. From that basis, we prepared three programs of scenes and arias from French opera. The other pianist, Danny, and I were hard at work throughout the program, but we often took breaks by the pool or took time to pet horses on the property. That, alongside the meals at the château (the food could be its own blog post entirely!), made the days feel easy. I also have to thank Manu, who was our groundskeeper of sorts. I gradually befriended him despite being limited to phrases like “Merci” and “Il fait chaud!” (It is hot!). He kept everything running as smoothly and coolly as possible in 43-degree heat (and the egg-and-ham breakfasts always fire).
During CLA France, almost all of the music was new for me and the language felt nerve-wracking at the beginning. But there was a lack of judgment from all the coaches. They cared so much about encouraging your own artistry and understanding the music better so you could connect with it. That sense of trust between coaches and students was special for all of us, and something nearly everyone expressed gratitude for in our final days at the program. The arts (and classical music especially) are infamous for being breeding grounds for anxiety and unhealthy perfectionism. CLA combated this perfectionism.
Weiting Xu, Amber Scherer, and Yinging Liu
To be not just told, but shown how to think and feel for yourself, how to value your mind and growth above a snapshot judgment someone may make of you affected me a lot. I really appreciated being reminded of what we’re actually doing when we create art: sharing stories, connecting to audiences and each other, and finding a sense of identity. Why? Because we love performing and feel something from the music we can’t otherwise find.
So, thank you to Glenn, Hélène, Gaspard, and Raphaël for reminding us all why we are artists.