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The Classic Lyric Arts 2026 Summer Programs will take place in France and Italy, with three distinct, immersive programs: CLA France, CLA Mozart, and CLA Italy.
CLA introduces the incoming singers and pianists for the Classic Lyric Arts 2025 summer programs: CLA France, CLA Berkshires, and CLA Italy!
With more artists, concerts, and audience members than ever before, 2024 was a memorable summer full of growth and discovery- and there is more to come in 2025.
The Classic Lyric Arts 2025 Summer Programs will take place in France, Italy, and the Berkshires. Applications are live for Summer 2025!
CLA France was a daily baptism into all the facets of French culture: mornings starting with fresh fruit, cheese, and baguettes, afternoons filled with song and poetry coachings, evenings giving way to walks in the fields of the Périgord, and much local food and wine peppered into the mix on the grounds of our château, Les Jouandis – un petit paradis!…
After lockdowns due to the pandemic, it was very difficult to find motivation or purpose as a singer. It greatly affected the whole world, but luckily the arts are resilient and persevered in a time when we needed it the most. My experience at the Berkshires was the first glimmer of hope now that we are getting back on our feet. My time at the Berkshires was also evidently a great part of my journey in healing both personally and artistically. It was quite a providential experience:
The CLA Berkshires provided a very healthy environment for a growing artistic soul. There is an emanating spirit of learning among the young artists, and I am deeply fortunate enough to now call them my fellow colleagues and friends. Everyone was extremely gifted, and it was inspiring to work alongside others who have the same passion for their artistry. Also, among the young artists, there was a sincere sentiment of encouragement.
The faculty were present and demonstrated the importance of the transparent approach to technique, refining artistry, and perfecting diction/language. Stefano was extremely meticulous, very knowledgeable, and gifted in approaching musical nuances and language. His direction was very clear and precise which is a blessing. Ennio taught the Italian language classes that we had every day. Ennio’s humor combined with the natural knowledge of the Italian language, and the supreme experience singing with the golden era voices- provided a very productive understanding of language and singing. Daniel was delightful to work with, his approach to aesthetics and maintaining the artistry of stagecraft in our bodies was eminent. He was able to guide and teach us the importance of breath and intention-which is also the foundation of daily living. The Berkshire experience also provided a high level of artistic direction on behalf of Glenn who was able to open my mind to resonance in a way that I have never been exposed to before. This was of course extremely profound to one who wants to make a career out of resonating. Resonance is also very unique to each person, which contains great power and depth both technically and spiritually.
Overall, to say I have a deep sense of gratitude to Glenn, Ennio, Daniel, Stefano, and John is an understatement. The CLA Berkshires experience is built upon faculty that believes in your talent and helps you refine it. On the other hand, I am so grateful for all the young artists and the opportunity to cultivate friendships with other wonderfully talented and passionate people was beyond a blessing for me. I will never forget all the priceless times at the CLA Berkshires July of 2022.
Sending the Warmest regards,
Talar Arslanian
“Your identity. Your history, deeds and situation. Use those to shape your creation and you will produce something unique. Whatever you make, base it upon that which is most important to you. Only then will it have depth and meaning, and only then will it resonate with others.”
― Christopher Paolini
The arrival of fall means that our CLA 2022 applications are just around the corner. We’re so excited to share with you what we have planned for next year!
While we wait, enjoy this reflection from one of our newest faculty members, Performance Coach Daniel Isengart.
When Glenn wrote to me in mid-June, asking me if I could step in on short notice as a performance coach for the French Chapter of Classic Lyric Arts’ Summer of 2021 program, I did not hesitate for a second, even though I had a long-standing commitment for the week of July 4th that would not be easy to get out of. But there was no way I would forgo this offer. When opportunity knocks on your door, you graciously invite it in, and this was an exceptional opportunity. The key was to prove that mine was the right door. Glenn and I had been introduced to each other back in 2019 but had never had a chance to work together. Serendipitously, a mere week after he reached out to me, I happened to give a private Masterclass in the home of a critic, and Glenn was able to attend. After witnessing my style of coaching that evening, he generously told me that he thought I could bring something valuable to the program and gave me carte blanche.
What a blessing it was to be able to spend two weeks in the special atmosphere Glenn and John created for what was effectively the first Classic Lyric Arts program held in the United States, up in beautiful Hudson Valley. They had assembled a fantastic team of inspired coaches and pianists, and picked a group of excellent and wildly enthusiastic students, each of them bringing something unique to the table. We were all united by the simple will to find and express the magic in some extraordinary French music and French poetry. And did we, ever. The Darrow School may not have been shaking as the grounds allegedly used to when they were inhabited by actual Shakers, but I like to think that it gently swayed from the vibe we all breathed into it, some with an accent, some without it, but all of us giving ourselves over to the sheer bliss of creating art through careful study, thoughtful interpretation and fearless experimentation.
It was a journey of discovery for all of us as we pushed our limits to reach a higher ground, working tirelessly day after day without showing signs of fatigue – and, thanks to the healthy mix of comedic and dramatic repertoire devised by Glenn, having loads of fun along the way. “Perform the song,” I’d tell each singer, “and I will show you what we, the audience, see.” That was just the beginning. My goal was to help them find ways to be as expressive with their body posture, gesture, and eyes, as they already strove to be with their voice. We dug deeply into the text – and context – to come up with a convincing interpretation for each number. Ultimately, we looked for ways to let the music become physical as a way to make contact with the metaphysical. More often than not, we found that the music gave us all the cues we might need in addition to those we got from the lyrics, and I came to think of what we were developing together as something akin to choreography, bringing the body in tune with the music, the lyrics and the spirit of each number. I soon realized that it did not matter if I was already familiar with the repertoire they were coming in with on any given day; all I needed was the French lyrics, which were easy to look up online. In fact, it was at times quite useful when I did NOT know the material yet as it challenged the singers even more to be very specific in their interpretation and expressiveness. Sometimes, bad habits, like odd posture, automated gestures, or little ticks, acquired over the years, got in the way, and we worked on creating an awareness of them. The large mirror I had requested to be placed in the sun-drenched meeting room I had been assigned for my sessions, came in handy – until I found an even better way to use it, as a hilarious prop in an ensemble piece from an operetta that we presented in our concerts.
I loved it all. The intense daily sessions with the singers. The collaboration with our four wonderful pianists. The shared cafeteria meals around those huge round tables. The guest house I stayed in with my two amazing French colleagues, Laetitia and Anicet, and the relaxed evenings we spent together, engaged in loose French banter. The huge black bear we saw on a Highway section as we drove to a special rehearsal in a restored barn on a spectacular estate in the Berkshires. The buzz in the air backstage during our concert presentations. Most of all, I loved the music we made together. Many times, I was overcome with emotion and gratefulness as I sat there, facing these gifted young people who poured their hearts into what I consider the highest art form. Witnessing their work reminded me, again and again, that we were doing something that was not merely beautiful or valuable, but essential for our culture, for our rattled era, for humanity. They proved to me what in my heart I already knew to be true: that to be an artist is to find and express the nobility of humankind. There is no higher calling. And so, for some magical moments during those two weeks, we all jointly achieved the miracle described in Baudelaire’s poem, Invitation à un Voyage, set to music by Duparc and performed beautifully in one of our four concerts:
Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté,
Luxe, calme et volupté.
I can’t wait to come back next year. Until then, the music we made will continue to gently reverberate in my head.
- Daniel
CLA 2021 Session I, Daniel is center, back row
Welcome to our second CLA Perspectives feature!
Today, we hear from pianist Lana Norris, a Chicagoland native currently based in New York City.
I was supposed to attend CLA 2020 in Italy as a pianist, in the beautiful Novafeltria region where pasta and linen suits reign supreme. After this year’s program was relocated to the Hudson Valley for pandemic safety, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What about the pasta?
What I discovered was that the Italian language alone sustains rich, satisfying study. Its poetic structures, lyrical aesthetic, and ancient rhythms deliver elegant solutions to the most complicated musical puzzles. Of course, the CLA team knew this. Glenn and John, the Artistic and Executive directors, created an ecosystem of experts to teach every aspect of the language. I had poetry lessons comparing Da Ponte to Dante (and even discovered a work by Da Ponte, Mozart, and Salieri!); daily grammar lessons; staging rehearsals guided by linguistic cadences; and coachings to express orchestral colors on the keyboard.
We performed in a variety of settings: we not only gave concerts at the Darrow School hall but also rehearsed in a cavernous barn and sang outdoors per original performance practice. The coaches were terrific, helping me adjust my music to the acoustic demands of each space and demonstrating how to support both solo and ensemble scenes.
I didn’t only take away an incredible range of education. Along with clarifying information and musical ideas, I’m determined to share the same spirit of generosity and courage that CLA cultivates in the program. We colleagues buoy one another in our musical pursuits, and together we can gift Italian music to the audiences seeking beauty.
