AboutPamela Thomas Expertise Questions on Opera performance, repertoire, vocal technique, acting for opera. I have some 20 years experience in opera in both leading roles and chorus. I have sung with New York City Opera since 1981. I have studied voice in NYC for over 20 years and have also taught technique and coached singers in acting.
Question I am an undergraduate vocal performance major,soprano. After completing this degree, which is better, attending a Conservatory or doing a graduate degree. I would like to attend Eastman or even Glenn Gould School of Music in Toronto, but they do not offer agraduate degree. Have you heard anything about them. My goal is to be an opera singer.
Answer Hi Paula,
I think most conservatories offer Masters Degrees or at least Performance Degrees. If you want to stay in Canada I would check out the schools there. If you go to www.classicalsinger.com and check on university vocal programs on the left - then put in Canada - you will get a large number of music schools in Canada with pretty detailed information. (They just completed a survey of all schools so the info should be up-to-date.)
Of course there are great schools in the US too - in NY, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music. Also many universities have great music schools - Indiana, USC Thornton, Boston Conservatory and so much more. They are on the website as well.
Why don't you also look at University of British Columbia - they offer a Masters. I don't know the school - but Ben Heppner went there years ago - and he pretty darn good.
