Spotlight on Catherine Chapman

When Catherine Chapman first joined the Patel Conservatory’s vocal arts program, she had no idea that she would learn so much.

“I originally added the choir class for something to put on my resume. I wanted to go to college for music, but I realized my resume wasn’t that long,” said Catherine.

Catherine, 18, began her music journey with piano lessons when she was just five years old. In middle school, she switched to viola and played with the Patel Conservatory Youth Orchestra for two years.

When she started at Tampa Preparatory School in eighth grade, she decided to join the vocal program.

“I really like vocal choir. It was small, but it was also fun. We were always in different ensembles and trios, and we did some Glee songs.”

As she approached her senior year and realized she needed a bit more experience for college applications, she signed up for the Patel Conservatory’s Senior Choir and Senior Ensemble.

“The Patel Conservatory choir is different because it’s more like an intensive with the music and concert schedule,” said Catherine.

Catherine was surprised to find that not only did her singing improve, she also found a sense of camaraderie that she hadn’t expected.

“It’s a really fun group of people to be with, they’re all very happy… everyone is there because they want to be there."

In the fall, she also took private voice lessons with instructor Kristi Beinhauer. Having seen Beinhauer perform with the St. Petersburg Opera Company, she enjoyed training with a working professional.

“I realized during my college auditions that my voice had gotten a lot better. My solo and ensemble vocals had gotten a lot better, and it helped me lead the choir at school."

At auditions, Catherine was asked to sing in various styles including opera, classical and contemporary. She felt her lessons and classes at the Conservatory helped prepare her more than she anticipated.

"I've learned a lot of different techniques, like breathing techniques that helped me project my voice."

Catherine will start this fall at the University of Florida College of Music. She'd like to major in music education.

In the meantime, she is looking forward to performing in the upcoming Vocal and Instrumental Concert in May. Her group will perform classic favorites such as Someone to Watch Over Me and Chattanooga Choo Choo.

“We have a lot of choreography and that’s going to be awesome…It’s going to be super fun,” she said.

Join us for our Vocal and Instrumental Concert on Tues., May 12 at 6:30 p.m. For tickets or more information, click here.

For more information on the Conservatory's vocal arts program, including our summer Voice Intensive, call 813.222.1002, or click here.

Free master class with Elizabeth de Trejo

The Patel Conservatory will offer a free vocal master class with Elizabeth de Trejo.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the renowned soprano who will be a featured soloist in Opera Tampa’s upcoming L’amour Toujours A Popera! Concert at the Straz Center in Tampa.

De Trejo performed with Opera Tampa in La Traviata, Romeo et Juliette, Lucia di Lammermoor and Faust, and with North Carolina Opera as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte and the title role in Bellini's masterpiece, Norma.

She recently performed in Carnegie Hall as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana, as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, in a tour with the Florida Orchestra as guest soloist, and in concerts of zarzuela in Mexico City and Lincoln Center. She has worked with the Metropolitan Opera in Lulu, and made her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist under the baton of composer John Rutter.

De Trejo has performed with several opera companies nationally and has performed internationally across Europe. She has received numerous awards from prominent vocal competitions, including the Gerda Lissner Opera Competition in New York, the MacAllister Opera Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the Connecticut and Gulf Coast Regions, the Jenny Lind Soprano Competition, the Rosa Ponselle Competition and the Giulio Gari Foundation Opera Competition and the Liederkranz Competition. She received her Bachelor of Music from Loyola University, New Orleans and her Master of Music from Yale University.

The free master class will be Sat., Mar. 1, 2014 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

RSVP is required no later than February 28. Participants are asked to submit repertoire selections at the time of registration.

For more information, or to RSVP, please contact the Patel Conservatory registration office at 813.222.1002 or patelconservatory@strazcenter.org.

Vocal Arts students spread holiday cheer

Heartfelt thanks to our Vocal Arts students for spreading holiday cheer throughout the community this season.

Vocal Arts student perform before The Nutcracker

Students in our junior and senior choirs provided carols in the Silbiger lobby at the Straz Center prior to each performance of Next Generation’s Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

They also provided caroling for the Egypt Shriners Children’s Christmas party, the Tampa Rotary Club’s holiday breakfast and Pilot Bank’s holiday party.

These are recent examples of the many performance opportunities our students enjoy through their study here.

Auditions are coming up for our spring Vocal Arts classes. For more information about our spring classes, please click here, or call 813.222.1002.

Season’s Greetings from our Patel Conservatory family to yours!

Conservatory students in La Boheme this weekend

Congratulations to the Patel Conservatory vocal arts students who are performing this weekend in Opera Tampa’s La Bohème!

Jacob Fleming in his Parisian
costume for La Boheme

Students in our Junior Choir, Junior Ensemble and Musical Theater classes are portraying the children in this classic opera, playing at the Straz Center through March 10, 2013.

“The set is really beautiful. There’s old buildings with lights, and it’s very realistic,” said Jacob Fleming, 13, who is both in our vocal arts program and our Rock School program.

The students play the children on a street in Paris in the second act, and had to attend rehearsals with the Opera Tampa cast. Fleming said he was thrilled to have such an opportunity to work with professional artists.

“They’re all amazing, it was so cool to work with them and hear them,” he said.

Fleming began at the Patel Conservatory with an arts sampler camp in the summer when he was about six years old. He’s since taken musical theater classes and has participated in Rock School for nearly three years.

From rock to opera, he doesn’t care the style, he just enjoys being on stage and performing.

“It’s been a fantastic experience and I love it,” said Fleming.

The following students are also performing this weekend with Opera Tampa:

LaNora Barber, Paige Crockett, Isabella Falber, Emma Hurlburt, Alexa Lowrey, Taliyah Marullo, Samantha Money, Joshua Nelson, Abigale Pfingsten, Bianca Rivera-Irions and McKayla Whiteside.

Also performing in the show as part of the Opera Tampa Chorus are instructor Allison Novak, Kavanaugh Gillespie, Rachael Marino and Ruthie Nelson. Music instructors Catherine Michelsen, Hollis Hammonds, Lowell Adams, Dee Moses, and Jim Petrecca play in the orchestra.

Congratulations to all these students and instructors and have a great run!

Music and magic draw this artist from her shell

There’s a feeling that lives within our walls. It’s intangible, but very real for the performers and artists - the singers, actors, dancers, musicians - who spend time here at the Patel Conservatory.

Melissa Stewart-Hoffman describes it as magic.

“In life, I’m shy, but when I walk through the music note doors, and up to the third floor studio, I feel like myself,” said Melissa, a voice student at the Conservatory. “I guess singing, it just does something, it’s a certain magic."

A 16-year-old from Mulberry, Fla., Melissa first felt that magic when she was 12 years old and saw La Bohème at The Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

“It was like a lightbulb going off in my head. I’ve always loved singing, but that’s when I knew I wanted to be an opera singer,” said Melissa.

After a few years of taking local voice lessons, she decided to try the Patel Conservatory in the summer of 2011 with our Vocal Arts Academy.

“When I started at the Conservatory, I think that’s when I felt at home...It was an amazing discovery,” said Melissa.

That fall, she began private voice lessons with instructor and Patel Conservatory music chair, Gregory Ruffer. She auditioned for Opera Tampa Chorus and had the opportunity to perform with them throughout the season.

The experience of performing with the opera company affirmed her love of the art and desire to pursue a classical singing career.

“The last performance I did (with Opera Tampa) was Aida, and I think that was my favorite...it felt easier and reassured me even more,” she said.

This past summer, in addition to attending our Classical Voice Intensive, she earned the honor of attending the prestigious summer program at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio.

She attributes her success to the training she received at the Conservatory.

“(Ruffer) is the best teacher. His experience and his honesty with me in how I need to improve, and just the environment,” helped her grow as an artist, she said.

She loves performing opera because she enjoys singing in different languages and learning about the various operas and their histories. Becoming a different character draws her out of her shell, she said.

“The music transports me to a different era,” said Melissa. "I sing not only to express myself and to be happy, but so other people will enjoy it."

A junior at Polk State Collegiate High School in Lakeland where she’s earning college credit for classes, she takes private voice lessons weekly with Ruffer in preparation for college auditions and hopes to attend Oberlin.

“I’m really thankful for the Conservatory,” said Melissa. “I feel truly like it is my second home.”

Spotlight on Katlyn Iacovino

Katlyn Iacovino always enjoyed singing. When she was little, she sang around the house, and when she got to middle school, she joined her school choir.

It wasn’t until high school though that Katlyn began thinking seriously about becoming a professional singer.

As a freshman at Riverview High School, she met a senior who was interested in opera.

“I thought that was very unusual and she was a big inspiration to me,” said Katlyn, 17, now starting her senior year at Riverview.

Last year, she began looking for music programs to study voice and she found the Patel Conservatory in Tampa.

“The whole experience of being there overwhelmed me in a good way. I felt everyone was very supportive of each other,” she said.

She started at the Conservatory with private voice lessons with music chair, Gregory Ruffer.

“I realized if I want to take this seriously, I need to take that next step,” said Katlyn. “Working with Greg helped me learn more about myself and what I can do. I was challenged more.”

She joined the Conservatory’s senior choir, and, in May, was the recipient of the Patel Conservatory’s Spotlight Award for Outstanding Student Achievement in Music.

Katlyn says that being at the Conservatory has provided her with exceptional opportunities to study and train with talented professionals and students alike.

“It opened me up to new experiences beyond what I could imagine,” she said.

Last year, she was chosen to be part of the Opera Tampa Chorus, and, this past summer, she participated in the Conservatory’s Classical Voice Intensive during which she took master classes with world renowned instructors including Beverley Rinaldi and Mark Lubas.

The Classical Voice Intensive “was the best experience ever. I got to work with kids my age and grad students and undergraduate students. It was like a glimpse of what it would be like to be in college focusing on music,” she said. “The group was absolutely amazing and so supportive.”

This fall, she intends to take a musical theater class to try something different and get more performance experience. She recently auditioned for PCYT’s production of Kiss Me, Kate.

“Being at the Conservatory six days a week, I’ve discovered this is my niche, this is what I want.”

Master voice classes open for observation

Some of the country’s most renowned opera singers will soon be visiting the Patel Conservatory in Tampa as part of our Classical Voice Intensive.

Elite voice instructors like Salvatore Champagne and Beverly Rinaldi will conduct master classes for Patel Conservatory music students.

The public is invited to observe these classes at no charge.

“The Classical Voice Intensive brings master teachers from around the U.S. together with the rising stars of classical music to share their expertise and experience. It is a rare treat to have so many amazing teachers in one place,” said Gregory Ruffer, Patel Conservatory music department chair.

Anyone interested in classical singing will thoroughly enjoy these evenings.

The following master classes are open for observation in the TECO Theater at the Patel Conservatory:

Salvatore Champagne
Tues., July 10, 7 to 9 p.m.
A graduate of Oberlin College and the Juilliard School, Champagne made his debut touring Europe as a soloist with Leonard Bernstein. He sang leading tenor roles with Badisches Staatstheater in Germany and in many of Europe’s opera houses.

Mark Lubas is among the guest
artists offering master classes.

Mark Lubas

Wed., July 11, 7 to 9 p.m.

Lubas holds degrees from the New England Conservatory. He has appeared as a tenor soloist with Nashville Symphony and sung roles with Boston Lyric Opera, Mobile Opera and Opera Carolina.

Stella Zambalis
Thurs., July 12, 7 to 9 p.m.
A soprano, Zambalis has sung with the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera and La Scala in Milan, among others. Her concert appearances have included Houston Symphony, Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin and the Moscow Radio and Television Orchestra.

Beverley Rinaldi
Fri., July 13, 7 to 9 p.m.
A master teacher of great singers, Rinaldi began as a Broadway performer and later moved into opera, performing at Avery Fisher and Carnegie Halls.

David Friedman
Mon., July 16, 7 to 9 p.m.
Composer, conductor, author and singer, Friedman is known for conducting Broadway musicals and recently, writing Broadway musicals. His Chasing Nicolette is slated to open on Broadway next season.

Gregory Ruffer and Robyn Frey-Monell
Tues., July 17, 7 to 9 p.m.
Conductor and noted voice teacher, Ruffer is the music department chair at the Patel Conservatory and chorus master for Opera Tampa. He was conductor of The Orlando Chorale and has sung with The Washington Chorus and Paul Hill Chorale.

A soprano, Frey-Monell holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and Columbia University. She has appeared as soloist with Carmel Bach Festival and The Orlando Chorale and has sung with Opera Pacific and Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Brad Diamond
Wed., July 18, 7 to 9 p.m.
Diamond holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory and teaches voice at the University of South Florida. A tenor, he has appeared with Lyric Opera Cleveland, Opera Pacific and Florentine Opera Company of Milwaukee.

Ruth Golden
Thurs., July 19, 7 to 9 p.m.
Golden was a leading soprano with New York City Opera from 1985-1991 under Beverly Sills. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Symphony Space and with Live from Lincoln Center.

Spotlight on Carlos Santelli

From Jerry Lee Lewis to Mozart, Carlos Santelli has come a long way.

Santelli is a music intern at the Patel Conservatory in Tampa, and a tenor who’ll be training in our upcoming Classical Voice Intensive.

But he wasn’t always a classical singer. When Santelli was younger, he wanted to rock the piano like Jerry Lee Lewis.

“I wanted to play rockabilly, and thought I wanted to be a pianist,” said Santelli, 20, of Orlando.

Having been a part of his school choirs since he was in the fourth grade, Santelli joined the Orlando Chorale when he was a junior in high school. There he met Gregory Ruffer, now the music chair at the Patel Conservatory, and began private voice lessons.

“Working with Greg was amazing. He was the reason I realized I could sing in the classical music world,” said Santelli. “He helped improve my singing by light years.”

That was also the year Santelli saw his first opera online, La Sonnambula.

“The staging was new. The characters were in street clothes, and the stage was set up to look like a rehearsal hall,” said Santelli.

His impression of opera had always been that it was very formal. This new staging caught his attention and got him thinking about singing opera. “It was really cool to see it that way,” he said.

Having decided to study classical voice, Santelli auditioned and got into the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, where he studies with renowned opera tenor Salvatore Champagne.

“My freshman year, I got to sing in an opera for the first time...I was actually in an opera before I got to see one live.”

Last summer, he was among an elite group of young artists from around the country chosen for the Oberlin in Italy program, a language and music intensive in Tuscany.

There, he had the unique experience of playing Paolino in il Matrimonio Segreto by Domenico Cimarosa “in the round.” Unlike traditional opera, it was an outdoor production, with the stage set in the middle of the audience.

“It was a really personal and intimate experience with the audience,” said Santelli.

This summer, he’s helped teach the Patel Conservatory’s Instrumental Petting Zoo camp and the Junior Vocal Arts Intensive. Working with the younger students reminded him of the wonder of discovering a new instrument and learning to sing for the first time.

“It was cool to see the beginning of the music process, I'd forgotten what that’s like,” said Santelli.

He says working at the Conservatory has also been rewarding because Ruffer and other staff always present him with new challenges and believe in his success. “It’s nice having people around to really push me in a direciton I might not have been comfortable with.”

Next week, he looks forward to delving into some of his own work as well as being challenged with new material during the Classical Voice Intensive (CVI).

As part of the CVI, he’ll participate in master classes with renowned vocal instructors from around the country including Champagne, Stella Zambalis, David Friedman, Ruth Golden, Beverly Rinaldi, Robyn Frey-Monell, Brad Diamond and Mark Lubas. All master classes are open for observation. Click here for a complete schedule.

Santelli will perform in the Classical Voice Intensive concert on Fri., July 20, 2012 at 7 p.m. in TECO Theater. Don't miss this opportunity to see Santelli and other exceptional up-and-coming classical singers!

“People have this idea of opera being such a high society thing,” said Santelli. “A lot of the social issues and comedy in opera are still relevant, so interpretation and performance practice is still evolving and adapting to modern day... it's morals and humor are timeless.”

Growing vocal arts program offers exceptional training

Excitement for our vocal arts program has spread.

Since the appointment of music chair Gregory Ruffer, the vocal arts program at the Patel Conservatory has experienced phenomenal growth.

Given Ruffer’s background as a singer, conductor and choral director, it’s no surprise. From adding new instructors to new summer intensives, Ruffer has helped create extraordinary opportunities for aspiring singers at the Conservatory.

Private Voice Lessons

Within the past year, the number of students taking private voice lessons has exploded from just a few to more than 40! This is truly exciting!

“We have some pretty amazing teachers whose students have been very successful,” said Ruffer. “It’s interesting that, despite the big musical theater following we have, in general, our private voice students are interested in a different type of music.”

Many students taking private voice lessons are interested in a classical music career, said Ruffer. Students range from advanced high school and college singers to professionals.

Instructors offering private lessons include Ruffer, Stella Zambalis, Mark Lubas, Guedye St. Jean and Christopher Romeo.

Junior and Senior Choirs

Working closely with the theater department, Ruffer has helped incorporate voice training into our musical theater classes.

Theater students are becoming more accomplished singers by joining one of our choir classes as part of their musical theater curriculum. As a result, more than 70 students are enrolled in the Junior and Senior Choirs, directed by Allison Novak and Deborah D. Lynch, with artistic oversight by Ruffer.

Choir classes are open to all interested students.

Summer Intensives

In addition to new faculty and programs, we’re also offering incredible opportunities for voice students throughout the summer, including housing options for the new Classical Voice Intensive.

Registration is now open for the following summer voice programs:

Classical Voice Intensive

Ages 16 - 25

July 9 - 20, 2012

For serious singers who wish to pursue a professional singing career. Nationally recognized artist-teachers guide students through the study of arias, art song, opera and musical theater scenes, diction and group and private voice lessons. This program includes lessons, performances, master classes and workshops. Audition required. Housing options are available.

Vocal Arts Academy: Junior Division

Grades 5 - 8

June 18 - 29, 2012

Learn to become a well-rounded performer in this two-week camp. Learn to sing in parts, sing in English and other languages, read music, improve vocal technique, develop character and dance. Daily choir and musical theater rehearsals are integrated with group voice classes and instruction in comprehensive performance skills.

Vocal Arts Academy: Senior Division

Grades 9 - college

July 23 - Aug. 3, 2012

Work with distinguished voice teachers from around the country in this two-week program. Students study solo singing (art songs and arias), languages, choral music, musical theater, acting for singers and dance for singers. Daily choir and musical theater rehearsals are integrated with group and solo voice lessons, language study and instruction in comprehensive performance skills.

Voice training will also be incorporated in our summer musical theater intensives.

For questions, or to register, please call 813-222-1002.

Announcing the summer Classical Voice Intensive

The Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center announces a new summer intensive designed for exceptional singers who’d like to pursue a professional career.

The new Classical Voice Intensive is a multi-faceted program for serious young singers ages 16 through 25. The program provides instruction, performances, master classes and workshops.

"The Straz Center is home to grand opera in our region," said Gregory Ruffer, chair of the Patel Conservatory music department. "The Classical Voice Intensive solidifies our reputation as the place where future great singers come to find their voice," 


Nationally recognized artist-teachers will guide students through the study of arias, art song, opera and musical theater scenes, diction, and group and private voice lessons.

This is a wonderful opportunity for young singers to train with renowned artists and performers.

The Intensive culminates in a gala public performance at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

Registration is now open for this voice intensive. Auditions are required and may be uploaded to You Tube. Housing options are available for students outside of the Tampa Bay area.

For more information on auditions, instructors, housing or registration, please visit our website or call 813-222-1002.


Two of our summer voice instructors have been featured on this blog, click to read more:
Stella Zambalis
Mark Lubas

Meet our instructors: Mark Lubas

As Mark Lubas puts it, he “geeks out” over the exciting process of helping a student become a better singer.

“Students come to me because they love to sing and they want to get better at it, but there’s usually something standing in their way,” said Lubas, a voice instructor at the Patel Conservatory. “Whether it’s lack of experience, technique or confidence...I go on their journey with them to discover what are their major issues and work on those...It’s an intensely personal thing which makes it fun and interesting.”

Lubas’ goal as a voice teacher is to help each of his students find his/her own unique technique.

“Every person is different physically, so there’s no one technique that works for all. That’s what geeks me out!” laughed Lubas. His down-to-earth style and passion for his students’ growth is clear.

As an opera singer with two masters degrees in music from the New England Conservatory of Music (in vocal performance and opera), Lubas has performed with companies across the U.S., including Aspen Opera Theatre Company, Ash Lawn-Highland Summer Festival, Boston Lyric Opera, Mobile Opera, Opera Carolina and Granite State Opera.

In addition to teaching at the Conservatory, he owns a voice and acting studio in Sarasota. He also helped create the college prep theater training program at the Out-of-Door Academy.

He offers these tips for voice students:

Take the time to notice what you’re actually feeling when you sing.

“Don’t focus on what you sound like, or what other people tell you, but what are your physical sensations?” explained Lubas. In doing so, you’ll discover tools you can use to then reproduce a consistent product.

Stop trying to make singing so complicated

“People, for whatever reason, try to change the pitch or tone of their voice,” said Lubas.  He points out that many students often try to sound like their favorite artist instead of cultivating their own natural ability. “What ends up happening is that they end up making it much more difficult than it needs to be.”

New program offers training for exceptional singers

Attention high school singers, do you dream of a career as a professional classical singer?

The Patel Conservatory announces a new program designed specifically for exceptional singers in grades 9 through 12 who’d like to pursue a singing career.

The Classical Voice Intensive for High School Students (CVI) is a multi-faceted program for serious young singers. The program provides instruction and performance experience that will help prepare students for college auditions and a career as a vocal performer.

Students are chosen for the CVI through an audition process that includes an application, a vocal audition and a personal interview.

The Classical Voice Intensive consists of four components:

• Private Voice Lessons
• Vocal Arts Senior Choir
• Diction and IPA Class
• Opera Tampa Chorus

Interested students must be able to read music and have good sight-reading skills and the ability to learn music independently.

For more information about this exciting new opportunity, please contact the Patel Conservatory music department at (813) 222-6456 or email Gregory Ruffer, Music Chair, at Gregory.Ruffer@strazcenter.org.