Opera star leads Northwestern master class
Madeleine Fernando
The Daily Northwestern
Opera vocalist Matthew Polenzani returned to Northwestern to teach his second vocal master class with four students on Wednesday.
Opera vocalist Matthew Polenzani returned to Northwestern to teach his second vocal master class with four students on Wednesday.
The master class was part of the Robert M. and Maya L. Tichio Vocal Master Class Series, a series of master classes by noted vocalists for Northwestern students, said Kurt Hansen, coordinator of the voice and opera program. The program is in its third year and is funded by an anonymous donor to the Bienen School Music Advisory Board who named the class series in honor of the Tichios, two of his friends and fellow board members.
All voice students are required to watch the classes, which are open to the public and typically draw a crowd of around 300 people to the Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall, said Jerry Tietz, director of concert management.
Polenzani majored in Music Education at Eastern Illinois University, originally intending to be a high school choral instructor. He said his vocal career launched after a former member of the show choir he was part of at the time heard him singing at a performance with the choir and encouraged him to consider singing professionally.