The “Bottega Donizetti” is born: a masterclass for opera singers directed by the bass from Bergamo, Alex Esposito
The bass from Bergamo Alex Esposito will direct the new “Bottega Donizetti”, an advanced masterclass for opera singers to be held in Bergamo from 27 August to 9 September and then from 13 to 18 November 2021. This project fits in with one of the main goals of the Donizetti Revolution – launched by Francesco Micheli (Artistic Director of the Donizetti Opera Festival since 2015) – namely the training of new singers in the Donizetti repertoire.
Alex Esposito, one of the most appreciated contemporary performers in the world, will return to his hometown – to which he feels very close – following in the footsteps of Giovanni Simone Mayr, the famous German composer who founded the “Lezioni caritatevoli” in Bergamo, with which he initiated dozens of young musicians, including Gaetano Donizetti, into music.
During the “Bottega Donizetti”, the selected students will be able to study in depth the vocal and dramaturgical themes connected with Donizetti’s operatic production. They will be offered the opportunity to consolidate and further improve, under the guidance of Esposito and other international artists, the various aspects of the bel canto repertoire, following the teachings of Donizetti, who demanded both high vocal and theatrical skills from his performers.
Attendance is free, limited in number and reserved for singers born after 1 January 1989. Applications must be submitted by 20 April 2021 at 12 a.m.; after a selection of the materials enclosed to the applications, auditions will be held in Bergamo on 31 May.
The selected students will receive a 2,000 euro scholarship each to cover travel, board and lodging expenses thanks to the support of Rotary Club Terra di San Marco.
The call for application with all the details and application form is available here.
The Bottega Donizetti aims to provide participants with a wide range of technical, stylistic, critical and interpretative tools for an appropriate knowledge of the Donizettian and bel canto vocalities. The course will be divided into the following modules: vocal technique; score study; interpretation of Donizetti’s operatic repertoire; body expression techniques and in-depth study of the character. Among the teachers, besides Alex Esposito and Francesco Micheli, there will be Riccardo Frizza (Music Director of the Donizetti Opera Festival), Fortunato Ortombina (Superintendent and Artistic Director of the Teatro La Fenice), Damiano Michieletto (director) and Michele D’Elia (pianist).
At the end of the masterclass, the students will take part (with a contract for their commitment) in a concert-show with Alex Esposito for the opening night of the Donizetti Opera 2021 festival, and they may also be involved in other activities of the artistic programme.
The “Bottega Donizetti” has been created thanks to the patronage of the “Gaetano Donizetti” Conservatory of Bergamo, which has long collaborated with the festival in several projects and activities of training and promotion.
