WINONA LAKE - Six college and graduate students will take part in the area's first Art Song Festival June 9-14.
And the public can take in several of the students' performances.
According to organizer, founder and director Denise Ritter Bernardini, art song is a vocal music composition that is usually written for a singer with instrumental accompaniment. It is mostly based on settings of lyric poetry and is not a staged work such as an opera or a musical. It is intended for performance as part of a recital or other formal social occasion.
"This is a classical music endeavor," said Bernardini.Grace College faculty members mentoring the students are mostly giving of their time, she said. "We want to help young students develop their recital skills," she said.
The cost for students to participate in other Art Song Festivals around the country usually is in the thousands, she said. Students are paying only about a tenth of the cost to participate in this one, she said.
"This is our answer to the recession," she said.
The emphasis of the festival this year is Spanish art song, specifically Castilian Spanish music. Next year, Bernardini said, it will be Russian.
The six students taking part in the festival this year come from Indiana, Ohio and as far away as Honduras. Some are underclassmen, while two are college graduates pursuing a career in music, she said.
"There's a need for it because it's difficult for young students to come up with $3,000 to participate in something like this," she said.
During the five days, the six students will take voice, diction and dialect lessons daily. Classes will be held at Byers Music Hall.
On June 12, the students will perform light 20th Century music at the Winona Lake Gazebo in the Village at Winona Lake. Starting time is 7 p.m. and admission is free.
On June 13, the 7 p.m. concert will feature Spanish music. It will be held at St. Anne's Episcopal Church. Admission is $7.
Master classes are free and will be held June 9-10 at 6:30 p.m. in Byers Hall. The public is welcome, Bernardini said.
On June 14, each of the performers will be featured at an area church, including St. Anne's, First Evangelical Presbyterian Church, First Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church at Winona Lake. Bernardini said it will be another opportunity for the community to hear the performers.
Performers this year include Grace Beasley, Angie DeCook, Joy Freshley, Stephanie Johnson, Arturo Osorio and Sarah Williams.
Beasley is a soprano from Green, Ohio, where she participated in her high school choral program and other community productions. This spring she debuted as a soloist with the Symphony of the Lakes. She will be a sophomore at Grace College, pursuing a degree in vocal performance.
DeCook is from Grandville, Mich. She attended Ostego Baptist Academy where she participated in the music program. She has studied both piano and voice and came to the area to study music education at Grace College.
Freshley is a soprano who has sung with the Symphony of the Lakes as well as the Christian Performing Arts Fellowship. Originally from Rockport, she came to the area to study voice at Grace College.
Johnson is a soprano from West Lafayette. She participated in her high school choral and band program. She will be a sophomore at Grace College.
Osorio was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He received a degree in music from the National Conservatory of Honduras in 1997.
Williams is a soprano from Fort Wayne. She attended Carroll High School and was an active member of Carroll's choral department for four years. She will be a sophomore at Grace College, working toward a bachelor's degree in vocal performance and choral education.
Four faculty members will help the performers during the Art Song Festival.
Denise Bernardini holds degrees from East Central University, Texas Christian University and the University of Oklahoma. She has performed both opera and oratorio. She also has taught master classes at several universities and colleges throughout the region.
Don Bernardini is an internationally acclaimed American tenor and continues to earn accolades for his interpretations of both opera and concert repertoire. She has performed with numerous opera companies.
Robert Nance attended DePauw University's School of Music, where he earned highest honors as a keyboardist and conductor. He then studied at Peabody Conservatory of Music. Currently, he is a freelance performing musician and the founding artistic director of Heartland Chamber Chorale.
Brenda Martins is the music director for the St. Anne's Episcopal Church parish since April 2008. She also is a piano teacher and accompanist in various roles in the Warsaw area.
Next year, Denise Bernardini said, they hope to expand the Art Song Festival to two weeks. She said they hope to get Fort Wayne performers involved and make Fort Wayne part of their venue.
Any community members who want to be involved in the program and to help cultivate the young artists can contact Bernardini, she said. Any community organizations also interested in having future performances at their locations also can contact her.
For more information, call Grace College at 574-372-5100, ask for the music department, and leave a message for Bernardini.
