Recent News

Share this

Vienna Vocal Connection

Vienna Vocal Connection: Masterclasses in Classical Performance and Technique

David Aronson (pianist/conductor) and Sylvia Greenberg (soprano) will be presenting two masterclasses at Roberts Wesleyan College on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. The first will be a masterclass with three RWC student singers at 1:40 p.m. in Cox Auditorium (203). This masterclass will be followed by a Q&A session and is open to RWC faculty and students.

The evening masterclass will feature six young professional singers (all with master's degrees and beyond from Eastman, Nazareth, and more). This masterclass is free and open to the public and will take place in Shewan Recital Hall (Roberts Cultural Life Center) at 7:30 p.m.

Israeli soprano Sylvia Greenberg made her debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. As a scholarship recipient from the America-Israel Foundation for Young Artists, she participated in the International Opera Studio in Zurich. She soon joined the Zurich Opera House and became known for her colorature roles. Her much celebrated performance of the Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) has been sought after by opera houses throughout Europe. She has performed operas in Salzburg, Bayreuth, Aix en Provence, and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, as well as world premieres of operas by Berio and Manzoni in Salzburg and Milan. In addition to her vibrant operatic career, she has performed throughout the United States and Europe in classical, sacred, and orchestral settings. An active teacher, she serves on the faculty of both the Vienna Conservatory Private University and the University for Performing Arts in Munich and has given masterclasses in Austria, Israel, Spain, Germany and the United States.

A New York native, David Aronson holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the Crane School of Music. Joining the Zurich Opera in 1978, he coached, served as assistant chorus-master, and eventually became conductor at the International Opera Studio. In 1982, he became Kapellmeister of the Municipal Theater of Lucerne, where he conducted over forty operas, operettas, and ballets in nine years. He has served on the music staff of the Vienna State Opera since 1991 as pianist, conductor, and specialist in opera for children (a role he is particularly fond of). His passion for introducing the next generation to music is contagious and influences his active teaching schedule. David is on faculty for conducting and opera coaching at the Vienna Conservatory Private University. A renowned opera coach and accompanist, he is sought after in Europe, Australia, Israel, and the United States. As a keyboard artist, David has performed with the opera company both at home and on tour in Israel, Italy, China, Korea, Singapore, and Japan.

This husband and wife team has been performing together since they met in Zurich in 1978. They are active recitalists and teachers throughout Europe, Israel, Australia, Canada, and the United States and have held master classes for over fifteen years at the University of Miami’s summer music program in Salzburg, the Schleswig Holstein Festival, the Musica Mallorca Festival, the University of Michigan, the University of California at Los Angeles, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Melbourne Conservatory. Their unique masterclasses prepare young musicians for successful careers, including tips on auditioning, agents, young artist programs, and more. 

Recently, they have performed their unique song-recital program, HAUSMUSIK, on three continents, as well as recording it for the Telos Label. The program consists of songs composed by Bruno Walter and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, both of whom were earlier neighbors in the Aronson’s current Viennese home. 

We are pleased to welcome David and Sylvia to our Music Department and look forward to hearing from them this October!

For more news articles, you can take a look at our archive.