LA TRAVIATA BRINGS TEACHER AND STUDENTS TOGETHER

BY STEVEN LUSMANN

Over twenty-five years ago I was singing the role of Baron Duphol with age make-up making me look more appropriate for the role. Today I don’t need the make-up. I was a member of the young artist program of the Cincinnati Opera and beginning my career as an opera singer. This young artist program was my first professional engagement after receiving my graduate degrees from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. While a young artist with that company I also sang the roles of Germont, Eugene Onegin, Marcello, Rossini’s Barber, Belcore, Guglielmo in matinee performances and understudied many more. This step after academia introduced me to many outstanding professional stage directors, conductors, more established singers, agents and general directors of other opera companies who helped me proceed with more confidence in pursuing my dream in New York and Europe. In fact my first engagement after the Cincinnati Young Artist Program was to sing Sivio in I Pagliacci with Dayton Opera. David DiChiera gave me that chance. He also played matchmaker by introducing me to Maryanne Telese who sang Nedda and became my wife seven months later.

While enjoying a very fulfilling twenty-six year career performing throughout the United States and Europe I also taught singing privately when time permitted. In 1998 passing on what I had learned in my performing career became an extremely important part of my life. This led me to my current position as a voice professor at the University of Michigan and the Seagle Music Colony that is the oldest summer vocal training program in the United States.

I have had many talented young singers come through my studio in the past eight years and two of them are sharing the stage with me in Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of La Traviata. What a joy! It is wonderful to work with my students in a professional setting and see them bring to rehearsals and performances all of the craft they have learned. I also know that they love to see me take direction from someone else. Although we are at different stages in our careers we still need to address the same attention to detail in our performances.

Both Seth Carico, who is singing the role of Dr. Grenville, and Wes Mason, who is singing the role of Marquis d’Obigny, began studying with me at the Seagle Music Colony. The first time I heard Seth he was singing Gideon March in Mark Adamo’s opera Little Women and the first time I heard Wes he was singing Pasquale in Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella. They both possess beautiful strong voices with outstanding potential to sing opera as well as great innate ability to communicate genuine emotions through their characters. Seth decided to come to the University of Michigan to earn his Masters Degree in Vocal Performance and Wes to earn his Bachelors. I, along with my colleagues, have worked to foster their complete artistry by developing their musicianship, language skills, acting and vocal technique. We have also instilled in them the idea that the ultimate goal is to become increasingly independent and eventually to become their own best teacher.

The first professional steps after academia are crucial for a young singer and Michigan Opera Theatre has offered these young men a wonderful professional atmosphere in which to grow. Perhaps one day they will recall this experience as they are passing along their knowledge to their students and even have the opportunity to share the stage with them.

Stephen Lusmann is an Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Michigan, and regularly appears in Michigan Opera Theatre productions. In May 2008, Professor Lusmann appears with two of his students, Seth Carico and Wes Mason in La Traviata.