Ludovic Tézier Masterclass

The 14th edition of the Gstaad Vocal Academy was led by French baritone Ludovic Tézier. As part of the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, seven selected young singers had the opportunity to work intensively on their opera, oratorio and song repertoire. With only a few exceptions, the teaching sessions were open to the public. Ludovic Tézier was assisted by soprano Cassandre Berthon, coach Thomas Voigt and pianist Kira Parfeevets. Together, they guided the participants in their vocal, musical and dramatic development. The masterclass focused on melodic line and musical phrasing, the deliberate shaping of sound and each singer’s individual vocal timbre, and the close relationship between text and music. The work took into account the different interpretative demands of opera, oratorio and song. A further emphasis was placed on developing credible stage characters and a compelling stage presence. The academy week concluded on 25 August with a public concert at the Kirchgemeindehaus Gstaad, where the seven participants presented the works they had prepared.