“Si parla, si canta” is a month-long program for young singers and pianist/coach-accompanists, which includes…
…intensive study of the Italian language and culture,
…musical and dramatic coaching in Italian operatic and song repertoire with an illustrious, internationally-known faculty,
…exciting performing opportunities,
…and the chance to experience the glories of the Marche region of Italy, nestled between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea.

At the heart of the program is the prestigious Centro Studi Italiani language school in Urbania, Italy. One of the most respected institutions of its type in the world, Centro Studi offers levels of Italian courses for every student, from grammar and conversation classes for the absolute beginner to literature courses for the extremely advanced.

Although “Si parla, si canta” is a program for young singers and pianists and has a strong musical component, the major thrust of the program is the language study. This is reflected in our name…first comes “parla,” then comes “canta.” And it has become very apparent to all the former participants in our program that the better you “parla,” the better you “canta.”

Every day, Monday through Friday, “Si parla, si canta” begins with a class in the Italian Language from 8:50am to 12:20pm. There are also Italian conversation classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and a special Italian tutorial on Saturday morning for two hours (optional), which provides an opportunity to clarify any linguistic concepts that haven’t been thoroughly understood. Vocal coachings and musical rehearsals are held in the afternoons and early evenings, after the Italian classes are finished. On Wednesday afternoon and all day Sunday, there is an optional bus excursion (for a small extra fee), which typically visits a near-by place of interest, such as Urbino, Assisi, San Marino, or Siena. Saturday is usually free and many students like to catch the bus to Pesaro, Rossini’s birthplace, to spend the day on the beach or peruse the trendy shops. All singers can expect to have at least two private coachings a week on their solo repertoire in addition to other rehearsals for any ensembles (duets, trios, etc.) they have been assigned. Singers will also participate in at least two public concerts, one of which will be held in Urbania’s charming 19th century Teatro Bramante, another in the imposing 15th century Palazzo Brancaleone in Piobbico, about a twenty minute drive from Urbania. Pianists enrolled in the program will be accompanying coachings, preparing operatic scenes with the supervision of Maestri Hess and Murphy, and will accompany the public concerts. Registration is limited to twenty-four singers and four pianists to guarantee optimum attention for every participant.

The 2009 edition of  “Si parla, si canta” boasts a faculty of internationally recognized performers and pedagogues...

BENTON HESS, the Artistic Director of the program and its principal coach, has earned an international reputation as conductor, composer, pianist, and pedagogue. He is Distinguished Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music and the Musical Director of Eastman Opera Theatre as well as the Artistic Director of Mercury Opera Rochester. The roster of artists with whom Mr. Hess has worked reads like a “Who’s Who” in grand opera…Eleanor Steber, Nicolai Gedda, Beverly Sills, Renée Fleming, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Montserrat Caballé, Leonie Rysanek, Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi, Grace Bumbry, Jennifer Larmore, to name but a few. He has conducted literally hundreds of operatic performances for dozens of companies throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, in repertoire that ranges from early Baroque to premieres of contemporary works. Hess is a former faculty member of Boston University, the Boston Conservatory, the New England Conservatory, Mannes College of Music, the Hartt School of Music, Rutgers University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he was that institution’s first Covington Distinguished Professor. In addition to his responsibilities in Rochester and with “Si parla, si canta,” Hess is conductor for the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel.

ROBERT COWART is the Italian diction coach for “Si parla, si canta.” He is currently a faculty member of the Juilliard School and a former faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the Curtis Institute. Since 1981 he has coached Italian, German, and French at the Metropolitan Opera’s Young Artist Development Program. Mr. Cowart has been associated with numerous summer programs for singers, including the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Shanghai, Montreal, and Puerto Rico, the Chautauqua Institute, the Aspen Festival, the Blossom Festival, the Opera Foundation of Australia, the European Center for Opera and Vocal Art, and the Tanglewood Festival.

New York City conductor and coach, HUGH MURPHY, prepares classical vocal artists for performances with the world's leading orchestras and opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the San Francisco Opera, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, l'Opéra de la Bastille, the Bayerische Staatsoper, and the New National Theater of Tokyo. His conducting has been widely acclaimed for its musical and stylistic standards; two productions under his baton have been named “Outstanding Opera of the Year” by the National Opera Association. A tenured Professor of Music in the Purchase College Conservatory, Mr. Murphy is Principal Conductor of the Purchase Opera and Musical Director of Apollo’s Banquet, a baroque dance ensemble. He has previously been on musical staff at Santa Fe Opera and the faculty of Mannes College of Music.