Masterclasses and Workshops
GVAI offers at the moment the following masterclass.
Sing in German!
Masterclass by Christine Menschner
Lacking feedback from native speakers, many singers believe they know how to sing in German, but recognizing the appropriate degree of openness of vowels and umlauts can be challenging. Not to mention the ach and ich- sounds and other German consonants! Learn to distinguish the different sounds and get real hands-on--or better yet ears-on--experience. Bring your German art song or aria and Christine Menschner, director of the German Vocal Arts Institute (GVAI) will help you to bring your text to life.
Sing in German!
Masterclass by Christine Menschner
Lacking feedback from native speakers, many singers believe they know how to sing in German, but recognizing the appropriate degree of openness of vowels and umlauts can be challenging. Not to mention the ach and ich- sounds and other German consonants! Learn to distinguish the different sounds and get real hands-on--or better yet ears-on--experience. Bring your German art song or aria and Christine Menschner, director of the German Vocal Arts Institute (GVAI) will help you to bring your text to life.
"It was such a pleasure to observe the quick progress the singers made in the weekly sessions with Christine. As a native speaker and singer, her guidance and practice exercises were so clear. Everyone progressed quickly with these life-long tools to improve their performance of German classical vocal repertoire. An added bonus was Christine's lively staging advice and historical perspective. Her classes are simply a delight!"
Beth Kirchhoff, Chorusmaster Emeritus for Seattle Opera
Beth Kirchhoff, Chorusmaster Emeritus for Seattle Opera
Selected past workshops and masterclasses:
- Virtual German Art Song and German Diction Workshop at Seattle Opera, Teen Vocal Studio, November 2020
- German Diction Workshop and Masterclass, Seattle Opera Vocal Teen Studio, March 2019
- Masterclass Sing in German - University of Washington: School of Music, Seattle, WA, 2018
- German diction coaching with GVAI's director Christine Menschner in Boston, MA, 2018
- Masterclass at the CS Music Convention in Boston Sheraton Hotel, May 26, 2018
- Masterclass at the CS Music convention in Chicago, May 2017
- German Operetta and Opera Workshop, Seattle, Jan-March 2017
- German Diction, Voice and Performance Training, Career Management for German Markets, Chengdu, China, October 2016,
- German Diction, Voice and Performance Training, Hangzhou, China, October 2016
- German theater coaching, University of Washington, 2016
- The Magic Flute Summer Opera Program (GVAI) 2016, 2017, 2018
- German diction coaching for Puget Sound Concert Opera, Viennese Gala 2016, Der Freischütz 2015
Impressions of Masterclasses and Workshops
CS Music convention in Boston 2018
Christine presented GVAI at the convention. She taught the masterclass "Sing in German!" and supported GVAI alumni during their auditions.
Christine presented GVAI at the convention. She taught the masterclass "Sing in German!" and supported GVAI alumni during their auditions.
GVAI performance concluding GVAI's German Operetta and Opera Workshop at the 17th Viennese Ball in Seattle, WA, 2017
Rehearsals and performance
with Brittany Walker (mezzo soprano)
Amber Rose Johnson (soprano)
Beth Kirchhoff (accompanist, vocal coach)
Christine Menschner (German diction, performance training)
with Brittany Walker (mezzo soprano)
Amber Rose Johnson (soprano)
Beth Kirchhoff (accompanist, vocal coach)
Christine Menschner (German diction, performance training)
China masterclasses 2016
Impressions from GVAI's class at the CS Music convention in Chicago: Singers working on German vowels and singing Beethoven's Ode to Joy in German, May 2017, Chicago
Workshop impressions:
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University of Washington Workshop 2016:
"Christine had the right recipe to make our final performance of a German play a great success.
It was one of the most productive and pleasant experiences for my third year UW Germanics students to learn from Christine how to overcome their fears; confidently work with German vowels, phonemes and umlauts in a stage setting; be aware of their bodies while performing and generally, how to make their stage presence a priority, rather than just saying their lines.
Christine, a German native speaker, teaches this with empathy and insight in her well-structured class that offered a variety of tasks. Her over ten years' experience as a voice and diction coach, singer and successful performer allowed students to engage, stay motivated and be challenged at the same time. The result is an energetic final scene of “Deutschsein für Fortgeschrittene: Grenzenlos und Unverschämt,” performed at the University of Washington in June 2016."
Kristina Pilz, PhD Candidate, German Instructor, Department of Germanics, University of Washington June 2016
"Christine had the right recipe to make our final performance of a German play a great success.
It was one of the most productive and pleasant experiences for my third year UW Germanics students to learn from Christine how to overcome their fears; confidently work with German vowels, phonemes and umlauts in a stage setting; be aware of their bodies while performing and generally, how to make their stage presence a priority, rather than just saying their lines.
Christine, a German native speaker, teaches this with empathy and insight in her well-structured class that offered a variety of tasks. Her over ten years' experience as a voice and diction coach, singer and successful performer allowed students to engage, stay motivated and be challenged at the same time. The result is an energetic final scene of “Deutschsein für Fortgeschrittene: Grenzenlos und Unverschämt,” performed at the University of Washington in June 2016."
Kristina Pilz, PhD Candidate, German Instructor, Department of Germanics, University of Washington June 2016