Voice

The Voice program at the College of Charleston offers an array of opportunities that include stage experience in opera, choral, and solo settings. The voice faculty is comprised of practitioners of international renown who readily instruct students in technique, stagecraft, and stage deportment.

Faculty

Solo Performance Opportunities

Solo performance opportunities abound for vocal students at weekly student recitals in the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the city of Charleston and at frequent master classes with visiting International artists such as Morris Robinson, Alexis Davis-Hazell, Earl Hazell, Harold Meers, and Lori Phillips. Students have been winners and finalists at Metropolitan Opera Auditions, Regional and National NATS Student Auditions, MTNA National Performance Competitions, national and international competitions.  Music festivals, such as Music Academy of the West and Berlin Opera Academy, are regularly attended by CofC voice students.

Choirs

Our choral program features internationally acclaimed choral ensembles: Concert Choir and Gospel Choir. They have performed for national and regional conferences and toured throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. They also have collaborated with the area's professional orchestras, choirs as well as other music ensembles within our department. Comprised of music major and non-majors alike, auditions for all choirs are held in the first week of the school year.

Opera and Musical Theatre

The dramatic art form of opera is a reflection and commentary on the human condition and our shared experiences of emotions. Joy, love, death, loss, illness, and betrayal are universal. These intense emotions transcend social, economic, and national boundaries to touch everyone’s life.

Opera is an acoustic, visceral art form in which the human voice coupled with music expresses what mere words cannot. It can touch hearts, change minds, enlighten and bring people together across boundaries by expressing the commonality of shared human experience.

College of Charleston Opera is devoted to training the next generation of opera artists, and it is proud to produce three productions each year.

Opera workshop is offered by the Department of Music at the College of Charleston to music majors and non-majors. It is designed to develop the singer's awareness of his/her potential not only as a singer/actor, but also to introduce and acquaint the student to the various styles of opera. It also stresses the importance of working as an ensemble. In addition to regular bi-weekly class meetings, students are afforded private coaching in preparation of their roles or their ensemble music.