Summer Vocal Intensive
Recent graduates Katie Hatanaka and Kelly Lin during Bethany Hörst’s musical theatre studio recital in Moscovich Recital Hall, Music Building (photo submitted by Bethany Hörst)
Registration
Cost
$199 incl. HST
Deadline
July 15 (or until full)
Registration Form
REGISTER
HST number: 10816 2587 RT0001
Location
Talbot College and Music Building
Western University
Western University
1151 Richmond St
London ON N6A 3K7
July 25-27, 2025
We're thrilled to announce the return of the popular 3-Day Vocal Intensive for High School Singers at Western University's Don Wright Faculty of Music featuring workshops, tours, lessons, training seminars and masterclasses! Culminating with a Finale Concert, the program introduces students to the Don Wright Faculty of Music, faculty members, facilities, performance spaces, resources, library and campus.
Come experience Western's Don Wright Faculty of Music!
Faculty
Bethany Hörst
Chad Louwerse
Torin Chiles
Jackie Short
Todd Wieczorek
Collaborative Pianists
Melanie Cancade
Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich
Paul Digout
Who can participate?
Open to all currently enrolled or recently graduated high school singers (including graduating Grade 12 students/5th years/gap years, and incoming Grade 9 students).
Planned Schedule
Workshops and classes begin daily at 9 a.m. and end around 4:30 p.m. Our final day culminates with a student recital, where participants can present a piece they’ve been working on in our workshops and coachings. Participants should bring their own lunch each day.
Day One | Friday, July 25 |
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| Morning |
Welcome & Introductions Meet your fellow singers, our teachers and pianists. |
| Tours See our multiple performance spaces, including our orchestra room, recital halls and opera theatre! Check out our practice rooms, teaching studios and classrooms, student lounges and workspaces. Have a guided tour of the Music Library and its enormous collection! View virtual tour |
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| Lessons & Coachings Bring a piece to work on in several private lessons with Western voice faculty members and as well as professional collaborative pianists. |
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| Afternoon | Masterclasses Sign up for a masterclass: sing for your fellow singers as one of our faculty members offers feedback on your performance. These fun, open sessions are a time to hear each other’s repertoire and learn from one another in a group voice class. |
Day Two | Saturday, July 26 |
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| Morning |
Acting Workshop Explore acting techniques and skills through exercises, movement and games in this group drama workshop. |
| Lessons & Coachings Bring a piece to work on in several private lessons with Western voice faculty members and as well as our collaborative pianists. |
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| Afternoon | Musical Theatre Presentation & Masterclass Sing whatever you bring! We offer masterclasses in art song, music theatre, folk and popular music! |
| Q&A Ask us anything! Bring your questions about studying music at university, developing your vocal and acting abilities, auditioning and performing. |
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| Workshop & Faculty Recital Enjoy a recital presented by our voice faculty and collaborative pianists. |
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Day Three | Sunday, July 27 |
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| Morning |
Diction/International Phonetic Alphabet Session Singing songs in multiple languages? Explore lyric diction through an intro to IPA and pronunciation workshop. |
| Art Song Masterclass | |
| Afternoon | Pedagogy Presentation Have you ever wondered what your larynx looks like? Join Torin Chiles for an intro to vocal pedagogy class on vocal anatomy, function and hygiene. |
| Finale Concert, Parent Q & A Now it’s your turn! Choose a piece to sing—accompanied by our collaborative pianists—for an audience of family and friends. Join us for a reception following the recital as we say goodbye… until next summer! |
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Vocal Instructors
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Bethany Hörst
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| Hello! I’ve been teaching at Western for 12 years and also teach high school students at my private studio in Waterloo. I enjoy working with young singers at workshops and enrichment programs and through my summer theatre camp, The Singer's Theatre. I enjoy adjudicating across Ontario and meeting new singers of all ages. I teach a voice studio here at Western, where we study classical, musical theatre, and pop styles. This year we sang in 10 different languages! I recently directed Working: the Musical at the faculty and teach a course called Pop Vocals: Performance and Pedagogy. I also attended Western, and know that its diverse program allowed me to prepare for my work as a professional soloist and voice teacher. read more |
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Chad Louwerse
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| I’ve been teaching at Western for five years now, and have been teaching privately and singing professionally for 30 years. I love performing—whether it’s opera, oratorio, recitals, stage stuff, or even voice over work. Creating characters and bringing their stories to life is one of the best things in life to me and it really feeds my soul. After performing, teaching is what I love to do. I love working alongside students like you and helping you find your best, most expressive voice. I love seeing your skills grow and hearing you sing your heart out. Hopefully, I'll get to meet and work with you at our voice intensive this summer! read more |
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Torin Chiles
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| Hello! My performance career as an operatic tenor spanned 20 years and my resume is replete with engagements from North American symphonies and opera companies performing roles such as Pinkerton, MacDuff, and Rodolfo, to name just a few. I have performed on national radio and television broadcasts and premiered several important operas by Canadian composers. I serve as the national Vice President for Membership for NATS and am the acting chair of the department of Music Performance Studies at Western. I have taught applied voice and vocal pedagogy for 25 years at Western and my passion for singing has only intensified in that time. When not in the studio, or playing the pipe organ, I can most likely be found in my garage tinkering on my other passion… my model railroad empire! read more |
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Jackie Short
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| Hello! I have sung leading lyric coloratura roles with every major opera company and orchestra in Canada. Internationally, I have performed in many US cities, and also in Korea, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, England and Israel. I have been a regular performer on CBC’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, and Two New Hours, and was the recipient of several Canada Council grants and scholarships. I love teaching voice to undergrads and postgraduate students at Western University for the past 2 decades. I enjoy teaching vocal technique and coaching repertoire, teaching Italian, French, English and German lyric diction. Several of my students have won prizes at Kiwanis and NATS, and have advanced in the Met Competition and been accepted into opera ensemble programs. I often coach at summer programmes such as Nuova (AB) and Opera on the Avalon (NFLD). I’m also an avid gardener and dog-lover. read more |
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Todd Wieczorek
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| In addition to performing, Todd Wieczorek holds the rank of Assistant Professor of Music here at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music. His students sing in many opera houses across North America, have been accepted into national and international young artist programs, and have gone on to study at prestigious institutions internationally. His teaching areas include Voice, Lyric Diction (Italian and German), DMA Vocal Pedagogy, and DMA Vocal Repertoire (Opera and German Lieder). He coordinates the Fridays@12:30 Concert Series and the Western Performs Series in collaboration with the School for Advanced Studies in Arts and Humanities here at Western. He is a frequent guest clinician and adjudicator. read more |
Collaborative Pianists
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Melanie Cancade
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| British Columbian pianist Melanie Cancade is one of Southwestern Ontario’s most sought-after collaborative pianists, appearing in concert extensively throughout the region with both aspiring and established singers. Since 2010, she has been coaching vocalists at Western University in London, Ontario, as well as maintaining a busy performing schedule. She has appeared with London Symphonia, The London Music Machine, Pacific Opera Victoria, and more. Prior to her time in London, Melanie’s experiences and education comes from across Canada and Europe. |
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Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich
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| Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich is an accomplished concert pianist, holding a master's degree in Piano Performance and Literature and Musicology, and a post-master's degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the State University of Kishinev in Moldova, where she also held studio as an Associate Professor of Piano. She has been privileged to have studied with some of the most internationally renowned piano masters and legendary pedagogues from Russia, the Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Holland, Brazil and Australia. read more |
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Paul Digout
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| Hey there! I have been working as a collaborative pianist with singers of all ages for the last 16 years. Although I mainly call Western home, working as a pianist has taken me to programs all across Canada and Europe. Some of these programs include Opera NUOVA, Halifax Opera Workshop and the Yorkshire Opera workshop. You can usually find me at the piano coaching opera and classical repertoire, but you can never take me away from my love of musical theatre! I can never turn down an opportunity to work on a show. Most recently it was Working: the Musical at the Don Wright Faculty of Music, or the summer I spent with The Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia. I'm excited to be returning to the Summer Vocal Intensive and meeting the next batch of promising performers! |
Accommodations
If overnight accommodations are needed, they are participants' own responsibility.
Short-term on-campus accommodations are available through Stay at Western. People using Stay at Western must be age of majority OR have an accompanying adult. The person paying for the accommodation must be present to pay with debit or credit. To reserve, email stayatwestern@uwo.ca or call 519-661-2088 and ask about staying for the Faculty of Music's Summer Vocal Intensive.
Contact Information
Bethany Hörst
519-661-2111 x84328
bhorst2@uwo.ca
Sasha Gorbasew
519-661-2111 x80532
agorbase@uwo.ca
