Tiny Dancer on Penny Lane

I have made the move to Evansville! I am excited to explore the local music scene from the Evansville Philharmonic to the German Männerchor. And on my own block I can enjoy the Penny Lane Coffee House, a cool place for a soy latte or vegan scone, once frequented by Penny Lane herself (Kate Hudson in "Almost Famous").

NATS in SLC: Singing and "Postering"

The National NATS conference in Salt Lake City was a wonderful experience for me. It was literally a trip down memory lane to be in the town where I went to high school while encountering colleagues old and new. I had the pleasure of singing on the Graphite Publishing showcase and presented my poster paper on Yoga Breathing and Meditation for Singers. (To see the paper, click on the Yoga for Singers tab on lindalister.com.) Kelli O'Hara's concert and master class were highlights, especially her hilarious rendition of "Opera-It's an Opry with an A."

Druid City/YFS Thank You

I received a lovely thank you note from the students of the Druid City Opera Workshop:

"Thank you for giving us such a wonderful understanding of our bodies and what yoga can do for us as singers. We'll forever cherish everything you taught us!"

It is so rewarding to help empower performers to sing better, to find vocal and expressive freedom. I look forward to many more YFS workshops.

Clara a.k.a. Kelli O'Hara

The National NATS convention is about a month away, and I am excited about the featured performer: Kelli O'Hara. Originally Kristin Chenoweth had been the featured artist, but I suppose Glee and the Broadway production of Promises, Promises created a scheduling conflict. Kelli should be a good replacement. She has similar crossover appeal yet is a bit less known. The original Clara in The Light in the Piazza, she studied with the same voice teacher Kristin did, Florence Birdwell. What a great name! BTW, Kelli had a cruel cameo in Sex and the City 2, so I have to remind myself that she was just acting and didn't mean to demean Carrie Bradshaw.

Druid City Opera Workshop debuts

This week, the Druid City Opera Workshop debuted in Tuscaloosa, AL. This new summer program was created by Paul Houghtaling of the University of Alabama Opera Theatre. I was thrilled to be invited to teach Yoga for Singers at the workshop as well as coach the young singers on their arias. Here's to many more years for Druid City Opera.

Photo: Coaching singers at the "Acting Your Aria" class, with Kevin Chance at the piano.

University of Evansville

It is time for a big change in my life. After 8 years at Shorter College, I have decided it is time for me to move on, thus I have accepted a position at the University of Evasnville. It is an academically strong school with a strong music department, so I am excited for a new start and a new adventure. Click here to learn more about UE

YFS at University of Alabama

On April 14 I presented Yoga for Singers to the University of Alabama Opera Theatre. Director Paul Houghtaling and his students were energetic and receptive to the workshop, practicing pranayama breathing techniques and learning asanas and mudras especially helpful to singers. Here's to more YFS workshops in the future.

Pictured: Cow face pose

Fairy songs revisited

My student Laura Collins sang two songs from my cycle Pleas to Famous Fairies at the Voice Honors Recital at Celebrate Shorter 2010. Her shimmering soprano voice brought my music and poetry to life, luring the audience with her romantic rendition of "Fairy Godmother" and cheering them with her endearing "Tink."

Southeast Regional NATS Winners

I am so proud of all of my students who sang at the 2010 Southeast Regional NATS at Stetson University on March 26-27. The competition was stiff but my students stayed calm and sang well.


From left to right...
Ryan O'Leary, 3rd place Sophomore Men-Musical Theatre
Moi,
Hannah Freeman, 2nd place Sophomore Women-Musical Theatre, 3rd place Sophomore Women-Classical
Emily Tweedy, 2nd place Junior Women-Musical Theatre
Laura Collins, 1st place Advanced College Women-Musical Theatre

Catch me on Naxos

Both of my recordings on Albany Records, The American Soloist and Midnight Tolls, are now on the Naxos Music Library. Members can hear me singing Rodrigo's Cuatro madrigales amatorios or the world premiere of Lee McQuillan's Seasons of Gold. I had a fabulous time recording these works in Prague with Julius Williams conducting the Dvorak Symphony Orchestra.

Photo L to R: Lee McQuillan, Linda Lister, Julius Williams

Yoga for Singers article in VOICEPrints

For a sneak preview of my Yoga for Singers book, check out the article I wrote for the March/April issue of VOICEPrints, the journal of the New York State Singing Teachers' Association.
Click HERE to read the article pp. 4-5.

Sampling Yoga Workshops

I greatly enjoyed my Character Portraits recital and the audience seemed to as well. Besides working on the program, I have been busy with yoga workshops as of late.

February 27 I attended a workshop at Clear Spring Yoga in Chattanooga. I didn't realize until afterwards that the teacher, Manju Jois, is the son of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois who brought Ashtanga yoga to the U.S. It was an intense experience (my hamstrings took a week to recover!) and the Sanskrit chanting was most interesting.

March 7 I took my first class at Rome's new Spring Stone Yoga studio. Beth Novian Hughes teaches a monthly Yoga and Sound Healing class the first Sunday of every month. Since I was the only one in attendance, I got a private lesson. She shared neat insights into toning on vowels and the power of sound to bring peace and harmony.

Character Portraits Recital on March 8

I am busy preparing for my upcoming recital, Mar. 8 at 7:30 pm in Shorter's Brookes Chapel. My program is a unique exploration of different characters from history, literature, and film: Cleopatra (Handel), Shakespeare's Ophelia (R. Strauss), Madge from Picnic (Libby Larsen), Eliza from My Fair Lady (Lerner and Loewe) and Giselle from Enchanted (Menken/Schwartz). It should be a fun evening of music and drama, with a special surprise thrown in.

NATS winners

I am proud of all of my students who sang at the Georgia NATS Student Auditions at the University of Georgia this weekend. The picture features my three 1st place winners, Hannah Freeman (also Miss Shorter), Laura Collins, and Chris Lewis. All three won their musical theatre categories and impressed at the Winners' Concert with their strong renditions of Jason Robert Brown and Maury Yeston songs.

Exploring Handel's Cleopatra

In preparing for my upcoming recital, I have been exploring the character of Cleopatra from Handel's opera Giulio Cesare (1724). This plum soprano role has 6 arias, everything from the coloratura tour de force "Da tempeste il legno" to the sublime sostenuto of "Se pietà di me non senti." I love the stately sensuality of "V'adoro pupille," while "Piangerò la sorte mia" delves into Cleopatra's dramatic complexity. Notable contemporary Cleopatras have included Beverly Sills and Sylvia McNair.

Voce di Roma premeires

The new chamber choir Voce di Roma will make its debut February 6 at 7:30 pm in Brookes Chapel at Shorter College. Tre Appleby will conduct the Dvořák Te Deum featuring Matthew Hoch, baritone, with myself as the soprano soloist.

From Paris and Pontevedro to Savannah and Chattanooga

It will be a busy week for me: first I will be attending the GMEA (Georgia Music Educators' Association) conference in Savannah and then judging the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Guild Voice Competition. Meanwhile, I am still reveling in the success of my production of The Merry Widow.

Photo by Chuck Tedder featuring can-can girls/Shorter students Jenica Reed, Anne Marie Kelly, Emily Tweedy, Tareva Moore, Mary Diesch, and Jasmine Habersham.

"The Merry Widow" runs Jan. 22-23

Shorter Opera Theatre proudly presents Franz Lehar's operetta
The Merry Widow. As the stage director and choreographer of the production, I am proud of the talented singers at Shorter, who also get to test their acting and dancing skills in this production. Performances will be at the Rome City Auditorium Jan. 22 and 23 at 7:30 pm. For tickets, please contact boxoffice@shorter.edu .

Photo by Aimee Madden featuring Emily Tweedy as Valencienne in the can-can.

Excerpts from "The Prince of Tides" opera to be premiered

One should always be ready for unexpected opportunities. 2010 is starting with a new-found endeavor for me. Twelve days before the premiere of excerpts from Andy Fowler's opera based on The Prince of Tides, I was called to step in for an ailing singer. My last week of vacation before the spring semester will be spent learning this exciting new work. On January 10, 2010 at the University of South Carolina, Tim Koch of the Carolina Master Chorale will conduct the excerpts from Fowler's new opera. I will sing Savannah, the suicidal sister (played by Melinda Dillon in the movie) as well as young Lila, her mother, in flashbacks. It should be an exciting (and anxious week) as I do my best to prepare my part. For more on Tim Koch and Andy Fowler, please visit the CMC website at CAROLINA MASTER CHORALE .

Poster presentation at NOA/NATS Convention

On January 9, 2010, I will be pleased to present a poster paper at the National Opera Association/National Association of Teachers of Singing convention in Atlanta: First the Words, Then the Music. Based on my doctoral dissertation, my poster is Realizing Rosina: Operatic Realizations of Beaumarchais's Heroine. Pictured is Renee Fleming, the original Rosina in John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles as well as a noted interpreter of Mozart's Countess Rosina Almaviva.