My aim is to guide the student to find his or her true voice which starts with the spoken word culminating in natural, beautifully produced effortless singing. The student will learn to let go of tensions and inhibitions to give way to the most immediate path to emotion evoking singing.
The true voice is the window to the soul, whether the emotion be joy and fun or pain and heartache
But such freedom stems from a controlled vocal environment in a free body and mind. These parameters are explored through a sistematic series of graded exercises and practice sessions which will gradually free up any vocal and physical tensions to set free the TRUE voice.
Lessons will deal with: correct breathing, pitch control, range, vocal flexibility and power, agility, legato, phrasing, how to execute different vocal styles and many more.
I am a professional, bilingual soprano with dual Australian and Italian citizenship and have been living in Italy for over 25 years. I have obtained numerous teaching qualifications and have gained extensive teaching experience in both Australia and Italy in both Singing, Choral Direction and English as a second language. I am currently employed in the Chorus of Opera Firenze in Florence, Italy and work as a private opera voice teacher and coach, choir director.
I studied piano in Melbourne, eventually reaching a grade 6 standard. Albeit I am principally a singer, I have frequently taught pianoforte specializing in the formative period of pianoforte instruction for both adult or young piano students.
I majored in Music in the Humanities Department at La Trobe University in Bundoora, obtaining a Masters Degree in Arts in 1983, specializing in Musical Analysis, Composition and Baroque music. After obtaining my Diploma of Education from Melbourne University, I held the position of high school music teacher and Department Head of Music at Kings Park High School in 1986-7
Whilst still living in Melbourne I also worked as a music editor collaborating with the Australian Music Education Board as well as a Cultural liaison officer at the Italian Arts Festival, employed as a, specializing in music.
I subsequently relocated to Florence, Italy to take singing lessons, under the guidance of Antonio Moretti Pananti a highly esteemed Italian singing teacher who had collaborated with Melbourne University, Julia Hamari, Jill Feldman, Josrf Loibl specialized teachers of early music oratorio and opera
Whilst living in Florence where I am currently residing, I attended the Conservatorio di Firenze “Luigi Cherubini” and obtained two diplomas in Voice and Vocal Chamber Music and Oratorio. I have also recently finished post-graduate degrees in both disciplines at the same institute during which I participated in an Erasmus exchange at the Conservatoire in Dijon France in 2008/9
During the years devoted to my musical studies I worked as an English Conversation teacher at Italian Secondary Schools in Tuscany for 11 years, concurrently practicing my profession as a solo and vocal ensemble singer performing all musical styles ranging from early music, Baroque, through to opera, oratorio and contemporary music, also including musical comedy and popular singing. I set up and direct a small female vocal ensemble, and from 2013- 2015 I worked as the Director and conductor of the Choir Club for Lorenzo de Medici school for foreign students in Florence, Italy, preparing the choir for a final concert prepared in 8 weeks with only one weekly two-hour rehearsal.
I have also attended numerous singing masterclasses including:
Voice 1991/3/4/8 Julia Hamari; Melodie et French Opera 1992 Susan Danco; Vocal Polyphony 1994 Peter Phillips; Baroque singing 1994/5/7 Jill Feldman; Baroque music 1996/8 Andrew L. King; German Lieder & French Melodie 1997/2005 Irwin Gage; French Melodie 1998 Elly Ameling;
I have won several competitions: “The sung word”, under the guidance 1997 Claudio Desderi; Stagecraft & libretto Rolando Panerai; Baroque vocal & ensemble music, 2003 Jordi Savall. Opera, 2011-13 Josef Loibl. Baroque Singing, 2015, Michael Chance and Lynne Dawson; Lieder, Julius Drake, 2016.
Competitive Exams, Auditions & Prizes: 1995 qualified for chorus post for the Puccini Festival, Torre di Lago; 1997 qualified for the specialized course in Opera Interpretation and delivery of the text in song “La Parola Cantata” (the sung word) sponsored La Regione (Toscana Tuscan Region); 1997 2nd Place winner of the international State competitive exam for the post of head voice teacher at the tertiary institution: Instituto Pareggiato musicale “Boccherini”, Lucca; 1999-2000 qualified for chorus post in Teatro Comunale di Bologna; 2000 Qualified for chorus post in the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara's production of Così fan Tutte directed by Claudio Abbado; 1998-1999 Qualified for chorus post at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, now Opera Florence; 2000 1st place winner in the audition for the post of soprano in the 2000-01 season for the chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence, 2001 1st place winner of the International competitive exam for the full time tenure post of Soprano in the chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence; 2009 3rd place winner in the song category of the International song competition “Giulio Neri” Torrita di Siena and Finalist in the opera section of the concorso di canto “Giulio Neri” Torrita di Siena
Work History
1989 Assistant music editor for the A.M.E.B. (Australian Music Education Board); Music Liaison Officer, Italian Arts Festival, Melbourne, Australia 1990-91 Music Teacher and Department Co-ordinator at Kings Park State High School, Australia, 1992-present. Freelance vocalist soloist for numerous concerts, operas, musical events, recordings and soundtracks 1995 Chorister with A.C.A (Artisti Coro Associato), Puccini Festival, Torre del Lago; Solo Concert “Liederband”: Brahms, Mahler, Wolf , Puccini Festival, Torre del Lago 1997-98 Singing Teacher at the Giulio Caccini Musical Accademy, Empoli, Italy; 1998 Vocal Coach and chorus Director at the Giotto Ulivi lyceum, Borgo S. Lorenzo, Italy 1997-present Private Singing teacher and vocal coach 1998-2000 Chorus member at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Comunale, Florence, Italy 2001-present Permanent full-time tenure: Artist of the Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, now known as Opera Firenze, Florence, Italy; 2011 Concert for Voice and Guitar, for the Italian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, Poland 2013 Solo soprano in Verdi’s Requiem, Teatro Comunale, Sassari, Sardegna, Italy 2014 Solo soprano in the celebratory music for the 50th anniversary of the Lamberghini motor company, a duet with Riccardo Caruso, Enrico Caruso’s grandson.
2013-2015 Choral director and conductor of the Choir club and Lorenzo di Medici choir at the Lorenzo di Medici school for foreigners in Florence, Italy.
I have won over 30 auditions for solo parts in operas and concerts during the 15 years of employment at the Opera of Florence since I have won tenure in 2001, including the soprano solo in Petite Messe Solenelle, G. Rossini, in memory of the 40th Anniversary of the Flooding of Florence; solo soprano for the Promo video publicizing the new theatre for Opera di Firenze and in 2013, Ferragamo perfume launch at the Michelangelo quarry in Carrara, 2016, Anniversary of The association of Chianti Classico..
As a soloist I have been guided and directed by such esteemed conductors as R. Muti, Z. Mehta, S. Ozawa, D. Gatti, I. Bolton, R.F. Burgos, R. Abbado, W. Marshall, J. P, Malgoire, A. Curtis, P. Phillips, A.L. King, M. Sardelli, J.L Basso, F, Bressan
Sarina è una maestra unica, molto competente in materia ed empatica coi suoi studenti. Con lei ho imparato molte cose importanti sulla musica. La consiglio!
I met Sarina some years ago in Florence, a friend of mine recommendede to study with her... I never regretted it! She is very professional, she use a good language to make you understand what you can't see! Her determination helped me many times! I strongly recommend her!
Sarina is a brilliant teacher. She works with her students rather than preaching a universal maxim to them all and is very supportive. Her manner is calm and kind, and her suggestions are always useful and allow real progress to be made.
Sarina is an amazing teacher, she has big knowledge of singing techniques, lots of experience in singing and teaching, patient. Sarina respects the real nature of the voice and she will give perfect tools to develop it at its best. She is never boring, always curious. Not only she is good professionally, she is also a very lovely and loving person. Best you can get!
Sarina is a professional, capable and dedicated teacher. She is serious about improving her student's technique and musicality. Her teaching style is flexible and she is able to cater to different learning styles and personalities. She has many years of experience as a professional singer and teacher. She was my teacher for about 6 years and we only stopped our collaboration because I moved too far away. I would highly recommend her.
Sarina is a wonderful teacher and coach, has helped me on many occasions with precise pointers about my voice, and has helped my confidence to grow! She's a great person, an enthusiastic musician. Thank you!
I had many teachers for many years, but only Sarina really helped me. She is a fantastic teacher (and a lovely person) and she puts her all into everything she does. Until you find a good solution she doesn't give up! She is very attentive to find a solution suitable for the student, both in terms of vocal technique and interpretation. I highly recommend her: She is Amazing!
Sarina is a very good teacher. She reminded me of bad habits of singing and taught me more enthusiastically than anyone else to fix my bad habits. Thanks to her, I realized what I did not know about the song and came back again. She is full of love and enthusiasm for the song. I am grateful to have met her.
Sarina는 너무 좋은 선생님입니다. 안 좋은 습관으로 길들여져 노래하던 저를 일깨워 주셨고, 또한 그것들을 고쳐주시기 위해 누구보다 열정적으로 가르쳐 주셨습니다. 선생님 덕분에 노래에 대해 알지 못 했던 것들을 깨닫고 다시 접근하게 되었습니다. 선생님은 노래에 대한 사랑과 열정이 넘치시는 분입니다. Sarina 선생님을 만날 수 있어서 너무 감사합니다.
Sarina is a great teacher because she’s had a lot of experience singing professionally. Moreover, she is very supportive and flexible, so she always finds the right way to make you understand things. Singing can be a very abstract instrument to learn, so it’s not an easy task having your students understand. I studied with her and I would definitely recommend her!
Sarina è un'ottima musicista. Dotata di grande musicalità e eccellente orecchio. Mi ha aiutato a ritrovare la leggerezza nel canto, ad evitare lo sforzo e a riscoprire il piacere della voce che galleggia sul fiato.
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