Don Giovanni 2010 from New England Conservatory on Vimeo.
DongWon Kim '11 A.D. in the title role.
Artist Diploma in Opera
NEC offers its two-year Artist Diploma in Opera program in partnership with Opera Boston. The program provides opportunities to perform with both a professional company and a fully fledged conservatory training program at a time in a singer's development when he or she can benefit from both environments.
The program typically admits one or two singers each year following final auditions before the Artist Diploma in Opera Committee, chaired by NEC President Tony Woodcock and made up of opera company executives and high-level NEC faculty and administrators. The small size of the program allows the NEC Opera Department to invest significant time in tailoring the musical and dramatic training to each Artist Diploma singer's specific needs.
Performance opportunities for A.D. in Opera students include:
- At least 1 principal role with orchestra in a mainstage NEC production per year. There are at least two fully staged NEC opera productions each academic year.
- One comprimario role with an Opera Boston production during the two year program.
- Option for outreach performances with Opera Boston
- Option for singing in the chorus of Opera Boston productions
- Option for additional opera scenes or other performances at NEC
- Opportunities to cover lead roles of Opera Boston productions
Participants in the Program
Baritone DongWon Kim ’11 A.D., the first singer admitted to the new Artist Diploma in Opera program, studied with Lorraine Nubar.
His first year in the program, Kim threw himself into the role of the villainous Orbazzano in Opera Boston’s October 2009 production of Rossini’s Tancredi (in photo), then led two performances of what is possibly NEC's first fully staged production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in March 2010 (video clip, top of page). The Boston Globe found him to be "a superb Giovanni, smooth and physically vital, vocally and musically stylish."
Kim gave his second Jordan Hall recital in spring 2011 and returned to Opera Boston in May 2011 as Don Pedro in Donizetti's Maria Padilla.
Soprano Hae Ji Chang '12 A.D. entered the program in Fall 2010, jumping into another key Mozart role—Pamina in The Magic Flute—and giving her first Jordan Hall recital in the 2010-11 season.
Chang, who also studies with Lorraine Nubar, has been cast as Giulietta in Opera Boston's 2012 production of Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montechhi. During the 2011-12 season she will also cover Giannetta from L'elisir d'Amore at New York City Opera in March and Mélisande from Pelléas et Mélisande at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in June. She gives her second Jordan Hall recital in November 2011.
Artist Diploma in Opera Committee
Luretta Bybee, NEC Opera Studies Executive Director and Chair
Karen Holvik, NEC voice faculty
Stephen Lord, NEC Opera Studies Artistic Director
Michael Meraw, NEC UGOS (Undergraduate Opera Studio) Director and voice faculty
Tom Novak, NEC Dean of College
Gil Rose, Opera Boston Artistic Director
Tony Woodcock, NEC President
2011-10-19
JOHANNES BRAHMS