Bel Canto Boot Camp: April Sunday Matinées

Rachelle Jonck received her musical training at the Conservatory of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. In her native country she was awarded a FNB/Vita award for her contribution to opera in South Africa and the Nederburg Opera Prize – South Africa’s premier opera award.

Rachelle moved to New York City as Head Vocal Coach and Assistant Conductor of Bel Canto at Caramoor. Her private coaching studio includes established professionals whose careers take them to the largest opera houses of the world, and younger singers still on the verge of a professional career. Her master class topics, while related to her main study field of bel canto, explore the wider application of the bel canto way of singing. rachellejonck.com

Photo: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

Derrick Goff is an alumnus of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and has returned as member of the MET music staff. He has enjoyed many years of collaboration at Teatro Nuovo, a continuation of the young artist program of Bel Canto at Caramoor, where he is resident as a coach, chorusmaster, and Italian teacher. In addition to his work as a pianist, coach, and conductor, Derrick holds degrees in organ and voice from Westminster Choir College, and is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

Photo: Jiyang Chen

Missouri-born tenor Steven Tharp’s operatic credits include performances with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Netherlands Opera, among many other houses. Handel and Mozart are well represented in Mr. Tharp’s repertoire of more than 60 operatic parts, and his keen interest in 18th- and early 19th-century opera has led to many roles in operas of Gluck, Haydn, Scarlatti, Conti, and others. In concert, Mr. Tharp has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra, among others. His concert repertoire includes the Bach, Mozart, Handel, and Haydn masterpieces of the 18th and 19th century and extends to Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder, the Verdi Requiem, and Britten’s War Requiem. A dedicated song recitalist, Mr. Tharp has appeared at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie’s Weill Hall, venues in Europe, Japan, and South America. His interest in musical theater and cabaret led to his appearance in 3 Tenors in Search of an Act in a sold-out run at Don’t Tell Mama in New York. Steven has recorded for Decca, Delos, Newport, Albany and Naxos, earning a Grammy Award nomination. He has also served as stage director for the Manhattan School of Music and for Caramoor. He lives in Columbia, Missouri with his adorable Westie, Hector, and is Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Missouri. 

Dave Ekstrum studied music theory and composition at Ouachita Baptist University (B.M.) and Baylor University before making the transition from baritone to tenor and becoming a professional singer. Early professional chorus work at Houston Grand Opera and New York City Opera led to solo engagements at the Caramoor Festival, Sarasota Opera, Opera in the Heights, and Cincinnati Opera. His operatic roles include Canio, Pollione, Idomeneo, Florestan, Macduff, Don José, Max, Samson and last, but not least…Siegmund. Awards and prizes include Second Prize in the Liederkranz Foundation Awards for Voice (Wagnerian Division) and a study grant from the New York Wagner Society. He holds an M.M. in vocal performance from CCM and a D.M.A. from the University of North Texas. He currently teaches voice at Southern Arkansas University. When not singing, teaching singing or conducting a choir, Dave is an avid reader and movie buff.  He also enjoys spicy food, superhero TV shows, and spending time at the beach. 

Judith Malafronte has appeared as mezzo-soprano soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, St. Louis Symphony, and Mark Morris Dance Group, as well as opera companies in Europe and oratorio societies and early music groups throughout the United States. As a vocal coach and continuo player, she has given master classes in Europe and Asia, and she maintains an active private voice studio in New York City. 
 
Malafronte taught for 15 years at Yale University, having created undergraduate courses on Shakespeare and Music, Literature and Opera, and The Material Culture of Music. In addition, she taught graduate level courses in historical performance, oratorio repertoire, and the music of Handel, and provided vocal instruction to choral conducting majors. She curated and produced concerts and theater projects in collaboration with Yale’s museums, libraries, professional schools, and social clubs, and led the Yale Collegium Singers for six years. She continues to give popular courses on opera for Yale Alumni College and the Yale University Women’s Organization 
 
Malafronte earned degrees from Vassar College and Stanford University, and studied in Paris with Mlle. Nadia Boulanger and in Milan with Giulietta Simionato as a Fulbright scholar. She has recorded for major labels in a broad range of repertoire, from medieval chant to contemporary music, and writes regularly for online and print outlets including Opera News, Early Music America Magazine, The Classical Review, and Parterre Box.