Voice Lesson with Ms. Antonia Szilagi

Anticipated Components of a Voice Lesson:

1. Engaging Respiratory Exercises Tailored for Learners: Customized breathing routines designed to intrigue and captivate the attention of young participants, fostering a foundation of fundamental vocalization.
   

2. Vocal Warm-Ups: vocalizations meticulously crafted to align with pitch precision, facilitating the discovery of an authentic vocal timbre. These exercises serve to cultivate a resonant tone quality, ensuring vocal production remains uninhibited and devoid of strain or breathiness. They aim to expand vocal range and seamlessly bridge vocal registers, mitigating any discernible breaks within the voice.
   

3. Repertoire Development: Selecting age-appropriate musical selections that resonate with the student's sensibilities, drawing from a diverse array of genres such as Broadway tunes, Disney melodies, and folk songs in the child's native tongue. This curated repertoire not only sustains engagement but also serves as a vehicle for vocal exploration and artistic expression.
   

4. Introduction to Music Literacy and Vocal Technique: Initiating the acquisition of music-reading proficiency and acquainting students with rudimentary sight-singing and solfeggio methodologies (utilizing the solfege syllables do-re-mi). Embracing these pedagogical approaches not only enriches cognitive faculties but also fosters the development of future musicianship. Additionally, rudimentary keyboard skills may be introduced to complement vocal instruction.
   

5. Implementation of Strategic At-Home Practice Regimens: Crafting a pragmatic and achievable strategy for independent practice outside the classroom environment. Leveraging contemporary technological tools such as voice memos or karaoke tracks, tailored exercises and materials are disseminated to parents to facilitate structured practice sessions. Establishing a dedicated time and conducive environment for at-home practice reinforces discipline and fosters continued progress.
   

For parents navigating their child's preparatory auditions, open communication with the instructor regarding specific requirements is encouraged, ensuring tailored guidance and support throughout the preparatory journey.

About Professor Ubaldo Diaz-Acosta

Mr. Wisdom Tang, manager of Juliet Music and Art Center is a student of Prof. Diaz-Acosta

Ubaldo Diaz-Acosta graduated from the Conservatory of Havana and studied in Barcelona with Maria Canals and Alicia De Larrocha. He earned his Bachelors and Masters Degree in New York at the Manhattan School of Music. He has studied with various professional pianists whom includes Josephine Megret, an assistant of Maestro Claudio Arrau and with Arrau and also coached with Karl Ulrich Schnabel. Professor Schnabel has said of Mr. Diaz-Acosta having "considerable talent for passionate expression and is able to project various characteristics of music in definite contrasts." Mr. Diaz-Acosta has given Master classes in various countries including Central America, the United States and has served as a juror in may competitions. Mr. Diaz-Acosta has a wide performing background and has performed in the Aix-en-Provence in France, Varna Summer Festival in Bulgaria, and the Seville Festival in Spain along with other international festivals in the United States, Italy, Bulgaria, Canada, Mexico and Russia. His teaching style includes the relaxation and quality of sound, both in which are his area of expertise. His students have been awarded first prizes in international competitions. Mr. Diaz-Acosta founded the Albeniz institute of Music to develop the music of Spain and Latin America in the United States. His awards include a recognition award from the mayor of Avila, the Silver Plate award from the Toledo Conservatory in Spain as well as the American Scholarship association.

In his teaching experience, he has taught at Hunter College, SUNY Purchase, Aaron Copland School of Music, and Teachers College of Columbia University. He as a staff at the Manhattan College Pre-division since 1980. In the last two years, he has participated in the International Music Festival in Burgos, Spain.

About Alejandro Pico-Leonis

Mr. Wisdom Tang and Alejandro Leonis are both students of Ubaldo Diaz-Acosta

Born in Alicante, Spain, in 1975, he began his musical studies at the Conservatorio Oscar Esplà in his hometown. He subsequently moved to New York and earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts Degrees from Hunter College of the city University of New York as a student of Professor Ubaldo Diaz- Acosta. Through his teacher and mentor, Professor Diaz-Acosta, Alejandro Picó- Leonís received the Piano legacy of the legendary pianists Alicia De Larrocha, and Claudio Arrau.

Mr. Pico-Leonis was awarded the Hunter College departmental prize, and was on two occasions a winner at the Hunter College concert competition in 2001. He won the Artist international New York debut award, and thus making his New York debut and Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on the following year.

In Vienna, history with Professor Norman Shetler. He has also participated in master classes by Professor Graham Johnson, and professor Karl-Urlich Schnabel.

Alejandro Picó-Leonis has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician on important international stages, such as Carnegie Hall, and Merkin Hall in New York, Gasteig in Munich, the Carinthia summer festival in Austria, the Fundacion march in Madrid and many more.

Since 2008, he resides in Vienna, Austria, where he has been invited at concert venues, such as the Beethoven Festival Vienna as Artist-in-residence the Beethoven Tage Wein, and many more. In 2020, he played Beethoven’s piano Concerto No. 4 with the Ruhr University orchestra Bochum and many more repertoire.

Alejandro Picó-Leonis has given master classes in Spanish art song at the University of Vienna and lied at the ESMAE in Porto. He has been a lecture/collaborative pianist at the Wiener Meisterkurse and the European music institute Vienna in Austria. He has recorded chamber and solo CDs for Oehms Classics , Odradek Records, and Rondeau productions. His recording with piano works by Mozart and Beethoven received the supersonic award from the classical music magazine PIZZICATO (Luxembourg). Last year, he received in New York, 2022, the Albeniz Institute award for his artistic career and his interpretation of Spanish music.

Alejandro Picó-Leonis worked for almost 15 years as Director of music organist and choir Director at several parishes in the tri-state area.