Vocational education program Vocal music – academic singing (3321206) – choir singer specialty.
In the Academic singing specialty, the next professional choir singers and soloists are prepared. Along with general music theory disciplines, the program provides a rigorous solo singing, vocal ensemble, Italian, stage movement and speech culture training.
For many years audiences have rejoiced at the performances by Riga Cathedral Choir School’s soloists not only in Riga and Latvia but also in Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, Vilnius, Sweden, Hungary, Japan, USA and in other countries around the world which the boys’ and the girls’ choirs have visited. For years the most prominent soloists of the school have performed in a variety of operas in the Latvian National Opera, musical and collaborative projects.
Since choirs are always in a need of beautiful voices that are also able to stand up on the stage as soloists, the Vocal department has always been one of the key parts of Riga Cathedral Choir Shool’s special education. Patient and long-term work by skillful vocal teachers is necessary to develop and refine the voices from a young age – in order to achieve that, each student is provided with individual vocal lessons since the first grade.
Programme manager – Valda Tracuma.
After graduating the vocationally oriented programme Choir class, 9th-graders do not always decide to further their education in conducting. They often choose to improve their vocal mastery in high school, therefore, responding to the great interest and high demand after a vocal arts department, Riga Cathedral Choir School created a Vocal music – academic singing programme in 2005. The programme has been successfully implemented for years.
Programme manager – Antra Jankava.
Since 2007, as members of both Latvian and the International Association of Teachers of Singing, the teachers of singing of RCCS have been actively participating in seminars and conferences, often leading public workshops and hope to realise the idea of a young vocalists’ competition in the future. The students of RCCS are often on the receiving end of endless compliments and are invited to sing in foreign professors’ workshops. For years RCCS has been the basis for Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music Vocal department students in learning vocal pedagogical practice in working with children and adolescents. The graduates of RCCS continue their vocal studies both in the Latvian Academy of Music and in various foreign universities.
The participation of RCCS students in Latvian and international young vocalists’ competitions has been filled with success – the students continue to prove both their skill in music and their sense of style and musical taste, which is a very important aspect at this age. The vocal teachers of RCCS continue to have a creative, enthusiastic and loving attitude towards every student which in turn gives them the opportunity to develop into outstanding and competitive vocalists, knowledgeable and skilled vocal teachers and sought-after professional choir artists.