Art Song Intensive



MSVMA, in collaboration with Detroit Opera, will welcome singers in grades 9-12 to our Art Song Intensive on October 9, 2026 at The Detroit Opera House. Students will have the opportunity to sing for Detroit Opera Education clinicians and experience a studio class setting with other performers, learning from their clinics as well. This event will foster a collaborative and inviting approach to the classical music tradition, while also providing excellent instruction to students to better prepare them for the Solo & Ensemble season.


Eligibility

MSVMA welcomes students in grades 9-12 to participate in the Art Song Intensive; students must be members in good standing of their school’s vocal music program, as verified by the director of record under the official MSVMA school membership.


Fee

Registration is $25 and includes clinic and accompanist. Payment can be made by school check or director’s personal check payable to MSVMA and must be postmarked by the deadline. Fees also can be paid via credit card. Purchase orders are acceptable at the postmark deadline. The State Office must receive payment one week prior to the festival. Fees are non-refundable. Returned checks are subject to a $25 fee. Registration for an event constitutes a commitment to participate in the event. Members may not register for additional events until all past-due invoices have been paid.


Invoices and checks for fees payable to MSVMA should be mailed to:

MSMVA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI  49307


Repertoire Requirements for Clinics

  • Students are asked to prepare an art song of any kind, or any other traditional repertoire (examples include any repertoire suitable for District & State Solo & Ensemble Events; Musical Theatre, Pop, Rock, Jazz, and other genres outside what is appropriate for District & State Solo & Ensemble are note appropriate for this event).
  • Music should be memorized and we will ask each student to provide a [clean, clear] copy of their music for the pianist.
  • We strongly encourage every participant to be ready to perform.

    Daily Schedule

    9:00 - Doors open, Registration

    9:30 - Start to the Day / Group Warmup

    10:00 - Art Song Group Learn (Part 1)

    10:30 - 1st Master Class: 2 groups of 20 (first group of student sing in 1st Master Class while the second group observes)

    12:15 - Lunch*

    12:45 - Tour of Opera House/Open Questions

    1:15 - 2nd Master Class: 2 groups of 20 (second group of student sing in 2nd Master Class while the first group observes)

    3:00 - Art Song Group Learn (Part 2)

    3:30 - Close of Day


    * Lunch

    Refreshments are not provided. Snacks/water/lunch are the responsibility of the student. 

    Detroit Opera has refrigeration available for lunches brought by students if desired.


    Parking

    A parking code will be provided by Detroit Opera to registrants.


    Megan Sinclair

    Director of Specialized Festivals

    megansinclair@msvma.org


    Coordinator

    Elizabeth Medvinsky

    elizabethwmedvinsky@gmail.com


    Host

    Branden Hood

    Detroit Opera Director of Education




    Registration Opens

    August 15, 2026

    Registration Deadline
    September 25, 2026


    DETAILS

    October 9, 2026

    9am-3:30pm


    Detroit Opera House

    1526 Broadway St, Detroit, MI 48226








    2026 Art Song Intensive Clinicians


    Alaina Brown

    Clinician


    Soprano Alaina Brown is acclaimed for her fine musicianship and exquisite coloratura, earning national and international recognition for her interpretations of Handel and Mozart.  She has performed with leading opera companies and ensembles across the U.S. and Europe, including Toledo Opera, Detroit Opera, Toledo Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and Teatro Reggio Torino. Her operatic roles include Clara and The Strawberry Woman in Porgy and Bess, Aurora in A Bayou Legend, Adina in The Elixir of Love, and Roselinda in Die Fledermaus. Ms. Brown made her European debut in Palermo, Italy, and has released a recording of rare oratorio works with Bongiovanni of Rome.


    In addition to her performing career, Ms. Brown serves as Program Coordinator for Detroit Opera’s Education and Community Engagement Department and manages the Detroit Opera Collaborative Voice Studio. She is also the owner and operator of ABVS (Alaina Brown Voice Studio), where she shares her passion for training, mentoring, and empowering the next generation of young singers.




    2026 Art Song Intensive

    also welcomes


    Olivia Ferguson

    Collaborative Pianist


    and 


    John Etsell

    Collaborative Pianist





    Tyrese Byrd

    Clinician


    Tyrese Byrd, tenor, is a native of Greenville, South Carolina. Hailed for his “golden tenor” voice, (San Diego Times) his performances include Ubaldo in Haydn’s Armida with Opera NEO and the Hungarian State Opera, Prologue/Peter Quint (The Turn of the Screw), Pluton/Aristée (Orphée aux Enfers), and Miles (Proving Up) at the University of Michigan, Police Buddy 1 (Blue) with Toledo Opera, and Don Basilio in Kjartansson’s Bliss with Detroit Opera. As a 2021-2022 studio artist at Madison Opera, Tyrese sang Normanno (Lucia di Lammermoor), Mercury (Orpheus in the Underworld), and in 2023, he returned as Don Basilio (Le nozze di Figaro) as a guest artist. In 2024, Tyrese covered the role of David in Chautauqua Opera Company’s production of Koch/Benavides’ Pepito. He returned to Chautauqua Opera this summer as an apprentice artist, singing Ivan in Richard Wargo’s The Music Shop, and creating roles in workshops of Mark Adamo’s Sarah in the Theater and Herschel Garfein’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.


    On the concert stage, Tyrese was the tenor soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah on tour in Argentina with The Washington Chorus and University of Michigan Chamber Choir, in the title role in Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the University Musical Society and Life Sciences Orchestra. Other credits include Handel’s Messiah (Toledo Symphony), Bonds’ The Ballad of the Brown King (Akron Symphony), and several J.S. Bach works as a frequent soloist with SC Bach. A passionate recitalist, Tyrese champions the music of Black composers in recitals across the country and at the Hugo Wolf Akademie in Stuttgart, Germany. Tyrese is also a member of EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble and can be heard in several commercial recordings as a soloist with the group. Tyrese holds degrees from Furman University and the University of Michigan, where he is currently a DMA candidate in Voice Performance.

    tyresebyrdtenor.com.




                                                                                                      

    Michigan School Vocal Music Association

    P.O. Box 1131

    Big Rapids, MI 49307-1131

    (231) 592 - 9344

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