EVENT SOLD OUT
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 AT NOON
MUSIC SALON featuring:
- Michele Patzakis, DMA, audition adjudicator
- Victoria Kirsch, opera and audition pianist
- Tiffany Ho, soprano, guest artist
The event will be at a private residence in the Hollywood Hills
Address details will be shared upon confirmation
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Please note: both the house itself and the upstairs music room are accessible only by staircase. Those with mobility issues will be advised accordingly.
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Join us for a unique behind-the-scenes exploration of vocal competition auditions and opera staging rehearsals. Experience a live mock audition and engage in a detailed discussion about the crucial roles of singers and pianists. Learn how performers prepare for pivotal moments, what judges seek in competitors, and the essential function of a répétiteur.
This event offers a rare glimpse into the meticulous preparation and intense collaboration required to excel in the competitive world of opera. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the art and intricacy of musical performances.
Bio's of Performers/Speakers:
Michele Patzakis
Michele Patzakis earned acclaim as a leading soprano with performances across North America and Europe, including with New York City Opera, Théâtre de la Monnaie, the Orchèstre de Toulouse, and the Spoleto Festivals. A national winner of the Loren L Zachary Competition and Regional Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she now serves as the Director of the San Francisco District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and as Artistic Director and Vice President of the Board of the Loren L Zachary Society for the Performing Arts. She serves on the voice faculties of Azusa Pacific University and Pasadena City College and is in demand as an adjudicator and presenter for masterclasses and programs on voice science and audition techniques. She is a Teaching Artist with LA Opera where she has served as the program coordinator for the LA County Arts and Health Week, as voice faculty for the Russell Thomas Youth Artist Training Academy, and as co-creator and instructor for “Opera for Life and Wellness” – a breathing rehabilitation program in collaboration with UCLA Health. She earned an MM from the New England Conservatory of Music, and a BM and DMA from the USC Thornton School of Music where she directed productions for the Thornton Chamber Opera, was the Head Teaching Assistant, and was awarded Outstanding Graduate Departmental honors and inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Her research in voice science and music education has been presented for USC Visions and Voices, the Johns Hopkins-Renée Fleming “Healing Breath” workshop, NATS Cal-Western, CASMEC, and the Performing Arts Medicine Association Conferences. She is still an active performer and will be singing a program at the Ebell’s “Live in the Lounge” in May 2025.
Victoria Kirsch
Collaborative pianist Victoria Kirsch creates and performs innovative programs, including concerts based on museum exhibitions and staged art song/poetry programs. A Continuing Lecturer at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, she serves as a coach and pianist for vocal students and fellow faculty. Victoria has worked with national and regional opera companies, including LA Opera and Long Beach Opera, and she served as an official pianist for the Operalia Competition and the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions.
She was the onstage pianist for soprano Julia Migenes (Carmen in the award-winning opera film directed by Francesco Rosi), touring the world for many years with the celebrated singing actress. Victoria has been a teaching artist for LA Opera’s Continuing Education Department and the LA Opera League, and she served on the faculties of USC’s Thornton School of Music, SongFest, and Angels Vocal Art. She was associated with the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara for many years, playing in the studio of renowned baritone and master teacher Martial Singher and serving as a member of the vocal faculty.
Tiffany Ho
Vietnamese American Tiffany Ho has been praised as a “gloriously radiant” (Broadway World) “silvery soprano” (Opera Today) with a “crystalline, pure, powerful voice” (LOL-LA).
Next season, Tiffany will sing the principal soprano role in a world premiere at the Aratani Theatre, Little Tokyo, in February ‘25.
Past opera roles include: Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), The Princess (L'enfant et les sortilèges), Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Adina (L'Elisir d'Amore), Meleagro (La Corona), Melpomene (Il Parnaso Confuso), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Princess Saralinda (13 Clocks, a world premiere), Bellezza (Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno), 1st Lady (The Magic Flute aka Superflute), Frasquita (Carmen), Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Clarice (Il Mondo della Luna), 1st Cercatrice (Suor Angelica), Peep-Bo (The Mikado), Prilepa (Pikovaya Dama), Little Matchgirl (The Happy Prince), and Sandman/Dew Fairy (Hansel und Gretel).
Tiffany finds great joy and fulfillment in singing in ensembles and sharing her gifts for community and education outreach. She serves as music assistant and professional Fox Singer with the Verdi Chorus; solos and leads the soprano section at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles; is on the auxiliary roster for L.A. Master Chorale; sings for POP’s “My First Opera” Education Program; and frequently tours with “Concerts for Hope,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting hearts, through music, for incarcerated individuals, those battling drug and alcohol addiction in rehab centers or facing homelessness in shelters, and other spaces that may not have access to high-quality live music throughout the country.
Tiffany is a graduate of Westminster Choir College where she earned her Master of Music degree, with distinction, in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy; she received her Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, in Music Education at Nazareth College of Rochester.