Gerda - Teacher #2253

Instruments:
- Voice

Services:
- Ear Training
- Music Theory (Beginner-Intermediate)
- Solfege

Languages:
- English
- French
- German
- Italian

Teaching Philosophy

I am excited to teach voice-students of any level and to see them succeed in their passion and pursuit in the fulfilling field of music. My exercises and choice of pieces are tailored to each student's individual needs and goals - with patience, joy and endurance, much can be accomplished.
Regular weekly lessons of 60 minutes usually garner the best results and I highly recommend that formula.

Musical Education

I have attended the following schools earning these degrees :
- University of Montréal - MMUS & DESS in Voice Performance
- Musikhochschule Zürich (Switzerland) - BMUS & MMUS, Voice Performance & Opera Studio
I am trained in the classical Belcanto-style, breathing for all kinds of sustained singing, from Baroque to contemporary (also non-classical); Italian, German, French and English diction, musicianship, music theory, etc..

Among my principal mentors and teachers are Stefano Algieri, Nino Castel, Gabriel Thibaudeau, Louise-Andrée Baril, and Ionel Pantea, who all have (and had) international careers. These teachers have formed me and taught me invaluable lessons, that I am so happy to teach others.

Other training includes a Baccalaureat in violin (which I teach to beginners), as well as the Bauhaus-Interior Design school (Basel, Switzerland).

Represented by LM OPERA-Agency, Leila Chalfoun.

Awards and Distinctions

- 1st prize Crescendo International Competition
- 1st prize WOW-competition New York
- Semi-finalist Contemporary Opera Competition New York
- Semi-finalist Classical Singer Competition New York
- Recipient of major maximum Canada Council for the Arts grants
- Scholarship Gadbois-UdM
- Scholarship Oberlin
- Scholarship Crescendo International Festival

Special Skills and Training

- Festivals : Opera Nuova, Oberlin, Orford Arts Centre (Opera-program), the Crescendo International, and Nouvel Opera, Nouvel Opera, - My principal teachers and mentors include : Stefano Algieri, Louise-Andrée Baril, Dana Nigrim, Adrienne Savoie, Jane Mengedoht, Kurt Widmer, Ionel Pantea, etc.. - Experience on the operatic, concert and oratorio stage, solo-appearances in France, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, USA and Canada, the Jeunesses Musical Opera Touring. Performances including with orchestras such as the Octuor de France, Orchestre des Concerts Cinématographiques de Montréal and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and touring with Jeunesses Musicales of Canada-Touring Operas as Queen of the Night (Mozart 'Magic Flute'). - I have also auto-produced and performed a One-Woman-Opera featuring a variety of opera-characters gone mad... Continued lessons and coachings with world class singers and musicians help me perfect and hone my skills, and I am so happy to teach others what I have learnt. With a baccalauréat in violin (Switzerland), I am also glad to teach violin to beginners.

Rates

30 Minutes: $39.00
45 Minutes: $49.00
60 Minutes: $59.00

There is a one-time registration fee of 25 $ charged with the first lessons. All Taxes are included in prices, if applicable

NOTE: Your Credit card will be charged ONLY when the first lesson is set up and confirmed with the teacher

Policies


1. Cancellation Policy

Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.

2. Cessation (quitting) Policy

A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.

3. Illness Policy

Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.

BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.

No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.

4. Rescheduling Policy

Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.

Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy

Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.

It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.

5. Evaluation Period

There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).