Fifteen years ago, when my wife, Joy, and I began the Daniel Ferro Vocal Program, we set the goal of providing talented young artists the same opportunity I had as a young man of living and studying in Italy. Italy changed my life. It opened up a new world to me and had an enormous influence on my vocal and artistic development and on my career as a performer and teacher.

Our mission is to pass on to future generations my firsthand experience of having studied and sung with some of the great singers and teachers of Europe, such as: Maestro Giorgio Favaretto at the Accademia Chigiana, Siena, Italy; Ria Ginster and Ernst Reichert at the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria; Maregliana Mori, Rome, Italy; Titta Ruffo; Riccardo Stracciari; Maestro Vittorio Gui; Maestro Tulio Serafin and Maestro Igor Markevitch, just to name a few — all of whom generously shared their knowledge with a young American.

Joy and I have volunteered our time and services both in the United States and Europe. As we reflect on the past fourteen years in Greve, we are proud to share with you the following accomplishments:

•        More than 386 singers, including teachers, from more than 27 countries have attended our vocal program in Greve in Chianti. Each year approximately 7 to 10 countries are represented, which truly provides an international atmosphere among the participants;

•        20%-30% of our participants return to the program each year;

•        Referrals from past participants represent a large percentage of our applicants. In the words of one of our Advanced participants, describing our program, “I have promoted it as definitely the best summer program I have attended!”

•        41 full scholarships, 43 partial scholarships, and a limited number of airfares have been awarded;

•        Through the generous support of friends and music lovers, we have been able to keep the program fee affordable for other participants who have not received scholarship support;

•        Many of our past participants are performing at major opera houses and concert halls around the world, including The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, Bayreuth, Carnegie Hall, Covent Garden, and La Scala;

•        Past participants are on the vocal faculties at universities and conservatories around the world;

•        Awarded internships to promising young coaches to gain experience with vocal repertoire;

•        Our international faculty remains at a high level and has included guest artists, such as Paolo Montarsolo, Helmut Deutsch, Randy Michelson and Margarita Rinaldi;

•        The ratio of vocal instructors and coaches to singers remains one to five.

As we look to the future, we are committed to continuing to provide excellence in training and to pass on to future generations the art of vocal technique as applied to the literature in a variety of languages. We ask you to join us in making a difference in the lives of developing young artists coming together from different countries as we spark, illuminate and keep alight their creative fires for a better and brighter future.

Daniel Ferro
Founder and Artistic Director

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