Introducing the Valor Summer Conservatory!
by Dr. Stan Eby
Valor students with opera soprano, Dominique Labelle,
after a recital in the Heritage Room at Camp Joy
This past summer, Valor Summer Conservatory (VSC), founded by faculty members Stan Eby and Duane Ream, along with Achim and Sharon Gerber assisting on faculty, celebrated its inaugural year with an intensive nine-week, performance-oriented program at Camp Joy on Whitewater Lake in Wisconsin. VSC was established to aid the professional development of music teachers in Christian colleges, to advance the performing skill of Christian college-age students called to a lifetime career and/or ministry in music, and to admonish God’s people to worship Him with excellence and in the beauty of holiness.
Students’ schedules included five hours of mandatory practice each day (punctuated with a variety of recreational activities), musical ensemble rehearsals and daily devotions. Each performed in mini-recitals at the end of every week and participated with the VSC faculty in two concerts at the Light Recital Hall at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater.
Weekly guest clinicians’ work with our faculty and students was transformative and inspiring: Uri Vardi, Feldenkrais practitioner and professor of cello (UW-Madison); Anthony di Bonaventura, professor of piano and former head of the Piano Department, Boston University; Bradley Williams, tenor, opera singer (Pinnacle Arts Management, agent) and associate professor of voice, University of Oklahoma; Erich A. Eichhorn, first violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra and adjunct professor of violin, Cleveland State University; Dominique Labelle, soprano, opera singer and recording artist (Schwalbe and Partners, agent); The Harding Trio (Rebecca Harding Mayer, piano; Rachel Harding Klaus, violin; and Maaike Harding, cello—all graduates of Cleveland Institute of Music [CIM]); David Cerone, professor of violin and former president of CIM; and his wife, Linda Sharon Cerone, professor of violin and artistic director of the Violin Preparatory Department (CIM); and Dr. Gene Trantham (Bowling Green University). VSC invited teachers and students not enrolled in the summer program to participate in masterclasses provided by guest clinicians.
“Field trips” to concerts also kept everyone highly motivated throughout the summer: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, conducted by Carlos Kalmar in Grant Park, Chicago; a farewell concert by Kiri Te Kanawa at Ravinia with James Conlon conducting the Chicago Symphony and featuring music by Richard Strauss, Puccini and others; and “Opera in the Park” at Madison, featuring music from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, and Gounod’s Faust, and select scenes from operetta and musical theater.
Valor students or faculty provided special music for the evening services at Camp Joy and occasionally provided dinner music for special meals hosted by Camp Joy.
In addition, we held meetings in several churches and provided special music for Kettle Moraine Baptist Church in Whitewater, also assisting them in canvassing to help promote their Vacation Bible School. We were also given many wonderful opportunities to share our testimonies with those who do not know the Lord.
Recreation times included badminton, canoeing, horseback riding, tubing, laser tag, swimming and other activities. Relaxing evening pontoon boat rides on the lake under starlit skies often wrapped up the day after vigorous practice, lessons and performance activities.
We are looking for the Lord to bless another year at VSC—June 8 to August 7, 2009. Additional information may be found at www.valorsummerconservatory.org.