Renée Fleming, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and More Will Host Master Classes at Carnegie Hall

From January 13–19, 2025, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute will present the seventh year of SongStudio, an innovative program exploring the future of the vocal recital. The annual intensive workshop brings eight emerging vocalists and eight collaborative pianists from around the world together with leading artists and coaches for a week of instruction and performance at Carnegie Hall. The 2025 edition of Song Studio features leading vocalists, collaborative pianists, and other artists lending their insights and expertise.

This season’s SongStudio program will be under the creative guidance of countertenor and General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia Anthony Roth Costanzo, who worked with the program in 2022. For the past six seasons, renowned soprano Renée Fleming has led SongStudio as Artistic Director. Due to the ongoing demands of her performance schedule and other commitments, she has decided to step down as Artistic Director, but will present a master class as part of this January’s program. Carnegie Hall will announce future artistic leadership for SongStudio in the coming months.

On Monday, January 13 at 6:00 p.m., countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo kicks off the week with a public master class. The following day, Tuesday, January 14 at 6:00 p.m., soprano Renée Fleming joins to share her expert insight with the young singers. Acclaimed bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel joins for a public master class on Wednesday, January 15 at 6:00 p.m. Pianist Hartmut Höll rounds out the master classes on Friday, January 17 at 6:00 p.m., working closely with the selected collaborative pianists. A culminating “Young Artists Recital” will be presented in Zankel Hall on Sunday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m.

All participating singers and pianists will receive private lessons and coaching throughout the week with Mr. Costanzo as well as vocal pedagogue Gerald Martin Moore, Director of Yale Opera at the university’s School of Music; pianist and scholar Javier Arrebola, SongStudio Artistic Associate; and Hartmut Höll, professor at the Karlsruhe University of Music in Germany.

Following a rigorous audition process open to talented young singers and collaborative pianists from around the world, 16 artists have been selected to participate, with singers and pianists paired by faculty. The 2025 SongStudio program includes artists from Bulgaria, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Spain, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Participating artists:

Jazmine Saunders, Soprano
Elitsa Desseva, Piano
*Please note: Jazmine Saunders appears by kind permission of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

Jaeeun Shin, Soprano
Aozora Deguchi, Piano

Margaret Tigue, Soprano
Jarod Yap, Piano

Sophia Baete, Mezzo-Soprano
Marc Serra, Piano

Matthew McKinney, Tenor
Corey Silberstein, Piano

Joël Terrin, Tenor
Jong Sun Woo, Piano

Anton Kirchhoff, Baritone
Jou-an Chen, Piano

Wencong Xue, Baritone
Chris Soong, Piano

Artists on the rise are given valuable access to world-class performers and composers through free workshops and master classes for young professional musicians (ages 18–35), created by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI). Participants are selected after responding to an open call for auditions. SongStudio builds on the legacy of supporting young vocalists that renowned soprano Marilyn Horne sustained over two decades through her series, The Song Continues.

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