AUDITION WORKSHOP

American mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook has excelled in a wide range of roles with leading companies throughout the United States, including the Metropolitan Opera, 

where she recently sang in a production of "Faust" by Gounod, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles Opera and the Houston Grand Opera. Ms. Cook was a former Merola participant and Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera, where she continues to be a frequent presence. She has performed more than 45 roles to date with the company, including Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro and La Frugola in Il tabarro. Ms. Cook is a graduate of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she won the Norman Triegle Award in opera and the same year was a Metropolitan National Council Winner. Ms. Cook’s students have been winners in many vocal competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, and are chosen to participate in many apprentice programs throughout the country. In addition to maintaining a full voice studio, she holds annual audition workshops in the Bay Area and teaches Audition Workshop for Singers at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

ARIA PREPARATION WORKSHOP

 

San Francisco Conservatory

 

Metropolitan Opera: Marjenka in The Bartered Bride under James Levine, Butterfly, Mimi, The New Prioress in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Jenny in Mahagonny. Puccini specialist. Leading soprano for 12 years, New York City Opera. Other career highlights: Manon Lescaut (Venice), Butterfly (Marseille), Lisa in Pique Dame (Festival of Two Worlds, Spoleto and Charleston), Violetta in La Traviata (Cincinnati, New York City Opera), Leonore in Il Trovatore (Cincinnati). Since 1990, voice faculty, New England Conservatory of Music. Since 2010 on the voice faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has been on the BASOTI faculty since 1993.

 

 

 

 

Alexander Technique, San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Teacher, Alexander Technique, San Francisco Conservatory since 1984; BASOTI since 2000.  He maintains a private teaching practices in San Francisco as well as teaching at the Alexander Training Institute of San Francisco.  Robert Britton has chaired the American Society for the Alexander Technique from 1997-1999, he is conference director of the International Association of Alexander Teachers.  He has pursued studies in Buddhist meditation, Zen practice and Asian martial arts. Mr. Britton is on the Faculty Executive Committee at the Conservatory and serves on the Board of Directors at BASOTI.

 

 

 

 PUBLIC SPEAKING

 

WILLIAM ELSMAN, ACTOR

"ENGAGING YOUR PUBLIC"

William Elsman- A professional actor and teacher in the Bay Area since 2007.  Local performance credits include SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ where he performed Sir Andrew in TWELFTH NIGHT in 2012, and will return in 2013 in two further roles, the San Francisco Playhouse where he played in BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, the Sacramento Theater Company where he’s played Sherlock Holmes in THE FINAL ADVENTURE, Mrs. Badden-Rotten in CINDERELLA, and the Dentist in the LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Capital Stage in THE NORTH PLAN, six Seasons at Marin Shakespeare Company including Henry Carr in TRAVESTIES (Broadway 

 nominee for Best Leading Actor), Orsino in TWELFTH NIGHT (BATCC nominee for Best Leading Actor),  Salieri in AMADEUS and MACBETH.  Other stage credits include MAN OF LA MANCHA (The Mountain Play), GASLIGHT (Hapgood Theatre), and THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Phoenix Productions National Tour).  TV work includes Lend America and IBM.com commercials, as well as music and industrial videos.  Mr. Elsman holds a BFA from Rutgers University and an MFA from the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Delaware.

 

HECTOR CORREA, ACTING

 

Hector Correa is a San Francisco director and actor who is widely considered one of the most inventive and groundbreaking members of his generation. Mr. Correa has acted numerous Shakespeare roles, contemporary roles in the Bay Area and L.A., and was the Artistic Director of the Pacific Alliance Repertory Theater in Santa Rosa for many years.  Mr. Corriea will spend his 8th season at BASOTI this year in the dual roles of stage director and Audition Techniques specialist.