Imagine having the opportunity to work one-on-one with a renowned opera star such as Martina Arroyo, Anna Moffo, Sherrill Milnes, Suzanne Mentzer, Paul Plishka, Anthony Dean Griffey, George Shirley, and Katherine Ciesinski, to name a few. That is exactly the opportunity presented to singers chosen from the contestants for the National Council Auditions held at UK each fall as well as UK opera students.

Since hosting the event for the first time seven years ago, the Lexington Opera Society has been successful in scheduling a master class the day after the auditions. This year, for the first time, there was a master class presented the morning of the auditions for students not auditioning. Each master class lasts approximately 2-3 hours as vocalists and their accompanists each present a selected aria to maestros such as those named above. Once an aria has been performed, the maestro begins to pick it apart, phrase by phrase, note by note, in an attempt to help the singers improve their performance. Is their pronunciation correct? Do they sing through their notes? Are they successfully getting from one note to the next? Do they convey the drama of the song? Can they produce a richer tone?

The master class is, to a large degree, all about bringing out that elusive "style" that separates the mediocre from the noteworthy. Those who attend a master class – and they are free and open to the public – will be struck by the detail and dedication required of each of these aspiring singers. One will never listen to an opera the same way again after observing a master class. For those who sing in their church choir or with a vocal group, the master class will offer insights that will help them return to their groups as better singers.