The Vocal and Operatic Institute for Singers is poised for another exceptional year. The program's purpose is to provide both vocal instruction and stage training to interested high school students from Northeastern Ohio.

VOIS, formerly VOCI, is open to any young performers in grades nine to 12, but acceptance is on an audition-only basis as there are limited spaces available.

Students who are accepted have lessons with trained instructors who are monitored by the vocal faculty of the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University.

These half-hour lessons culminate in a recital featuring all students in the program.

The second part of VOIS is participation in a staged scenes program. These scenes are chosen from opera, operetta and musical theater.

After several staging and acting rehearsals with a professional singer/actor, students perform the selections in a live performance.

Past stage directors have included Fenlon Lamb (Opera Santa Barbara; Sacramento Opera) and Helen Todd (New York City Opera; artistic director and co-founder of Sugar Creek Symphony & Song, Watseka, Ill.).

VOIS artists receive 14 lessons and group studio classes, as well as five staging and acting rehearsals. Studio classes are Saturday mornings from 11 to 11:50 a.m.

Auditions will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and again Sept. 6 in room E205 of Ludwig Recital Hall at KSU.

Scenes rehearsals will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 22, noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 25, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 29, noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 1, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 5, and noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 8, all in Ludwig Recital Hall.

A Scenes performance will be held at 5 p.m. Nov. 9, a Master Class from noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 6, and a Recital at 5 p.m. Dec. 14, all in Ludwig Recital Hall.

The total tuition amount for the semester is $470.

Tuition is broken down as follows: $325 for 14 lessons and group studio classes; $45 for studio and recital accompanist; and $100 VOIS fee.

To schedule an audition, contact Professor Timothy Culver at 330-672-9240, ext. 2, or send e-mail to tculver@kent.edu.

(photos)

Gearing up for the VOIS auditions to be held Saturday are Vanessa Turk in front; middle row from left, Lisa Holder and Jocelyn Schmidt; and back row, Mary Ann Domzalski, Dee Manning and Kayla Titko.

Mary Ann Domzalski is one of the performers in the Vocal and Operatic Institute for Singers.