Testimonials 2004 Season

Dear Denes,

 

I hope that you are both still awash with glow of the success.  Saturday night (July 17th Aida) was truly magnificent.  Jimmy and I were proud to be a part of it and we now know that Shaker Mountain Opera will be a shinning star in the future of Pittsfield.

 

We wish you continued success and we look forward to introducing this beautiful experience to the people of Pittsfield.

 

Our Best,

Jimmy and Ellen Ruberto

Mayor & First Lady of Pittsfield, MA.

 

Dear Maestro Striny,

 

Thank you for a wonderful experience during the Shaker Mountain Opera. I enjoyed my two week stay immensely. The best parts of the program were working with highly experienced and talented people, like Mr. Cheek and Matt, and also spending time with professionals from around the world. I learned so much from conversations with the different artists.

 

It was wonderful to work with someone as acclaimed and experienced as you and the staff assigned to Les Contes d'Hoffmann.  Your confident conducting and fast-paced rehearsals gave me a taste of the professional opera world.

 

I was also very lucky to have such supportive and talented roommates in Maggie and Erin. We had a marvelous time at the opera gala following Aida.

 

Thank you for providing an exceptional program for young artists. I will audition for you again and I will recommend this program to all my singer friends in Atlanta.

 

Best wishes for the coming year,

Kathleen Szalay,  Olympia in First Session Les Contes d'Hoffmann

 

 

Dear Maestro Striny,

 

I wanted to write to thank you so much for a wonderful first session at Shaker Mountain. I'm sorry that I missed you at the party on Sunday to tell you in person, so I thought that I'd write it in an e-mail. I had a really amazing time these past two weeks. I was highly impressed by the level of professionalism among participants and staff. It was a pleasure to work directly with Carol Yahr, as she is a wonderfully talented stage director, as well as singer and person. Working aside seasoned professionals such as Raul Hernandez, Damon and Luis truly raised the level of artistry and performance in Faust.

 

I also enjoyed working with Jim Mahady, Sam Bill, and Rogelio. It was such a privilege to have the opportunity to perform with orchestra, an aspect that many summer programs fail to include. I was also highly impressed by the costumes and sets as well!

 

I just wanted to follow up with you to thank you for this program and for all of the hard work that I am sure you have poured into this program. I look forward to working with you again in the future, if the opportunity presents itself.

 

Warmest Regards,

 Meredith Ziegler, mezzo-soprano

 

Dear Maestro Striny,

 

Thank you for creating Shaker Mountain Opera Festival.  I believe that it is a wonderful program & I have an incredible admiration for you, your dream and making that dream a reality.  Thank you for the opportunity you gave me to be there, to do what I love, and providing an environment in which one feels safe to grow and learn in.  thank you for your kindness, professionalism, positive attitude, encouragement and patience.  I went to do this program with some fear and hesitation as Tales of Hoffmann was my first fully staged opera and my first full role.  But, as soon as I got there & began working with you, my fears were put to rest. 

 

You made me feel like I should be there – that I was right up there with these other talented musicians.  You made me believe I had something special to offer and add to the table.  You let me know that you were available despite your extremely busy schedule for coaching’s, questions or whatever else I needed and challenged me to take myself one step further as a musician , singer and actress.  Thank you for your advise, support and compliments about where you believe I am at at this point in my development and for guiding me in the direction you believe I should go.  Thank you for bringing other great musicians & artists who taught me a great deal in my interactions with them, in listening & watching them and also working with them.

 

People were so positive, encouraging and complimentary to me & forced me to look at myself, my gifts & to learn to appreciate & believe in them more.  The whole experience of Shaker Mountain Opera is one I will treasure.  It was as opportunity for me to challenge myself, made me grow and learn & confirmed even more to me that I am following the path I am meant to and so blessed to be doing what I love the most.

 

So, thank you!  It was a pleasure working with you & I will look forward to the day when I will have that opportunity again!

 

All the best to you always

 Margaret K. Jensen, Antonia in Session I

 

 

Dear Maestro Striny,

 

I hope all is well and you are fully recovered from so much work and output for Shaker Mountain! I just wanted to write a brief note of thanks to you for including me in the season. It was extremely useful and educational to take part in the productions, meet with Dr. Cordovana and learn from your excellent master classes. I'm so glad I got to do all of it!

 

If you do choose to hold master classes in Manhattan in the future I would be thrilled if you would include me in the notice.  Please take good care and enjoy the rest of your summer.


Kind regards, Christa Hylton

 

 

Dear Maestro Striny,

Thank you for this summer. It was wonderful beyond my wildest expectations. I am so grateful to have been able to sing with three such amazing singers Raul, Luis and Damon, to work with Rojelio, and be in your program. Hearing my colleagues' voices, working with them and standing on stage singing with them was my most heady dream come true. I have always wished for something like this, but having it actually happen was almost unreal. Not only that, but even though all three have wonderful careers, they could not possibly have been more kind, more supportive and helpful. What could be better than getting encouragement and gentle, tactful advice and direction from such talented and experienced people all involved in the same effort? There is no other situation I have been in where I have gained so much. Rojelio as our conductor was marvelous - though I only had a week's rehearsal, he pursued what he wanted in the score with purposeful precision and dedication. All four inspired me through the really tough moments, with advice that I really needed and could work with, and with their love of music and humor. They were all absolutely charming and wonderful and a pleasure to be and work with. Amy Shroeder was amazing in organizing everything - she helped me a great deal - she knew, from a singer's standpoint, what was important, and spared no effort to help make it the wonderful experience it turned out to be. ...My roommates were all adorable!!!!

What was different about this program, and conductor, and my fellow singers in this production, and you as director of the program, was that I was given real-life advice about how things are in the opera business. People truly wanted me to succeed and gave me the information and encouragement I needed in order to succeed. For real, not so that I could play at being a singer for the summer. You all made what could have been a daunting thing, with great potential for failure on my part, a success and one of the most beautiful experiences in my life, on all conceivable levels. I will never forget the speech you made in the cafeteria that day. You said, 'you will encounter situations more difficult than you ever have before; just remember that you are all here because you are up to the task and are meant to be here, and keep moving forward'. On that note, I will be going to Germany to audition this fall, and I want you to know that I would not have done it without my new friends who were my colleagues at Shaker Mountain. Thank you with all my heart.

Best wishes,
Sandy Masin