It’s no news that the San Francisco Bay Area is rich with music, energy, and raw talent. Yefim Maizel, director of Opera Academy of California, has made it his mission to harness and finesse that talent.
Maizel established the academy in 2005 growing out of his desire to continue the tradition he had embraced over his 30-year career. “I’m very much aware that the tradition of stagecraft is in need of being continued.... I noticed the singers, as they go through the education process, don’t always have the ability to practice all the theoretical knowledge they are being taught.” Maizel was determined to create a program that enables this experience for his students and that truly allows them to immerse themselves in their craft.
The training program meets this end through many efforts, primarily the teaching of an exceptional faculty. “By creating this day-to-day environment with high-level professionals, students have no choice but to learn.” Maizel chuckled as he shared this insight into his framework, though the success of his model is shown by the caliber of the students and their desire to return for a second session to continue their pursuit of the art.
Added to the academy’s esteemed faculty are fabulous guest stars who conduct master classes, such as Lotfi Mansouri and Sheri Greenawald. The training is rigorous but the feedback is emphatic and foundation-building. The entire program strives to provide a friendly, caring atmosphere to ensure lasting relationships and the start of professional networks for the students.
This summer’s session has an intriguing twist to add to the intensity of the professional standard. Rather than rehearsing at a school (the academy’s typical practice) before moving into the theater, all six weeks of the program will take place bayside at the historic Fort Mason Center, in its Southside and Northside Theaters. As a result, the shows will be created in an intimate environment, which is acoustically safe and also allows for a closer interaction with the audience. Maizel is thrilled with this change and the potential for growth it offers his students.
This year will no doubt be another successful season for the Opera Academy of which Maizel can feel proud. “Every production is like having a child, because you have to work with a lot of people to conceive it. You have to nurture it and then it finally is born. There are a lot of joys and pains in the process.”
The joys of Yefim Maizel’s work can be shared throughout the summer at Fort Mason Center.