A Summer Program, A Concert, and A Tenor

My name is Justin Gonzalez and I am a 24 year old operatic tenor. I have been accepted to attend the summer opera program at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ called The CoOPERAtive program. The CoOPERAtive program is designed to help young singers prepare for acceptance into an advanced young artist or summer apprentice program.

THE CoOPERAtive PROGRAM is a unique program, presented in cooperation and consultation with professionals in the field of opera, designed to help young singers prepare for the essential next step toward acceptance into an advanced young artist or summer apprentice program. It is designed to assess the strengths of all participants, nurture their talents and assist in their skill development. A three week intensive program, it includes private coaching focusing on operatic style, performance techniques, dramatic presentation, language and diction, body awareness, and resume and application advice.

The program runs from July 1st thru to July 21st of this year. 

I have been a performer all of my life. I have performed as a magician, on trombone, tuba and ukulele and as a vocalist here in the United States and in Europe. I love the stage and sharing how my passion for it saved me from a difficult past. A lot of what I'm going to get out of this summer program is for my own growth as a young opera singer, but I want to create something out of this experience for others. Originally I wanted to develop a program to go into schools where I would be teaching young budding musicians. After much thinking and reflecting, I came to an awful truth about myself. I am an awful teacher. My saving grace is that I'm a performer. I would like to do more of a concert experience with the focus on young audiences. (I went this route in the end because it was a concert/demonstration by the Opera Company of Phladelphia when I was in 3rd grade that made me fall in love with the stage.) I would show in this concert the versatility of the voice and the versatility of a musician by both singing and playing music in different genres and on different instruments. It will also give me an opportunity to talk about my journey as a performer. I will be able to show my audience through music and stories that art of any kind can come from anywhere and that their surroundings shouldn't dictate what and who they can be. We must use the gifts we have been given to give.

All money donated will go toward tutition for the summer program, the cost of living while I'm in Princeton, NJ, and development of the concert.

Thank you for your time and, in advance, for your support.