Leah's Journey West for OperaWorks
Donation protected
Hi! My name is Leah and I'm an opera singer. I've been singing since the age of 3 - in church choirs, school ensembles, college productions, and with opera companies around the world.
I have always been a 'jack of all trades', and have struggled with putting myself out there in terms of my singing. After receiving my Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, I decided to pursue a Masters in Arts Administration so that I could have a fallback option. After graduation, the rational side of me took over and I dove straight into the world of non-profit fundraising for the sake of financial stability.
These past five years I have worked as a fundraiser, event planner, and project manager for various arts organizations. After moving to Colorado in 2014, I spent a year focused on establishing my new career. While I truly enjoyed these experiences, I kept feeling like something was missing. It was then that I decided to start singing again, and sought out a voice teacher whom I have now spent almost 2 years working with. My teacher has helped me gain confidence in my voice and self, and it is through our time together that I decided to make the leap and work towards singing professionally.
To launch my new adventure, I have been auditioning for local companies and have been cast in a number of roles, including Lauretta in Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" with Denver Opera Collective;
the Foreign Woman in Menotti's "The Consul" with Denver Immersive Opera;
and the First Lady in Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" with Arapahoe Philharmonic.
I will also be participating in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in January 2018, and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition in March 2018.
As a perfectionist, I want to put the right foot forward in this career and become more aware of and build the skills that professional opera singers need to have in today's industry. To achieve this, I applied for a variety of training programs including the two-week Winter Intensive at OperaWorks, a well-known program that focuses on reinvigorating repertoire, building confidence, and honing one's professional edge - a program to which I was accepted!
Find out more about OperaWorks' Winter Intensive here.
Running from January 1-14, 2018, OperaWorks will offer me a myriad of opportunities to grow as a person and as a musician. I am most excited to work with coaches on repertoire both old and new, take yoga for singers and Alexander Technique classes, and be challenged mentally and physically. It's just what I need - but I need your help to go!
I am dedicated to attending this program, but the cost is high. Tuition, housing and food for two weeks, ground transportation and flights amount to roughly $4,500. Any contribution you make will go towards my tuition, directly supporting my growth as a singer. You will have my eternal gratitude, and perhaps even something special - I have created a few reward levels for those who are interested.
I am truly thankful for your consideration, and hope to see you in an opera house soon!
FOR THOSE IN DENVER - I am presenting a fundraising recital on December 18th and would love to see you there! For details please see this Facebook event.
You can also contribute in a tax deductible manner by donating directly to OperaWorks in my honor. Visit OperaWorks' support page for more details .
I have always been a 'jack of all trades', and have struggled with putting myself out there in terms of my singing. After receiving my Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, I decided to pursue a Masters in Arts Administration so that I could have a fallback option. After graduation, the rational side of me took over and I dove straight into the world of non-profit fundraising for the sake of financial stability.
These past five years I have worked as a fundraiser, event planner, and project manager for various arts organizations. After moving to Colorado in 2014, I spent a year focused on establishing my new career. While I truly enjoyed these experiences, I kept feeling like something was missing. It was then that I decided to start singing again, and sought out a voice teacher whom I have now spent almost 2 years working with. My teacher has helped me gain confidence in my voice and self, and it is through our time together that I decided to make the leap and work towards singing professionally.
To launch my new adventure, I have been auditioning for local companies and have been cast in a number of roles, including Lauretta in Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" with Denver Opera Collective;
the Foreign Woman in Menotti's "The Consul" with Denver Immersive Opera;
and the First Lady in Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" with Arapahoe Philharmonic.
I will also be participating in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in January 2018, and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition in March 2018.
As a perfectionist, I want to put the right foot forward in this career and become more aware of and build the skills that professional opera singers need to have in today's industry. To achieve this, I applied for a variety of training programs including the two-week Winter Intensive at OperaWorks, a well-known program that focuses on reinvigorating repertoire, building confidence, and honing one's professional edge - a program to which I was accepted!
Find out more about OperaWorks' Winter Intensive here.
Running from January 1-14, 2018, OperaWorks will offer me a myriad of opportunities to grow as a person and as a musician. I am most excited to work with coaches on repertoire both old and new, take yoga for singers and Alexander Technique classes, and be challenged mentally and physically. It's just what I need - but I need your help to go!
I am dedicated to attending this program, but the cost is high. Tuition, housing and food for two weeks, ground transportation and flights amount to roughly $4,500. Any contribution you make will go towards my tuition, directly supporting my growth as a singer. You will have my eternal gratitude, and perhaps even something special - I have created a few reward levels for those who are interested.
I am truly thankful for your consideration, and hope to see you in an opera house soon!
FOR THOSE IN DENVER - I am presenting a fundraising recital on December 18th and would love to see you there! For details please see this Facebook event.
You can also contribute in a tax deductible manner by donating directly to OperaWorks in my honor. Visit OperaWorks' support page for more details .
Organizer
Leah Podzimek
Organizer
Denver, CO
