SAVANNAH VOICE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THE PRODUCTION OF “A ROYAL FEAST” ALONG WITH FREE MASTERCLASSES AS PART OF THE NINTH SEASON

SAVANNAH, GA. – July 29, 2021 – The Savannah VOICE Festival (SVF) and the VOICExperience Foundation are slated to showcase several educational outreach initiatives to the Savannah community as part of its ninth festival season LIVE, including three free masterclasses on August 10,11, and 17 at 1 p.m. and FEAST on August 14 at 5 p.m.

As part of its mission to serve the community, Savannah VOICE Festival and its sister organization, the VOICExperience Foundation, will showcase three Master Classes on August 10, 11, and 17 starting at 1 p.m that are free to the public. Audience members can look forward to educational intensives taught by Opera Assistant Conductor and VOICE Faculty member Howard Watkins, Opera Director Fabrizio Melano & Psychotherapist Laura Melano Flanagan, and SVF’s Artistic Director and legendary operatic baritone, Sherill Milnes. Outreach and educational events in schools, retirement homes and for local charities, free teen workshops and masterclasses are always offered at SVF for local Savannah artists and partnerships with local arts organizations have always been a vital part of their mission to serve the community.

“We are more than thankful for the 9^th season of the Savannah VOICE Festival and the efforts the Sherrill and Maria took to keeping our performers and participants safe and at home,” said SVF and VOICExperience’s education and outreach coordinator, Chad Sonka. “Our students and composers have worked tirelessly for almost two years to be able to perform for a live, and socially distanced, audience.”

On Saturday, August 14, SVF will showcase the world premiere of Michael Ching’s “A Royal Feast”. Both the synopsis and plot for this opera were conceived by students of Esther F. Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts and Windsor Forest High School. Over the summer of 2020, Sonka and Ching facilitated Zoom workshops with students to create and write some of the music and textual material for the 2020 production of “A Royal Feast”. Continuing to work with them throughout the school year to prepare for the live production of this year’s performance, “A Royal Feast”. “A Royal Feast” tells the story of what happens to Cinderella in after her wedding to Prince Charming. This sequel to Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” is a magical event with a special message for the whole family.

For more information about SVF, the VOICExperience Foundation, or tickets to this year’s festival, please visit www.savannahvoicefestival.org.

Savannah VOICE Festival is a 501(c) 3 tax exempt nonprofit arts organization in the state of Georgia. The Festival brings classical vocal excellence to the Savannah area through a two-week celebration of concerts, events and educational presentations during the month of August and throughout the year. Focusing on arts awareness and audience development in the performing arts, it offers music from opera, musical theatre and popular song. Donations are tax-deductible.

VOICExperience Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to pass on the traditions of great singing and develop new audiences for opera. Under the umbrella of The Sherrill Milnes VOICE Programs, VOICExperience continues its dedication to the quality, integrity and perpetuation of the vocal arts through life-changing intensives, performances, and community-enriching outreach events in New York, Georgia (with its sister organization, the Savannah VOICE Festival), Florida and Illinois. For more information, please visit www.VOICExperienceFoundation.org. The Savannah VOICE Festival is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

– ENDS –

For media inquiries, please contact Kristyn Fielding at 229-393-6457 or kristyn@lesleyfrancispr.com, Lesley Francis at 912-429-3950 or lesley@lesleyfrancispr.com, or the team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).