TESTIMONIALS

"It is very exciting that Carol Baggott-Forte will be teaching a master class for you in Paris! Carol has been teaching voice here at the Shaw Festival for the past six years, and has done wonders with people's voices. The singers and actors find Carol tremendously helpful, and her work has definitely had a positive effect on our theatrical productions. As the music director for the Shaw Festival, it is great to have someone like Carol to work with our performers. Having seen the wonderful results she achieves. I recommend Carol to you wholeheartedly."

Paul Sportelli, Music Director, Shaw Festival

Paul Sportelli returns for his eleventh season as The Shaw Festival's Music Director. His growing list of credits at the Shaw Festival include music director for High Society, Gypsy , Happy End (2005, 2003), Pal Joey , Floyd Collins, On the Twentieth Century, Merrily We Roll Along, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Shadow Play, She Loves Me, A Foggy Day (1999); the Musical Reading Series productions The Golden Apple, Tristan, Jubilee, Panama Hattie, Hello Again, archy and mehitabel and Sadie Thompson; and composer for Arms and The Man, The Crucible, Love Among the Russians, Man and Superman, Three Sisters, The Plough and the Stars, Candida, His Majesty,Chaplin, Picnic, The Millionairess, Lord of the Flies (North American premiere), and The Madras House.

"Thank you again for coming to Frankfurt. I really feel that you're leading me toward some great things! I look forward to hearing from you and working with you again sometime in the future, as I truly enjoyed working with you. I still have some way to go, but I feel I'm on the right path now!"

Krista Adams Santilli, soprano

An award winning young artist whose career began in Alabama, USA, has performed opera and music theatre in Europe and N. America

"Cette première rencontre avec Carol Baggott-Forte m’a marqué à jamais. Carol m’a fait découvrir ce que voulait dire "chanter avec son âme"; depuis, je m’efforce de le faire à chaque fois que je chante. Je ne trouve pas les mots pour exprimer toute ma gratitude. Pour moi c’est un nouveau départ. Merci Carol du fond de mon âme et à bientôt."

Vincent Corso, baryton-basse, Paris, France

Vincent is never happier than when he is on stage singing his beloved Italian, French and Russian operatic répertoire. In addition, he is passionate about the 19th century romantic French mélodie and Russian art song. He is a founding member of the opera and theatre company "Voix lactées" and also performs regular sacred music concerts.

"Ms Baggott-Forte combines an understanding of voice mechanics with an intuitive clarity of how to nourish and develop the whole singer. She marries the pupil to her own voice without preconceived ideas as to what that might sound like by focusing on what is a healthy sound rather than an aesthetic ideal. The result of such instruction, is not only finding one's own true voice, but in gaining the ability to express music freely."

Patricia O'Callaghan, soprano

Oratorio, opera and cross-over artist, recipient of Ontario and Canada Arts Council Grants, Aldstadt Hersbst Wettbewerb für Junge Kultur in Dusseldorf, current CD, Real Emotional Girl, Teldec/Warner

"Thank you for your very helpful instructions. There is a huge development taking place with my voice after all the new experiences of the master class. Thank you for being such a warm-hearted and friendly teacher and for coming to Frankfurt. I hope very much that you will come again to teach your friends here."

Wolfgang Michael Weiss, baritone

Bass-Baritone concert artist, Frankfurt, Germany

"I came to Carol in 1999 with my voice in shambles. I had lost the top and bottom range. I was stuck with either a breathy vocal quality or a forced loud one. We broke down physical and emotional barriers to get to the core of my true voice. Carol has a fantastic ear at hearing vocal qualities and is compassionate to the singer's concerns when the voice doesn't work well. This combination makes for a truly amazing journey. She has given me the tools to trust my own instincts and keep my voice operating in good health as well as beauty."

Miranda Morrow

"It was a real privilege to have you here in Frankfurt. You have given us all lots to think about and try out with our students! We all look forward to seeing you again. It was, indeed, a great success. There was so much positive feedback that I have no doubt that we can stage it again and interest more places in having you teach."

Margaret Peckham, contralto

Voice teacher, translator and master class organiser. An expert in early and sacred music as well as more modern music, she has also performed with the English National Opera in the UK, and as a recital soloist in New Zealand, and Western Europe, mostly in Germany, where she resides and leads seminars

"I met Carol when I was one of the 'singing wounded, at the start of some huge vocal crisis - sore throats after rehearsals, constant strain. She brought my voice back to life again. I don't remember how I sang when I first started with her, but I do remember it being more hollering than singing. I feel that I was lucky and met the perfect teacher at the exact moment I needed her. I often think that my work with Carol has very little to do with the work I do onstage. It's like an excavation of the self where we mine my throat and constantly find hidden vocal treasures."

Alexa Wing, soprano

"In the Spring of 2004, Carol Baggott-Forte gave a Belcanto master class seminar here at the Niederrheinische Musik und Kunstschule in Duisburg. With uncanny certainty she was able to quickly ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of each singer's voice. Through precisely chosen functional exercises she set each individual on a path towards freer singing. Her results in this short time were astounding. I am very pleased to recommend Carol Baggott-Forte for Belcanto seminar master classes."

Herr Gero Natzel

Direktor der Niederrheineischen Musik-und Kunstschule, Duisburg, Germany

"My vocal work over the past three years with Carol Forte has deepened my understanding of singing processes as both a singer and a choral conductor. I am also gaining an emerging foundation of theory and practice that I am able to apply to my music teacher training programs at OISE. Ms. Forte's pedagogical and artistic strengths lie in her ability to respond to individual vocal needs and strengths. Her private lessons and workshops benefit singing educators as well as vocal artists at all levels of ability."

Dr. Lee Willingham, M. Mus, Ed. D.

Conductor. Bell' Arte Singers. Associate Professor, Faculty of Music Wilfrid Laurier University

"I enjoyed your teaching and your precise way of explaining things. Your functional hearing is excellent which is of fundamental importance in this game. We voice teachers and singers were impressed and we thank you very much for coming to keep up the great work which Cornelius achieved here during the last ten years or so. We sincerely hope to see you in a year's time."

Lionel Fawcett

Singer, conductor, professor of voice, Municipal Music School Mannheim, Germany