Masterclasses with Aaron Blake

In support of the musical arts, King University is excited to offer regional high school students the opportunity to develop their skills through masterclasses presented by Grammy-winning Metropolitan Opera tenor Aaron Blake.

Blake, who is serving as Artist in Residence at King, will offer two classes on Thursday, March 6, 2025 – one geared for vocal arts students and another designed for instrumentalists. There is no charge to participate.

Instructors are invited to bring groups to observe and also encouraged to have students audition for the opportunity to receive personal instruction. Interested community members are welcome to attend.

Registration is requested and is available HERE.

Read on for the schedule, registration, and direction on how to submit an audition video.

For questions, please email [email protected].

Masterclass Schedule

Thursday, March 6, 2025

King University Memorial Chapel

2413 Tadlock Road, Bristol, TN 37620

9:30 – 11:30 a.m. — Vocal Arts

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m — Instrumental Arts

Attendance is open on a first-come, first-served basis to high school music instructors, their classes, and interested members of the community. There is no charge to participate.

The first class is designed for observers and participants to gain a better understanding of the voice, along with a grasp of helpful tools to navigate their own technical path as singers. It will include instruction in classical voice as well as other potential genres.

The second class is for those working to master a wind (single or double-reed) or stringed instrument and will include instruction on breathwork, phrasing, and musical interpretation.

Participants may attend one or both classes.

Registration is available HERE. Instructors, please make sure to complete the included registration form for your groups, especially for those students who intend to audition.

AUDITIONS:

Up to five students from each school may audition to receive personal instruction during each class. Students who auditioned for previous events may do so again.

Applications will be accepted in video format.

For the vocal arts, submissions should consist of one selection, either:

The deadline to submit an audition video is Tuesday, February 25.

To submit a video:

1. Capture a performance on an iPhone or smartphone device. Please video in horizontal (landscape) format. Where possible, vocal artists should have live piano accompaniment. Videos of performances from the past six months with live piano or orchestral accompaniment will also be accepted.
2. Save the video under your name along with the word “audition” (example: Mark Smith audition).
3. Instructors can upload videos to the dedicated audition folder HERE.

A total of five participants and two alternates will be chosen for each class.

If chosen, participants should:

• Prepare two contrasting selections (these may be different from the initial audition repertoire)
• Instructors should also upload a .pdf of the related sheet music to the audition folder by Friday, February 28. (For the convenience of our accompanist, selection changes after this date are not encouraged.)

Registration for the classes is available HERE.

For questions, email [email protected].

Want to see Aaron Blake at the Met? Watch for his 2025 performances in The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, and Carmen!