My time at Greve was the beginning of a special adventure
My time at Greve was the beginning of a special adventure, a place where I got to know brilliant musicians and friends, where I was welcomed into another family. I am very thankful to Maestro Sylveen for the recognition that he gave me, for his helping hand that led me step by step through my journey of a young opera singer. In Greve I was able to perform a full major operatic role with orchestra for the first time – it was a pivotal moment for me as a young singer. I was able to immerse myself in the character and present the composer’s vision the best that I could, and I was able to convince the audience that I was a boy (I was playing Cherubino) and was able to sing with the best technique possible and gain a good command of the Italian language since we were immersed in the community and were singing to an Italian audience. None of this would be possible if not for the huge help and support of the wonderful members of the faculty, and first and foremost, the fantastic soprano and tremendous teacher, Jurate Svedaite – her warmth, understanding, dedication and professionalism was priceless. Attending the Festival was a gift and a life-changing event in my profession, due to this I was invited to perform in the US and sing with CT Lyric Opera and continue my development under the care of Maestro Sylveen and soprano, Jurate Svediate. That year gave me a huge amount of experience and vocal progress and a few other delightful surprises.
