Beyond the Classroom: Gwyneth Rix (CFA’25)

Vocal performance major participated in The Berlin Opera Academy's Summer Young Artist Program

Vocal performance undergraduate student Gwyneth Rix, standing in front of a brick wall. She is wearing a light green satin top and looking at the camera with a slight smile.

Photo by Benjamin Rix

CFA Students

Performing and learning overseas: My experience at The Berlin Opera Academy

In CFA’s Beyond the Classroom Series, music, theatre, and visual arts students at BU share their professional work experiences. These Terriers express how the resources at BU prepared them for success beyond the classroom.

December 13, 2024
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Beyond the Classroom: Gwyneth Rix (CFA’25)

Our Boston University College of Fine Arts students continue to make names for themselves on the international stage, with a BU School of Music student showcasing their talents in one of Europe’s most artistic and historical cities. Gwyneth Rix (CFA’25) a vocal performance undergraduate student traveled to Berlin, Germany to participate in the Berlin Opera Academy’s summer young artist program.

Gwyneth played the role of the Dritte Dame (Third Lady) in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and a study cover of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. Gwyneth was also given the opportunity to perform an aria concert, or standalone scene, with other student singers and pianists.

With the Clare Hodgson Meeker Undergraduate Fellowship helping her fund her trip, and many vocal professors honing her skills to perform on the big stage, Gwyneth capitalized on the opportunity for a great experience. She also shares with CFA how this experience confirmed her desire to move to Europe after graduation.

Q&A

WITH GWYNETH RIX (CFA’25)

CFA: What performance opportunities did you have through Berlin Opera Academy’s Summer Young Artist Program?

Gwyneth: I played Dritte Dame (the Third Lady) in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)! I also had a study cover of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). I had to come with both roles fully memorized and ready to refine musically. I performed Dritte Dame when it was my cast’s on-night, and chorus on the other nights in The Magic Flute. I also opted for a memory test of Cherubino, where I was spot-checked on a role (kind of like in a jury or recital permission). I also got to perform in an aria concert with other student singers and pianists!

CFA: How did you learn about this opera program in Berlin?

Gwyneth: A lot of people I know had done the program before and had good things to say. I applied through their website on a whim and got a pretty good offer a few weeks later!

Opera performers on stage in Berlin, Germany as part of Berlin Opera Academy's Summer Young Artist Program

Photo by Detlef Kurth

Opera performers in Berlin, Germany as part of Berlin Opera Academy's Summer Young Artist Program

Photo by Molly O’Connor

Photo by Detlef Kurth

CFA: What are some of your most notable accomplishments from this experience?

Gwyneth: This experience was my first performance of a full role with an orchestra! I also got to work with really good coaches, directors, and conductors. It was especially nice that the orchestra, repetiteurs, assistant conductors, and assistant stage directors were also students and were learning alongside us as well as helping us learn, and vice versa. 

CFA: Did any resources at CFA or BU empower you to take on this opportunity?

Gwyneth: I received the Clare Hodgson Meeker Undergraduate Fellowship through CFA which helped cover the expenses associated with this trip.  

CFA: How does the coursework from CFA connect with this experience?

Gwyneth: My voice teacher Lynn Eustis, Chair and Associate Professor of Voice, set me up really well to learn, refine, and memorize a huge amount of music in a short amount of time. I also had a pretty solid grasp on singing Italian secco recitative because of Douglas Sumi‘s training in Italian diction. 

A young woman in a green dress performs a vocal piece beside a pianist seated at a black Bösendorfer grand piano. Behind them, a backdrop of elegant draped curtains and a sign reading 'Berlin Opera Academy' is visible.
Group photo of a cheerful crowd gathered outside at night, posing and waving enthusiastically. A young woman in the center holds a bouquet of pink flowers, surrounded by smiling friends in casual and semi-formal attire. The setting appears to be a city street near a tram stop, with illuminated buildings in the background.

CFA: In what ways do you think this career opportunity has helped you prepare for your work beyond BU?

Gwyneth: I feel prepared to learn music and staging quickly and to work in an intense, high-stress, professional environment. A lot of young singers get their start in major opera houses by covering roles, and singing in a triple-cast opera where each cast’s time with the director and conductor was limited taught me how to learn through observation. We got our schedules for each day at 6pm the night before (the standard in German houses), which taught me to be adaptive and flexible. I also got pretty good at ordering my “Milchkaffee” in German! Editor’s note: Milchkaffe is a popular German coffee drink, made with equal parts coffee and steamed milk.

CFA: What did you learn about yourself?

Gwyneth: My summer in Germany confirmed my desire to move to Europe and base my career there. The structure and strength of the arts there are truly inspiring. 

CFA: Any advice for current CFA students seeking to apply to these types of music summer programs?

Gwyneth: Just go for it! Get a YAPTracker account [to find opera auditions and competitions], film some arias on your iPhone camera, and submit to a bunch of summer programs. Don’t accept an offer that you can’t afford and ALWAYS negotiate! If they really want you, they’ll make it possible for you to come. 

Vocal performance undergraduate student Gwyneth Rix, standing in front of a brick wall. She is wearing a light green satin top and looking at the camera with a slight smile.
My summer in Germany confirmed my desire to move to Europe and base my career there. The structure and strength of the arts there are truly inspiring. 

-Gwyneth Rix (CFA’25)
Vocal performance student Gwyneth Rix eating an ice cream with a friend in Berlin, Germany
Vocal performance student Gwyneth Rix seen assembling glass bottles into a heart shape on an off road in Germany. In the background, people walk by observing Gwyneth's art

CFA: Gwyneth, what’s next for you?

Gwyneth: Right now, I’m applying for grad programs and taking a bunch of auditions. I’ve also been keeping busy at BU with the Ellalou Dimmock Memorial Award recital, which took place on December 6th, and opera and choir performances! 

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