Vocal Masterclass by The Sullivan Foundation
The Sullivan Foundation for the Arts held their Vocal Master Classes on Friday, November 4th and Saturday, November 5th at Stillwater’s new Performance Space. The space was perfectly suited for our event and we look forward to utilizing it in the future. Our Classes were conducted by KT Sullivan, Natalie Douglas and Jon Weber, all from New York. They focused their instruction on vocal performance and song interpretation. We had 30 students attend the class this year, filling it to capacity. There were local Durango students, Pagosa students, several from New Mexico and 11 (along with teachers and chaperones) from Oklahoma attending this year. This class is conducted in conjunction with the Foundation’s Annual Fundraiser Concert at the DoubleTree Hotel Ballroom on the evening of Saturday, November 5th, at which the instructors performed to a packed house. Between the Master Classes and the Concert, our events resulted in over 30 parties staying in hotel rooms for 1 to 3 nights and many tourist dollars spent in local business and restaurants over the long weekend, all in the off season. The Foundation also hosted a reception for donors and performers at The Four Leaves Winery the evening of Friday, November 4th, further contributing to local businesses.
The instructors chose three students to perform at the Fundraiser Concert on Saturday evening. One of these students, Lincoln Johnson, age 16, was also chosen to perform in New York City at The Lincoln Center on Broadway in October of next year. The Sullivan Foundation will provide a scholarship for him, as well as the opportunity to perform on various stages on and off Broadway while there and the opportunity for further study with New York instructors. He will be the be the 7th student that the Foundation has sent to New York for this unparalleled opportunity (Durango’s own Elias Javier, 15, just returned from singing at the Lincoln Center on Broadway last month).
The Master Class was a great success, well received and we look forward to hosting it again next fall. We are grateful to the Durango Lodger's Tax Fund for their generous support.
In Gratitude,
Tim and Lorri Sullivan
