Missouri State’s Matthew Juhlin (Senior, Bachelor of Music: Voice Performance) participated in the Vocal Immersion Program at the Castleton Festival in Castleton, Virginia, Dec. 4-16, 2023.

Juhlin was among 16 singers and two pianists selected for the two-week program, which paid for all expenses except travel.

This was Juhlin’s second appearance at the festival. He attended for the first time in 2022.

Juhlin first learned about the Castleton Festival from Dr. Ann Marie Daehn, professor of vocal studies and director of the Opera Workshop at MSU.

“As an emerging opera singer, you are told time and time again to apply for almost anything and hope that you’ll get a few positive responses,” Juhlin said.

Juhlin was impressed by the Castleton program’s legacy, rooted in the international reputations of the late New York Philharmonic maestro, Lorin Maazel, and the festival directors, Paul Groves and Michelle DeYoung.

Both Groves and DeYoung are “frequent performers at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and have had massive careers across the globe,” Juhlin explained.

Rises to top through rigorous audition process

Juhlin underwent a rigorous, multi-step audition process to be accepted into the Castleton program.

During the first stage, applicants send a résumé, letters of recommendation and two audition videos to be reviewed. Those who advance to the next stage engage in live auditions over Zoom, a cost-saving option that Juhlin appreciated.

“Many programs will insist on in-person auditions, and these are usually only held in New York City and sometimes another major city like Chicago or Houston,” Juhlin explained. “It is very difficult to validate spending a large amount just to audition for a program that you may not get in to.”

A gamut of emotions

While Juhlin said he felt “ecstatic” upon learning he was accepted to Castleton, his enthusiasm fell victim to self-consciousness.

“After the first wave of joy passed, I then remember feeling very intimidated by the other singers,” Juhlin said.

Part of this feeling stemmed from being the youngest attendee at the festival. The median age for attendees has been 25.

“Age is a huge variable when it comes to being an opera singer, as so much of our technical ability is related to maturity,” Juhlin explained. “I knew that I had made it into the program and had some credibility from that, but I also assumed that all of the other participants would be leagues better than I was.”

With his second visit, however, Juhlin experienced greater confidence.

“This second time getting in I felt much more at ease in every way,” he said. “I was once again excited, but I had clear expectations of what I would experience and knew what I was walking into.”

“As a musician, I have entered the professional world and have just recently realized that I might actually have the chops to make this into a career,” Juhlin added.

Fully immersive training experience

According to Dr. Chris Thompson, professor of music and Juhlin’s instructor, the festival experience is “truly immersive.” Attendees live at the facility the entire two weeks, sharing meals, taking classes and performing together.

In addition to classes and practice, festival attendees participate in acting, dancing and physical exercise activities that are tailored to singers’ specific needs.

Attendees also enjoy the opportunity to interact with established career professionals through Zoom calls.

“The time is for us to introduce ourselves and pose any questions we have about the career field,” Juhlin said. “The guests range from other famous singers to agents and managers, to pianists, to stage directors, to conductors and more.”

Opera emerges as Juhlin’s passion

Juhlin traces his love for music and vocal performance back to the examples set by his immediate family.

“I’ve always been surrounded by classical music, as my entire extended family on both of my parents’ sides have been interested in the genre,” Juhlin said. “Three of my four grandparents were musical and played organ in Sunday service along with other instruments.”

Some of Juhlin’s favorite art song composers are Debussy and Brahms. “I feel that they both produce such a beautifully dense harmonic structure but still convey the content of the text,” he said.

In opera, Juhlin has recently developed a heightened interest in Tchaikovsky.

“The fluidity and passion in his writing is very appealing to a singer, and I have enjoyed learning the Russian language and how it feels,” Juhlin said. “I will also be featuring a few of his ‘Romances’ in my senior recital.”

Even though Juhlin entered MSU planning to major in music education, a freshman year performance in Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” convinced him that opera was his passion.

“I fell in love with the art,” Juhlin said. “From that point on I began pursuing a future career in opera, and only recently realized that I could have what it takes to make a living out of it.”

“Above all, I simply hope to share music at a higher level than before and to learn how to better move an audience through my portrayal of a character,” he added.

Supportive environment builds confidence, creates opportunities

Juhlin said the Castleton Festival has not only boosted his confidence, it has also expanded his career prospects.

“I feel that I have become more social and can now network with fellow performers and mentors in a way that I hadn’t been able to last year,” Juhlin said.

He plans to remain in Springfield after graduation to explore those career opportunities. From there he and his wife, who is also studying music at MSU, may pursue further education, career opportunities, or both.

Juhlin expressed gratitude for the support he has received from MSU’s music department, which helped defray the cost of travel to the festival and worked with Juhlin’s schedule to allow him to attend.

“My professors have been extremely instrumental in my success, providing me with an extremely solid foundation for my studies,” he said.

Juhlin reserved special praise for Thompson.

“Dr. Thompson, my teacher, has shown me a specific technical view of singing, one of efficiency, ease and honesty, that will hopefully contribute to a long and healthy career,” Juhlin said.

“This career calls for a lifetime of learning, so these first few years of foundations are very important.”

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