FRED CARAMA VOICE STUDIO
NEW YORK CITY | LOS ANGELES
Private Instruction | Masterclasses
Workshops | Skype Lessons
One of the country's most respected vocal pedagogues, Fred Carama has earned a sterling reputation for his work with singers at all stages of development.
"A true vocal master..." "A godsend..." "I am so glad I found Fred Carama when I did!"
ABOUT FRED CARAMA
Fred Carama is widely known as one of the most respected voice teachers in the United States. His students perform on the world’s leading opera and concert stages in repertoire ranging from baroque to bel canto, and from Wagner to contemporary musical theater. With an extensive background in physiology and anatomy, Mr. Carama combines the aesthetics of great singing with a profound understanding of the fundamentals of vocal health.
Mr. Carama has led workshops and masterclasses across the United States, Canada, and abroad. A graduate of The Juilliard School in piano performance, he served as a collaborative pianist, coach accompanist, and studio pianist for the voice studios of Eleanor Steber and Beverley Johnson. He joined the faculty at the California Institute of the Arts in the early 1980s, soon becoming Chairman of the Voice Department and, in addition to teaching voice, conducting and directing the school's opera and musical theater performances. Mr. Carama has also served on the voice faculties of Aspen Music Festival, Manhattan School of Music, Long Beach State University, State University of New York at Stonybrook, and most recently, served for fifteen years, together with Marilyn Horne, as principal voice instructor of the Music Academy of the West.
Fred Carama currently maintains private vocal studios in both New York City and Los Angeles, and regularly conducts masterclasses on both coasts. His students comprise many of the country's leading classical singers, including Lester Lynch, Lise Lindstrom, Christine Brandes, Wonjung Kim, Bruce Sledge, Camille Zamora, Monica Yunus, MaryAnn McCormick, and many other artists in the profession and in Young Artist programs.
TESTIMONIALS
"I met Fred Carama at a time when I had given up all hope of becoming a singer. After two degrees and hundreds (thousands?) of voice lessons, my voice was still a complete mystery to me, and not good – I knew that. I had worked my way through all the 'important' voice studios in NYC, and determined that I just wasn't able to figure it out.
Thank goodness a dear friend and coach recommended I try 'just one more lesson.' Within ten minutes of working with Fred the first time, I was singing better than I ever had. Fred's knowledge of anatomy and the physiognomy of singing is second to none. All my years of singing Turandot and other difficult dramatic repertoire is built 100% on the back of what Fred taught me.
I continue to recommend Fred Carama to anyone searching for help, and I am so deeply grateful that I found him when I did."
– LISE LINDSTROM, Soprano (The Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper Berlin)
“I have been studying with Fred Carama for over 20 years. Fred’s knowledge of the voice, and the anatomy that influences and affects the voice, is absolutely unparalleled. He is a true master at developing a beginning singer, maintaining a professional technique, and redeveloping a problematic voice.
I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a vocal instructor. He is capable of guiding any singer to be the best they can possibly be, and he’s an excellent pianist to boot!”
– BRUCE SLEDGE, Tenor (The Metropolitan Opera, Welsh National Opera, Santa Fe Opera)
"While there are many paths to god and good singing, both journeys are highly individual and often with turns in the path. I am deeply grateful for the insights and the patient help I am receiving from Fred Carama. His broad understanding of the biomechanics of singing and his emphasis on neurological over muscular supremacy have been so helpful to me.
Before meeting Fred, I was considering giving up any serious, public performing. I have been given a new lease on my singing life through my work with Fred."
"I have been working with Fred Carama for the past 20 years. When I first met him, I was having major problems with my vocal range. Within a few lessons, I was reaching both higher and lower notes than I had ever sung. Thanks to his razor-sharp ideas, my voice gained a much wider range; the Carama technique has allowed me to sing consistently up to a high B flat (near the tenor C), and all the way down to a low D (near great C).
Fred's technique has changed my life, and it has been an amazing journey. The technique that he teaches allow each artist the ultimate freedom to be the most expressive, finely tuned singer with incredible range and stamina. Furthermore, Fred develops a language for, and understanding of, each one of his students. He doesn't teach a spinto soprano and a Broadway belter in the same way, but rather, finds the optimal way to communicate with each specific artist and style.
Over the years, I have discovered my voice and then re-discovered it again and again, as I have matured as a man and an artist. Since my career is now taking me to international performances and recordings, I am often unable to meet with Fred in person – but our Skype lessons are 100% as effective as if we were together in his studio in NYC or LA, thanks to the wonders of technology and his extraordinary ears.
Whether a singer is looking to fine-tune their technique over time, quick-fix some spots in a score for an upcoming show, or even recover from vocal damage, Fred Carama is the ideal teacher. I can honestly say that he is at the very top of the vocal pedagogy pantheon with the likes of the great Francesco Lamperti, Manuel Garcia, and Mathilde Marchesi. Fred Carama is the single most passionate, knowledgeable, patient voice teacher I have met in my 30 years in the business."
– LESTER LYNCH, Baritone (Teatro all Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera; Voice Faculty, Morgan State University; Advisor, Brooklyn Music School)
"Fred Carama has been my voice teacher for over 15 years and I trust him completely. Over the years (and through ten consecutive seasons as a principal artist at The Met, and countless rehearsals, recitals, and concerts), Fred's technique has allowed me true consistency and freedom of expression. No matter what comes my way vocally, I have been able to maintain my vocal health and feel great about the way I sing because of his incredible support and guidance.
What I appreciate so much about Fred is that he not only knows the anatomy and physiology of the voice, but he can really explain it so that you understand why something works, or why it doesn't. This level of true technical understanding is key for sustaining the voice over a long career.
Whether you are a beginner, a professional, or someone who has run into vocal trouble, Fred will be a great guide to help you find your true voice and maintain its vocal beauty long-term."
“Fred Carama is the best voice teacher and pedagogue I have ever known. To be quite honest, I wouldn’t be where I am without him. I first met Mr. Carama in 2002 when I was about to make my La Scala debut in Milan. His understanding of the physiology and logic of how the voice works was life-changing for me. In 2007, after 5 years of working with him, I began teaching, and Mr. Carama then mentored me as a teacher. I’m proud to say that his teaching, care, and support enabled me to join the faculty of one of the most prestigious music schools in the country. Along with this honor, I’ve had a resurgence in my career because of the vocal truths that I have learned from Fred Carama, bringing me to theaters including Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera, and continuing currently in my 26th season with The Metropolitan Opera.
Fred Carama respects the body and teaches a technique that allows the larynx to be free, thus allowing the genuine sound of each person to be released. He has a comprehensive knowledge of the physiology of the voice and the entire body, and a great ability to convey the concept of true support. He also has the best ears I know, and is an accomplished pianist. I wholeheartedly recommend him."
"The world needs to know about this man, this vocal guru! Fred Carama has had a huge impact on my life and the lives of so many singers for so many years, and I am so grateful and feel so fortunate to have had such a generous, caring mentor and friend throughout my career.
For all singers interested in finding and sustaining their truest voice over their careers, Maestro Carama is the teacher for you."
– WONJUNG KIM, Soprano (Paris Garnier, Dresden Semper Opera, Opera de Monte Carlo)
“Fred Carama's teaching has made all the difference in my voice and career. He has given me a profound technical understanding of my instrument, which allows me to sing with consistency, vulnerability, and power in all of my repertoire. Working with him has given me the vocal freedom that makes singing a joy. Fred's ability to clearly convey the essentials of great vocalism has helped me unlock new expressive capabilities in all of my music-making and, ultimately, has been the game-changer that I needed, both artistically and professionally.
Thanks to Fred's clarifying teaching and supportive spirit, my next season features more important concert debuts in the US and abroad than any previous season of my 14 years in the profession. Fred's holistic technique and ability to help each artist find their uniquely individual sound – their unique vocal magic, if you will – has been a godsend."
Teaching Videos
In the Masterclass video above, scroll to 56.02 to view Fred Carama's masterclass
at Music Academy of the West.
CONTACT
email: fredcarama@gmail.com
phone: +1 (818) 693-6624