About
Presence. Authenticity. Soul. Artistic Mastery.
The International Vocal Artists Academy of Payerbach (IVAAP) is an immersive program of study and performance for classical singers, where world-renowned masters of vocal technique, musical interpretation, acting, and movement help artists nourish their dreams and catalyze their potential.
IVAAP’s intensive training makes use of a concrete scheme of exercises within each artistic faculty. Vocal lessons use the principles of healthy Bel Canto technique, starting with breathing exercises and moving on to exercises that work to achieve a singer’s maximum resonance. Movement lessons deal not only with awareness of the body, but with awareness of a performer’s psyche. Each member of the IVAAP team utilizes their own unique method of teaching that, when combined with the other’s, pushes singers to achieve their best.
From daily private technical voice lessons, repertoire interpretation lessons and music coachings, to group acting classes, group movement, and posturology lessons, IVAAP trains the whole artist. Each session with IVAAP features two masterclasses to demonstrate individual performers’ growth, as well as two major concerts, the first in Payerbach, and the second in Vienna.
IVAAP works towards results. The techniques taught in this program work for beginners and professionals alike, serving as part of a singer’s toolbox to be used all throughout their career. This program is for people who trust that, even in a short period of time, huge progress can be achieved through intensive and daily work.
Founded in 2010 by opera icon Vladimir Chernov and voice professor at Paris’s l’Ecole Normale de Musique Maestra Olga Toporkova, this program was designed to create the exact conditions to allow for such technical and artistic growth to emerge. IVAAP's alumni have gone on to sing in major theaters such as La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera.
IVAAP is an environment for committed and talented students to elevate their craft. Between total immersion into singing without external distractions and the master teachers who share their passion and knowledge of performance art, IVAAP encourages a culture of artistic exploration, vocal advancement, and courage to achieve one’s full potential.
"I can say with confidence that the work done in Payerbach is unlike the work done at any other vocal program that I’ve attended. Each member of the faculty approaches teaching with incredible passion and care, fostering a deep understanding of vocal, acting, and movement techniques... Both Maestro Chernov and Maestra Toporkova care deeply about helping their students understand their voices to achieve their full artistic potential. They devote themselves to their students on an individual level, producing distinctive results without ever compromising the health of the voice..."
– Tatiana Hope-Mills