Leandros Taliotis Baritone

SINGING LESSONS WITH LEANDROS TALIOTIS, BARITONE

London Singing Teacher

 As a born and bred Londoner, it is a pleasure to be based in inner London as a professional opera singer and singing teacher. It is a diverse city with a rich cultural life, which in turn encourages people to want to engage with the arts, including learning classical singing. I am fortunate to teach a mix of students: Beginners, intermediate and advanced. Children, teenagers and adults. Amateurs and professionals.

 For some personal insights, please have a look at this short Q&A interview. What follows is some more detailed information and thoughts on my teaching practice and how I work

Classical singing teacher. Opera singing teacher

I get several questions from prospective students, so I’d like to address the most common ones and give a sense of what happens in a typical lesson.

·       What level of students do you teach? Do you teach beginners?

I teach all levels of singer: Beginners, intermediate students, advanced students and professional singers. I am comfortable teaching children, teenagers and adults.

·       What style of singing do you teach?

I teach classical voice. This involves classical vocal technique as well as focus on classical vocal repertoire.

·       What do you mean by ‘classical vocal repertoire’?

Classical vocal repertoire includes opera, oratorio and art song. As well as music in English, I’ll introduce students to wonderful material in Italian, German and French.

·       Do you teach any other styles?

I’m at home with musical theatre. Even some of the most classically inclined students enjoy a foray into it plus it has a strong presence in the exam syllabuses.

·       Do you teach opera?

I do teach opera, although in essence opera singing is classical singing, rather than an entity unto itself. It requires solid classical vocal technique but with eventual focus on arias and scenes from opera, which tend to be technically and musically challenging. In the singing profession, people who are referred to as ‘opera singers’ frequently give song recitals and concerts with orchestra as well.

Baritone Teacher? Or what type of voice teacher?

I am a performing baritone and as a result I have empathy with the baritone voice and specialist knowledge of baritone repertoire.

However, I teach all voice types and men and women. In addition to baritones, my current roster of students includes sopranos, tenors, basses and even a couple of countertenors (male altos) as well as boys with unbroken voices (mostly trebles).

The technical fundamentals are the same but with some specific differences, especially when it comes to matters of accessing different registers. As well as understanding these, I’m well-versed in repertoire across the classical and opera spectrum and it is a great pleasure to work with students on roles, arias and songs that are outside my own vocal Fach*.

In some cases the advantage of learning with a teacher of a different voice type is that you’re less likely to mimic them. It all comes down to personal preference: Ultimately, we all want to find our own unique vocal sound!

*Fach is a German word that refers to the classification of singers by their vocal range, vocal weight and the colour of their voice.

Please check-out the testimonials from a variety of singers on my teaching home page.

What happens in a typical classical singing lesson?

In simple terms:

·       We’ll start with some warm-ups and develop these into detailed technical work.

·       This will be followed-up by working on songs and arias. It’s vital for a student to apply their technique to music, so developing repertoire will always form part of a lesson.

·       Where applicable I will spend some time working on sight reading and aural tests, especially if a student has an exam or choral audition coming up.

I aim for a diagnostic approach

No two singers are the same and it’s vital to work on each student’s specific needs. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses and respond to different approaches. A student goes to a teacher with the need to address certain aspects of their singing as well as to improve and build and it is a teacher’s job to figure out what needs attention and come-up with remedies, strategies and a plan that will work specifically for that student. In a way, it’s not dissimilar from a patient seeking a doctor’s help.

I take a dynamic and interactive approach

I love working energetically, often up on my feet, and engaging in a dialogue with students, encouraging them to think for themselves and develop their own ideas. I find that demonstrating is effective and inspiring.

Experienced singers

For more experienced singers there’s often the need to revise technical basics and correct technique as well as build on preexisting foundations. Reasons for this can include:

·       Working-out bad habits

·       Addressing aspects of technique that have been neglected

·       Guiding singers through a change in vocal Fach

·       Repertoire changes (maybe a result of vocal maturity or change)

·       It’s good practice to ‘check-in’ with the basics

However, ultimately my aim is to help all singers grow, improve and nurture a love of the art form

What happens in a first lesson?

·       We’ll begin by having a chat to get to know one another; hopefully you’ll begin to feel at ease. 

·       I’ll have a listen to you: you don’t need to have anything prepared, especially if you are a beginner. I can just ask you to sing back notes and scales. This will give me a sense of what comes naturally, both in terms of sound, range and physicality.

·       I’ll start working on some basic principles of technique right away. I’ll aim for a few ‘quick wins’ which should set you on your way and give you a confidence boost.

·       The next lesson will be more detailed technically, focussing largely on breathing. I’ll aim to start working on repertoire at this point. Afterall, there is little point in doing the technical work if you can’t start applying it and experiencing the musical and physical pleasures of singing songs. 

Exams

I have many years’ experience preparing students for Associated Board (ABRSM) and Trinity College singing exams from grade 1 through to diplomas.

Exams are not compulsory! However, many students like sitting them as they provide structured, detailed work with a goal and feeling of achievement at the end. Grades 6-8 earn students a few UCAS points which can be useful for university entrance.

Auditions

As a professional singer, I have presented myself for auditions countless times over the last 30 years. I continue to audition for opera companies, conductors and promoters. I am delighted to share my experience and empathy with my students in addition to helping them with rigorous audition preparation.

Many of my students have successfully auditioned for the following opportunities:

·       Professional opera and choral engagements.

·       Choral scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and English Cathedral Choirs.

·       Degree courses at leading drama schools

·       National Youth Choir of Great Britain

·       Leading amateur choirs in London

·       Music scholarships at secondary schools

·       Musical productions at school and outside

Click here for the Terms and conditions of Leandros’ teaching studio.

Please get in contact if you’d like full Terms and Conditions including lesson pricing. 

Please have a look at the Q&A interview to find out more about me as a teacher.