“Sometimes when I hear somebody and I think, yeah, the voice is damaged or the voice is not ready yet but there’s something. There’s a story that they tell. There’s a journey that they take me on and I’m much more interested in that than someone who can come in and really has a wonderful voice… but that says nothing with it. -Marlena Malas
Marlena Kleinman Malas was an opera singer and renowned classical voice teacher. She was born in New York City on May 23, 1936. Malas began her studies at the Juilliard School’s pre-college division in 1951 and went on to graduate from the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in 1960. As a mezzo-soprano, she sang with opera companies in New York City, Santa Fe, Boston, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee. She also appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic. She was featured on a recording of Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes and she was a soloist on several of P.D.Q. Bach’s original recordings.
Malas began teaching at the Manhattan School of Music in 1982. She subsequently joined the voice faculties at the Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music and would become one of the most sought-after voice teachers at all three institutions for decades. Additionally, she served as the opera conservatory director of the Chautauqua Institution and gave masterclasses around the world. One particularly notable masterclass occurred in 1993, when she taught masterclasses in collaboration with her mentors Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge, and Luigi Alva in association with the Sydney Opera House. In addition to her university positions and private studio, Malas was a consultant and teacher for the Canadian Opera Company, the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program, the English National Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, the Castleton Festival, and Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Young Artist Program. Malas was the 2021 recipient of the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service from the Manhattan School of Music and was inducted into Opera America’s “Opera Hall of Fame” in 2022.
Malas’ many successful students included Susan Graham, Richard Stilwell, Michael Schade, Paul Groves, Matthew Rose, Judith Haddon, Neil Shicoff, Lucas Meachem, and Tatiana Troyanos. Malas’ commitment and love for teaching was unparalleled. She was known for her long days of teaching, in which she didn’t even stop for a lunch break. She continued teaching as she went through four rounds of cancer treatments and taught up until her death on December 4, 2023, at the age of 87.
“It is no exaggeration, none at all, to say that I have had not only the career, but the life that I’ve had, because of her.” -Susan Graham, International Opera Star
“She was a truly world-class artist and singing teacher who has deeply influenced countless students and audiences for decades. These talents were surpassed by her profound ability to connect with people and create a genuine community wherever she went. That is a legacy we will always treasure and strive to continue in her honor.”
-Miloš Repický, Chair in Vocal Studies, Curtis Institute.
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOmd4-KvXEY
https://www.msmnyc.edu/news/in-memoriam-faculty-member-marlena-malas-1936-2023/
https://www.ludwig-van.com/main/2023/12/11/legendary-voice-teacher-marlena-malas-dies-87/
https://www.operaamerica.org/magazine/winter-2022/honoring-industry-leaders/