testimonials

janna baty, soprano

Hailed by the Boston Globe for her "sheer glamour of timbre" and her "flamboyant style and fine musicality," soprano Janna Bety has already received recognition in the international vocal world. Winner of several international competitions and many lead opera roles, Ms. Baty is also an accomplished recitalist. "Professor Olin brings not only complete factual and technical authority to her students, but an intense passion for the literature (musical and poetic) that she teaches," says Baty.  "Olin imparts this passion to her students with total dedication, and with great emphasis on the intricate subtleties of pronunciation and style.  I believe she is among the foremost coaches of Russian diction and literature working today."

idris gaziev, tenor

"For me, Emily Olin first of all is a teacher. With her I associate years of learning at the Academy of Arts, my first competitions. Her professional sensitivity and exceptional musical taste manifest themselves in her choice of repertoire and creation of musical characters.Almost twenty years have passed, and I still remember every one of her comments and suggestions. The entire repertoire and each piece she taught have such foundation that time has no power over them. I sing them in different countries, and, as I sing, I hear Emily's voice. It was she who taught me to transform a vocal arrangement into a true musical performance. Additionally, Emily is a very close and dear friend. I am grateful to Fate that She gave me the happiness to call myself a student of such a remarkable Master and Person."

sasha lazard, soprano

Sasha Lazard is rapidly rising as one of the most innovative and extraordinary talents on the international music scene. Together with producer Frank Fitzpatrik she pioneered an exciting new musical fusion of classical art songs, international folk tunes and opera arias with contemporary electronic beats.  Her singing  charms both classical devotees and dance club audiences alike. "Emily Olin has been my voice teacher, language coach, arranger, collaborator and mentor for over 10 years," says Lazard. "I came to her as a very inexperienced, insecure singer with limited range and control.  Emily worked with me for years, training my voice with her vigorous vocalises, then teaching me simple Italian arias carefully tailored to my ability. Emily dissected these songs with me piece by piece going over every facet until we were able to put the music back together in a form of which we were both proud. She worked with me on all aspects of musical interpretation-delving deeply into the emotions and subtexts of all the material. She gradually opened my mind and heart by exposing me and training me in her incredible and varied repertoire: from Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff, Gliere, Sviridov to Trenet, Le Grand and obscure Cole Porter.  She did all of this with immeasurable patience, kindness, gentleness AND love. After a few years, I found myself transformed from a timid amateur to a confident singer ready and excited to tackle any musical challenge. In May 2001, I released my debut album, "The Myth of Red". Emily found the majority of the material on the album and  coached me for months in preparation to record. She arranged, performed on, and wrote the words for "Romance"-one of the most popular tracks on the album. We are currently at work on my second album. Besides being my teacher, Emily has now been my musical collaborator for years. We have staged many concerts together, as a duo or working with other musicians in a wide variety of venues. Emily is not only the musical director of all these shows, but she is a fine and hugely gifted pianist and performer. I can say without hesitation that without Emily, I would have given up long ago, and I would would not be enjoying this very gratifying and enriching career.

mary phillips, mezzo-soprano

Acclaimed by Bernard Holland in The New York Times for "the beauty of her voice," American mezzo-soprano Mary Phillips is in demand by opera, concert and recital presenters worldwide. A compelling stage presence, Miss Phillips has garnered praise for her performances in a wide range of repertoire. "Emily is a gifted artist who has an amazing passion for all music and a meticulous way of working on the music and the text together," says Phillips.  "She consistently insists on making the piece vocally and linguistically perfect while giving me a deeper understanding of the emotions and meaning of the song or aria.  Ms. Olin's coaching of the Russian songs of Rachmaninoff and arias by Tchaikovsky in particular have been enlightening and rewarding."

genadi radionov, bass

Emily Olin is a gifted musician and teacher. She possesses inner sophistication, patience, erudition, and extensive professional and life experience. She has profound understanding of any musical genre and form. Her intuition and individually-tailored approach to selecting a performer's repertoire are virtually perfect. With absolute precision, Emily places accents on the road to success. Her philosophy as a teacher is instilling in a performer the character of a winner. It is impossible to become such a teacher by training. Musical pedagogy is God's gift that Emily possesses. My preparations with Emily for competitions, festivals and concerts in a variety of musical genres for over ten years brought only success.