at Washington Adventist University.

Written by: Naomy Rodriguez

Maintaining its superior quality in caliber and production, the Anna H. Wang Presidential Concert Series secured a recital at Takoma Park SDA Church on the evening of September 24th. This event was supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (masc.org), granting access to the community and friends of the university. With a vision directed to student success, the Music Department at WAU ensured that free tickets were made available to all students upon request.

“Latonia Moore is a superb top-of-the-line soprano and top professional,” says Dr. Deborah Thurlow, vocal performance coach, and professor at WAU. “She gave a beautiful and heartfelt recital along with the truly wonderful pianist Laura Ward, who was both wonderful and sensible.” Thurlow continues, “the repertoire was very appropriate to her and enjoyed thoroughly by her audience. Grateful for her and Ms. Ward for agreeing to come to us.”

At the end of her recital, Ms. Moore shared her excitement to conduct the Masterclass the day after. Ms. Moore’s passion for coaching and empowering students to use their voice and own their presence on stage was inspiring and insightful even to those sitting in for the class. “One of the best masterclasses I have witnessed,” says Dr. Daniel Lau, Music Department Chair. He continues, “so pleased that Dr. Spence dropped by and ended up staying for the entire session. We had heard so much about Ms. Moore and chose her not only because she is currently one of the best sopranos in the world but also because she loves to teach.” Lau adds, “Latonia Moore was the perfect fit for this, a person of the highest character, who would represent the Anna H. Wang concert series well and stands for the mission of what we do here at WAU. “

Participating students can be seen in the featured picture, from left to right Marcela JonesMoreno, Carissa DeJardins, Daniela Cruz, Fernanda Rinza, Jasmin Crossfield, and Richard Machado. With only about 2 hours for the Masterclass, Ms. Moore was able to coach all six pre-selected students who performed their best selection and received instant feedback. “Ms. Moore was able to immediately meet the highest need of each student and transform their singing at the moment,” Dr. Thurlow commented. “Her delivery was absolutely professional and rich in experience.” Thurlow commends Moore for her warmth, “She was supportive and knew how to draw out from each person at the moment - that is the mark of a superb teacher and professional.”

Dr. Thurlow also shared the reactions she received from other students who did not get to participate but found immense value in this and took copious notes. This was a shared sentiment for everyone who took the time to attend. The audience was diverse, comprising current vocal performance students, music education students, piano majors, and even alums of WAU and supporters of Ms. Moore, who came specifically to see her.

After the Masterclass, she lingered for a while, answering questions, and even gave mini lessons for at least an hour to those who sought her coaching and expertise. Dr. Thurlow, who was present for the duration of her stay, said, “She went absolutely above and beyond the call of duty. Extremely appreciative of how Ms. Moore gave of herself tremendously for us.”

One of the coached students, Daniela Cruz, shares her experience, “Being in the presence of Latonia Moore will forever be a note-worthy experience in my life. Her encouraging advice and lively manner made anyone fall in love with music again. No judgment, just genuine care and admiration for her/the student. I would do a masterclass with her again if ever given a chance!” Cruz is a Freshman MezzoSoprano vocal performance major who wowed the audience with the amount of progress she made in such a short time.

Another success story is that of Richard Machado, who was the only male singer featured that morning. Machado is highly appreciative of this opportunity and has a lot to share. “First of all,” he says, “I want to thank Latonia Moore for both an ethereal concert and a truly inspiring masterclass! Her singing seemed so effortless and smooth. Her facial expressions gave us a vision of the emotions she wanted to portray, and her ability to switch characters in only a few seconds was astonishing. A night I can’t really ever forget!” He continues, “The way she did the Masterclass was so thoughtful and supportive of each participant’s levels and progress. While there were universal things for all the participants to learn, she captured the unique differences in our voices and helped us get on the path to mastering those differences. I think she wasn’t kidding when she said she was more excited for the Masterclass than the concert!” Machado concludes by sharing how unique this experience was for him and his colleagues. “I’m truly thankful that she came out to conduct this masterclass, and I hope that the next time she sees me, I’ll be a completely different tenor.” Richard is a Psychology and Honors major pursuing a minor in music.

Finally, we hear from Dr. Spence himself, who was present at the evening recital on Saturday with his family and made an appearance for the Masterclass on Sunday morning. Spence shared this was his first time attending a masterclass. “This remarkable opportunity for our students is not available to many institutions.” Dr. Spence also shared his “great appreciation to Anna Wang and her family for their contribution in making this happen.” He adds, “an exclusive opportunity for our students to not only listen but have her conduct a masterclass for them is a lifelong experience. The class was simply remarkable.”