Harry Dworchak

Student Recommendations

• Christopher CHIP K. July 27, 2011

  "I have known Harry Dworchak for 21 years and have always found him to be a most caring, interested and knowledgeable singer... He is still my teacher, my master and my friend. Harry has sung in literally every major opera house in the world, with every major conductor and with cast lists that read like a Who's Who of great singers.
  Harry has three things that work in his favor as a teacher... Excellent ears, Enthusiasm and Wisdom about past performance techniques and Traditions. (Despite what fools say about tradition, it is the bulwark of performance and of this art we call Singing. Listen to recent performances of Opera and "Music Theater" and you'll hear why... Even with microphones shoved under and in their mouths and body mikes in all areas of their physiques, you can still not understand what they are singing and all subtleties and colloquialisms of the language are lost in their vain attempts to interpret music far beyond their years and above their heads)
  Harry's technique is such that the "Zen" of the voice overcomes the obstacles of modern performance dilemmas and the perceived notions of the individual's own persona and proprioception and makes the singer's voice "live" in the theater.
  Harry is a gentleman. "

• Rebecca S. March 28, 2011

  "I got the opportunity to work with Harry Dworchak for 2 months. Though 2 months may sound like a short amount of time, I have never before had a voice teacher who has brought me so far, so quickly. I was shocked at the things that my voice was doing after only 2 lessons. By the end of 2 months, I was creating healthy sounds that I had never experienced before. Because Mr. Dworchak focuses intensely on technique, he was able to build my confidence and talent to a level I had not reached before. All voice teachers have their methods and "tricks", but never has it been so easy to understand what this teacher was expecting to hear come out of my mouth, vocally. He teaches in a way that is basic, simple and clear. Singing is something that we can't see, it is hard to picture the analogies that teachers present in lessons in order to get their students to produce certain sounds. For some reason, Mr. Dworchak knows how to make his analogies clear, making it easy to produce the sound he is looking for. "

• Steven D. March 22, 2011

  "This is a man who loves to teach. He views his life's purpose in developing voices to their full potential, and throughout my studies with Harry - first as a student at Carnegie Mellon University, now as a member of his private studio - this has manifested itself in every lesson.
  
  During his time at Carnegie Mellon, Harry would regularly come in to work with students hours earlier or later than his contract required, sometimes even on days off, if he felt it would help a student toward a technical breakthrough or in preparation for a performance. Regularly I will come into a lesson to hear Harry reference a detail from our previous lesson I had well nigh forgotten, but which he had been clearly spent the last week(s) turning over in his head searching for just the right fix or exercise to apply at our next session.
  
  With Harry you get a uniquely long-term approach to vocal development: from my very first lessons with him, Harry was regularly explaining how each exercise and technical detail would not just solve vocal problems now but enable my voice's color to fill out naturally in the coming 5-10 years. This was when I was 19; I am now 22, and I couldn't be more grateful for the technical foundation we laid in the early stages of our work, as my voice indeed began to color itself generously and acquire tremendous power and flexibility when my breath support began maturing just before my 21st birthday.
  
  Under Harry's tutelage, I have gone from a Bass II with muddy diction and a strained high E to a versatile bass-baritone with an upper register reaching up to A-flat and the best vowel positions I have ever had. Patience will be a virtue as you devote your early lessons almost exclusively to technique, but rest assured that this foundational work will pay off handsomely once your support catches up to your vowel positions and fills out your voice naturally.
  
  Harry's decades of performing experience also put him in a position to give uniquely pragmatic and comprehensive advice about the business of singing: how best to learn your languages (and just how critical it is to do so well), how to memorize you music, how to find the best coaches, how to stay in shape vocally and physically, how to manage your finances (including tax writeoffs), how to nail your auditions and impress conductors, and many other wisdoms of the real world a student is hard pressed to pick up either in a college/conservatory program or from a less experienced teacher. His experience also make for some good stories: make sure you hear about his experiences at NYC Opera during the Beverly Sills era, if nothing else!
  
  In short, I recommend Harry Dworchak's teaching wholeheartedly and without reservation to any voice student looking to reach his or her full potential as a singer and artist. Please feel free to message me directly if I can answer any other questions you may have about my experiences studying with Harry!"

• Jonathon M. March 20, 2011

  "Mr. Dworchak brings to his studio an uncommon level of singing experience and technical knowledge. More importantly, he has the ability to clearly and concisely convey this knowledge in a way that enables the student to make the technique their own. This technique is simple, natural and, most importantly, served to help me access my upper register consistently and effectively.
  
  In addition to bringing a wealth of technical knowledge, Harry is also the most dedicated and enthusiastic educator I have ever been around. It is clear that he has a passion for singing and teaching. He also has more to offer than just a wonderful technique; we work on diction, languages, general presentation and stagecraft. His considerable stage experience brings an insightful view to the importance of these details.
  
  I highly recommend singers, in particular those aspiring to an operatic career, to seriously consider working with Mr. Dworchak.
  "