In the universe of transformative collegiate music school experiences, few offer as many lightbulb moments for students as the Patti and Allan Herbert Frost School of Music Program at Salzburg, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this summer.
The program for aspiring classical vocalists takes place at the Salzburg Festival in Austria, one of the world’s most prestigious celebrations of classical music. Notable Frost School alumni who have attended over the years include the Metropolitan Opera’s Christine Jobson, Belgian singer Linsey Coppens, and Frost School faculty member Sandra Lopez Neill.
“A lot of venues and teaching spaces have changed, but the goal of offering an immersive education experience remains the same,” says the program's director, Frost School associate professor Robynne Redmon. “It’s geared to developing and nurturing young singers’ skills, musicianship, and artistry.”
The 2025 edition takes place from July 7 to August 7 and will take 38 students (seven from the Frost School) to Austria for a month of music and language masterclasses, workshops, performances, concerts, and more. Among this year’s masterclass instructors are Wagnerian soprano Linda Watson, tenor Roy Cornelius Smith, and conductor and Mozart expert Harry Davidson. Along with intensively studying music, students will participate in a rigorous language program that is designed to earn them an internationally recognized A1 certification in German.
Initially funded by the Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, the Salzburg program was founded in 1985 by voice faculty member Lorine Buffington, who directed it for 15 years. She was succeeded by Professor Esther Hardenbergh. Redmon has run it for the past decade.
Frost School Dean Shelton G. Berg introduced the program to longtime benefactors Patti and Allan Herbert, who made a $1 million donation in 2017. That transformative endowment enables the program to give all Salzburg students some level of scholarship aid.
“I definitely got a lot out of it,” says Lauren Richards, a Frost School master’s student in vocal performance who took part last year. She finished third in the 2024 Mirabell competition, earning her a cash prize and additional performance opportunities during the festival.
“I grew a lot as a musician through constant practice, and it was a great experience I’d highly recommend,” Richards says. “It was also amazing to be in Salzburg, where Mozart was born. Nearly every place we went, we’d hear, "A scene from “The Sound of Music” was filmed here”.”
Another Frost School master’s student, Zaryah Gourgel, placed first in last year’s Mirabell competition, part of an enriching experience she says she wishes she could do again.
“It was a rigorous schedule, but one that reminded us all of how much we love music,” Gourgel says. “Seeing how professionals do things was inspiring, a look at what the future’s going to be. I also appreciated that each coach was not the same with every student and worked on what they needed. It turned out I had developed a Berlin accent, so we worked on adjusting that.”
Gourgel also enjoyed mingling with Salzburg students from other schools, while Richards appreciated the opportunity to focus on just music at a high level. It’s an experience that can be as inspirational for the faculty who accompany students on the trip.
“Going to Salzburg every summer, I come back inspired,” says Redmon. “What I see is students come in not knowing what to expect, and by the end, they’re thinking and talking about artistry in a different way. It changes lives. So our goal is to keep the program growing and thriving forever.”
