Diction

Do you know how an English ‘t’ differs from an Italian one? Did you know that in French a syllable that usually sounds like è [ɛ] sometimes has to be pronounced as é [e] – and do you know when?

My speciality is lyric diction, i.e. how to pronounce languages in singing. I give group courses and individual coaching sessions in lyric diction, as well as choral coaching: helping choirs pronounce all the foreign languages in their concert repertoire. In these sessions I work on:

• knowledge and understanding of phonetics based on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA);
• technical articulation that leads to the correct pronunciation of every sound that has to be sung;
• a method for translating, memorising more easily and achieving a more convincing interpretation.

In individual coaching sessions you can work on specific repertoire, for example in preparation for a graduation recital or a concert, or learn a technique for working with repertoire in languages other than the ‘standard’ ones.

What I offer

Group or individual courses in:

• French
• English
• Dutch
• German
• Italian
• Spanish
• Diction and interpretation when singing in foreign languages

Sing as if in your mother tongue = [zɪŋ ɑls ɪn jə muɚstal]

Who is it for?

• Singers working on songs or arias in a foreign language, for example for a concert or a graduation recital.
• Choirs that want to pronounce their foreign-language concert repertoire convincingly. I coach the choir in every foreign language in that repertoire.
• Groups that want to learn to work with the IPA together. See also the IPA workshops.

Frequently asked questions

What is lyric diction?

Lyric diction is pronunciation in singing: how you sing the sounds of a language so that the text is intelligible and sounds natural, and you can interpret it more convincingly.

In which languages do you coach diction?

In French, English, Dutch, German, Italian and Spanish. I also teach you a technique for tackling songs in other languages.

What is the IPA?

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a phonetic alphabet with one symbol per sound. With the IPA you can write out a song text in any language exactly as it should sound.

Do you also coach choirs?

Yes, I do choral coaching: I help choirs pronounce all the foreign languages in their concert repertoire. Get in touch to discuss the possibilities.