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Striny’s vocal studio is producing some of this country’s most exciting young singers. His students are singing in all the major opera houses of the world.

Denes Striny, was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. where he received his B.M in Voice and M.M in Conducting, as well as completing the course work for his Ph.D in Musicology. In 2006 he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Catholic University. Upon leaving the university he became the Head of the Music Department at Trinity College, also in DC, where he conducted the chorus and orchestra. Mr. Striny has sung leading tenor roles in most of the major opera houses in the United States, as well as in England, Germany, Japan, and Australia. While maintaining an international operatic career, Mr. Striny also has one of New York’s prominent voice studios, producing some of this countries most exciting young singers who are currently populating major opera houses in the United States and Europe. At one point Striny had students singing the 4 leading roles in New York City Opera’s production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, (one of whom was Metropolitan Opera Soprano Lauren Flanigan, who is still with Striny after 16 years of study, and this year thrilled audiences in Barber’s Vanessa also at The New York City Opera. The New York Times wrote Ms. Flanigan’s voice was “vibrant, alluring and powerful..a great singing actress”). At the same time this was running, Striny had 3 students in leading roles in the Tony Award winning musical Titanic, on Broadway. Wearing another hat, Mr. Striny has been the Principal Conductor/Head of Vocal Studies for the Amalfi Coast Music Festival and Institute in Vietri sul mare, Italy, the Badia di Cava Music Festival in Cava dei Tirenni, Italy, and the Shaker Mountain Opera in Pittsfield, Mass., where he was Founder/Artistic Director. Striny has been the Vice- President of the Shoshana Foundation in New York City for 22 years, one of the largest foundations of its kind in the United States, dedicated to helping young American singers through financial assistance. Striny’s book, Head First, which came out in May of 2007, has a Foreword written by his friend, teacher and mentor, Birgit Nilsson, who has recently passed away. The book has received International acclaim and has garnered him rave reviews in Newspapers, and Journals throughout the world, all praised his revolutionary pedagogy and insightful look into the life of an opera singer. This has led to upcoming Masterclasses in the United States, Europe, and Latin America in 2008-2009 (Trujillo Festival for Lectures and Masterclasses November of 2008). Striny can also be seen and heard on www.DenesStriny.com and YouTube.com (Denes Striny) and his 2nd book is due out in September of 2009, Published by Hamilton Books. Mr. Striny is also conducting the Debut Solo CD of Italian Arias with Tenor, Matthew Wolff (one of Striny’s Students) with the Albany Symphony Orchestra at the Troy Music Hall in September 2009. And another of his students Lauren Flanigan has a recent recording out of Pasitieri Opera – with brilliant reviews . Opera News May 2009 “Lady Macbeth’s third scene is unequivocally vocal, with Flanigan hurling melismatic lightning bolts that make you shiver, laying on the silky timbre, imaginative nuances and all-out fury to create an anatomy of co-dependency.”

No matter how much teachers and students of voice may wish to avoid contaminating their understanding of the past with new values in the present, they cannot ignore the fact that we are inevitably affected by the assumptions and beliefs that have been passed down. Many of the issues addressed in lessons as problems are viewed today as “givens,” not to be rethought.

It would be impossible to present a persuasive argument for the significance of such issues without examining, at some length, the genesis of the issues and the widespread preconceptions about what causes them. This can only happen through experiencing the sensations of the Head Voice - guided by someone who understands it.