Olga Saad

Voice, Off-Site Programs

Undergraduate:  B.M. Friends University, KS

Postgraduate:  M.M. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Hometown: Wichita, KS

Preferred student age: Middle school - High School

Preferred student level: Non - beginner

How long have you been at Sherwood?  Since January, 2009

About Olga:
Susanna "Le Nozze di Figaro" in Rome, Italy and singing with the Opera Studio in Graz, Austria are important points in my career. Also working with Wichita Grand Opera as a Young Artist and sharing the stage with some of the Opera greats gave me tools I still use today.

What do you want to impart to your students through your teaching?
That there is more to music than what you hear on the radio and more to art than what you see on T.V. Music is a way to experience life through characters which we create. When you combinne these charcters with others, you create a story; and this story can affect others in a postive and life-altering way. Each student has the power to affect another through music and art through the process of imagination and creation.

Are there specific methods or techniques that you use in your teaching that may be important to share with prospective students?
I encourage students to use all their imaginative skills to create a staged performance. If the performance seems spontaneous, then the audience will believe in what the students have to offer and in return gives the students confidence in their talent.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I enjoy the discovery process. When a student finally "gets it", finally understands what we've been working on, I feel that I have accomplished something good.

Briefly describe your musical pursuits outside Sherwood.
I sing with Chicago Chamber Opera, and hope to expand to other local companies as well. My future goals include regional perfomances and setting up a home studio.

What is your earliest musical experience or best musical memory?
When I was a sophmore in high school I was asked to sing a very substantial solo infront of a 400 plus audience, that's when I fell in love with the stage.

Please describe one of your favorite teachers or mentors.
My favorite, so far, is a woman who encouraged me to sing outside the box. To not please others, but to look to my internal artist and find the voice that matched. In this way I have learned to sing honestly and to portray characters as I feel they truly are. My audiences have only praised me for this ability and I thank my mentor for leading me down the right path.

Who is your favorite composer or what is your favorite musical period?
I love the Russians! Mostly Rachmaninoff for vocal works and Tchaikovky for orchestral works. The Romantic period will always be my favorite for operas and vocal works.