Holly Matyas
soprano
dancer
choreographer
RESUME
Artist Statement
Am I a dancer, or am I a singer? My answer is that being one allows me to be the other better. My desire to create projects in which I can exercise my full artistic range lead me to the exploration of art song through a choreographic lens. My creative research focuses on a profound examination of the art song with the intent to illustrate its musical and poetic content through a choreographic vocabulary of gestures, movements and spatial designs. My work encourages you to appreciate the richness of life through full-bodied performances incorporating music, song, dance and poetry.
My teaching philosophy is rooted in the quest towards physical and artistic freedom by eliminating irrelevant tension and psychological barriers. Break down everything into its most basic concept, build on that concept, and discipline the mind to effectively communicate what you want the body to do.
Performance Highlights
Project: BARATTOCULT edizione estiva 2024, cultural exchange between 25 selected artists of various disciplines and ages and the residents of the towns of Apecchio and Serravalle di Carda. Artists in residence participated in seminars on the history of theater and the Marche region, as well as traditional local dances and music that culminated in the creation of an evening length theatrical performance based on the region's rich history.
Role: Artist in Residence, (soprano, dancer, actress) under the direction of Carlo Boso.
Performances:
- Piazza S. Martino, Apecchio (PU) 23 agosto 2024
- La Carda (PU) 24 agosto 2024
- Serravalle di Carda (Centro Storico) 25 agosto 2024
Project: Across the Sea: An American Poet's Journey Through Italy (Attraverso il mare)
Roles: Performer (Soprano/Dancer), Choreographer, Narrator
Performances:
- Istituto Marcelline Genova, Italy (June 12, 2023) - Italian version
- Costa d'Orsola, Pontremoli, Italy (July 9, 2022) - Dance Only English version
Opera: Delitto allo Zoo (Zoo Dunnit?) by Giorgio Spriano
Roles: Soprano/Dancer/Choreographer (The Animals of the Zoo)
Performances:
- Festival MITO Settembre Musica 2023, Sermig- Auditorium Camara, Torino, Italy (Sept. 22, 2023)
- Micron Chamber Opera Festival, Teatro Le Glicini, Pino Torinese, Italy (Nov. 8, 2018)
- Micron Chamber Opera Festival, Casa del Teatro Ragazzi e Giovani, Torino, Italy (Nov. 6 and 7, 2018)
- Madama DoRe Concert Season, Teatro Bibiena, Mantova, Italy (Nov. 16, 2014)
- Classical Music Festival Unione Musicale, Teatro Vittoria, Torino, Italy (Feb. 7, 2014) – English Version
- Classical Music Festival Unione Musicale, Teatro Vittoria, Torino, Italy (Feb. 18, 2013)
- MITO SettembreMusica ,Teatro Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy (Sept. 16, 2012)
- MITO SettembreMusica, Casa del Teatro Ragazzi e Giovani, Torino, Italy (Sept. 22, 2012)
- Micron Chamber Opera Festival,Teatro Marenco, Ceva, Italy (Oct. 20, 2011)
- Micron Chamber Opera Festival,Teatro Crocetta, Torino, Italy (Oct. 21, 2011)
Dance Concert: Danza é...
Role: Guest dancer/choreographer in "Danzando i Lieder di Schubert"
3 solos for set to art songs by F. Schubert
Performance: Teatro delle Tosse, Genoa, Italy (23 June 2016)
Dance Concert: Danzando con noi
Role: Guest dancer/choreographer in an extract from Delitto allo Zoo,
"Be Brave" ballet/pointe solo inspired by M. Fokine's The Dying Swan,
"Hold Out, Hold Together, Hold On" for dancer/soprano set to art songs by F. Poulenc
Performance: Teatro della Tosse, Genoa, Italy (18 June 2015)
Dance Company: Diabasis Ballet, Artistic Director Maria Grazia Sulpizi
Role: Soloist (modern/contemporary dance)
Performances: Company repertory performed in Madrid, Spain and the Italian cities of Genoa, Torino, Rovereto, Castiglioncello, Mantova, and Arenzano (2009 - 2015)
Dance Concert: Naturalia Artificialia e Water Dance
Roles: Black Swan (ballet)/Dancer (contemporary dance)
Choreographed by Tiziana Cona and produced by Valerio Festi for the Festival dell’Acqua
Performance: Piazza de Ferrari, Genoa, Italy (8 Sept. 2011)
Opera: Dido and Aeneas by H.Purcell
Role: Dido
Performances:
- Palazzo Rosso, Genoa, Italy (June 2008)
- Commenda di San Giovanni di Prè, Genoa, Italy (June 2007)
Dance Concert: Aqueous Myth, Tales of a Water Planet
A full evening of dance and technology produced in association with the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC), choreographed and directed by Tim Glenn
Roles: Vocalist in Prelude/Voyage, Dancer in Waterbirds choreographed by Rick McCullough, Dancer in Ice choreographed by Tim Glenn, Dancer in Vapor choreographed by Tim Glenn and Lindsay Meeks
Performances: Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre, Tallahassee, FL (Sept. 16 and 17, 2005)
Website: http://aqueousmyth.com/Artists/
Dance Concert: The Icarus Project
Role: Soprano Soloist (art songs by F. Schubert) in "On the Wings of Youth"
Choreographed by Sarah Morrison of Morrison Dance and presented by Cleveland Dancing Wheels
Performance: Allen Theater, Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH (May 2003)
Opera: Tosca by G. Puccini
Role: Cleveland Opera Chorus
Performances: State Theatre, Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH (Oct. 2002)
Dance Company: Ohio Dance Theatre
Ballet: The Nutcracker
Roles: Columbine Doll, Snow, Spanish, Flowers
Performances: Stocker Arts Center, Elyria, OH (Dec. 2000 and 2001)
Musical Theater: Stephen Foster The Musical
Roles: Matinee Jane, Lucy, Featured Dancer
Performances: J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre, Bardstown, KY (June - Aug. 2001)
Teaching Highlights
Primary School Music Teacher (grades 1-5)
Istituto di Cultura e Lingue Marcelline
Sept. 2023 - present
Genoa, Italy
-Teach primary school general music (grades 1 and 2)
-Conduct group singing technique and choir rehearsals (grades 3, 4 and 5)
-Prepare, organize and conduct primary school Christmas Concert and School Show (grades 1-5)
Dance Instructor
Danzainfiore (School of Dance)
Oct. 2015 - Present
Genoa, Italy
-Teach beginning through advanced levels of contemporary dance, pointe and adult ballet
-Substitute teach beginning - advanced levels of preprofessional ballet and pointe
-Organize and direct courses in Musical English, an English language course rooted in movement, music and theater games for children ages 3-7 (2017-2024)
-Choreograph contemporary dance pieces for biyearly dance recitals and dance festivals
Musical English Teacher
Genova Sport College
Sept. 2022 - June 2024
Genoa, Italy
-Teach the English language through dance, music and theater games to children ages 8-12
-Create, prepare and direct an end of the year showing
Music and Physical Education Teacher
Istituto di Cultura e Lingue Marcelline
Sept. 2022 - June 2023
Genoa, Italy
-Direct the preschool music program
-Teach preschool music
-Organize and teach preschool physical education classes
-Prepare and present the preschool Christmas concert
-Teach first grade general music
-Prepare and teach first grade music for the Christmas concert
-Create, prepare and direct the end of the year show for the first grade and preschool classes
-Teach the English language through dance, music and theater games in the Cambridge Plus course for first, second and third graders
-Create, prepare and direct an end of the year show for the Cambridge Plus course
Contemporary/Modern Dance Instructor
24 Sept. 2022
Studio Live Dance Academy
Livorno, Italy
-Teach beginning, intermediate and advanced level modern/contemporary dance masterclasses
Dance Instructor
Accademia Ducale Danza
Sept. 2007- June 2016
Genoa, Italy
-Teach ballet, contemporary dance and dance conditioning to teenagers and adults
Dance Instructor
Tuscan Summer Dance Intensive
Summers of 2011 - 2015
Livorno, Italy
-Teach intermediate and advanced levels of ballet, masterclasses in Breath and Singing for Dancers, and dance conditioning to Italian, American and Canadian college-level dancers
Voice Instructor
Apostolato Liturgico
Jan. 2008 - June 2014
Genoa, Italy
-Teach individual and group classical singing technique and repertory
-Direct the children's choir
Voice and Dance Instructor
Centro di Danza (Lucilla Amadori)
Nov. 2006 - Mar. 2011
Cecina, Italy
-Teach intermediate and advanced level ballet masterclasses
-Teach Singing for Dancers masterclasses
Guest Instructor
Oberlin College and Conservatory
16/17 September 2008
Oberlin, Ohio
-Guest teach movement and breath masterclasses for Deborah Vogel's Musician's Wellness and Body Re-education and Alignment courses
Voice Instructor
Shandong University
July-Aug. 2006
Weihei, China
-Teach Italian, German and French Diction for Classical Singers
Dance Instructor
Florida State University
Aug. 2004 - Dec. 2005
Tallahassee, Florida (USA)
-Teach undergraduate non-major courses Jazz Dance I, Beginning Ballet I, Beginning Contemporary I
Ballet Instructor
South Georgia Ballet Conservatory
July 2004 - June 2005
Cairo, Georgia (USA)
-Teach beginning and intermediate ballet and pointe to preprofessional dancers
Ballet Instructor
Ohio Dance Theatre
Aug. 2000 - Aug. 2002
Oberlin, OH (USA)
-Teach beginning and intermediate ballet to preprofessional dancers and adult ballet
Education
Master of Fine Arts in Dance, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA, April 2006
Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA, May 2002
Bachelor of Arts in Dance, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA, May 2002