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Serena Z.'s Golden Voice
It’s no stretch to say that Serena Z. has a golden voice.
The Toronto-based Royal Conservatory of Music presents a gold medal in each region of Canada every year to the student receiving the top marks in their discipline and level. In November, Serena learned that she received the BC and Yukon gold medal for Level 8 voice for the 2021-22 academic year. And, as no one achieved the benchmark in levels 9 or 10 or the diploma program, Serena’s gold in Level 8 was the highest medal awarded for voice last year.
The RCM conducts exams at 10 levels, as well as diploma exams. The BC Government counts Level 8 as a Grade 12 school credit.
Serena performed the exam virtually in September 2021, just before she started her Grade 11 year. She had been working on the material during the school year, then used the summer to refine and put the finishing touches on the technical work and repertoire. The RCM collated the awards at the end of the 2021-22 academic year, and announced the award recipients in November 2022. Serena has been invited to the award ceremony in Vancouver this spring and asked to perform in the regional Celebration of Excellence recital.
A Grade 12 student and prefect at Shawnigan, Serena studies after school with Ms. Eve Daniell, a Vancouver Island-based classical soprano who has performed around the world. Ms. Daniell praises Serena’s talent and effort as a singer.
“Serena has a great aptitude for music and performance and honours that gift with a focused and dedicated work ethic,” Ms. Daniell said. “I admire the level of detail Serena puts into each piece and into each character she portrays, and her enthusiasm and energy level in her performances is infectious. Serena is a generous and kind artist, cheering her peers and competitors in a way that quickly brings up the levels of kindness and support in any room.”
For her exam, Serena had to complete a theory co-requisite exam, a practical exam, technical tests, and sight-reading tests. The majority of the exam grade, however, is based on repertoire, requiring four pieces from different eras and styles, covering at least three different languages. For Serena’s exam, she chose an Italian aria from the 1700s (“Amore Preparami” by Alessandro Scarlatti), for which she then wrote her own stylistically appropriate vocal ornaments and flourishes. She also prepared a French chanson from the 1800s (“L’heure exquise” by Reynaldo Hahn), an Appalachian folk song (“Shady Grove,” arranged by Christine Donkin), and a 20th-century musical theatre song (“Till There Was You” by Meredith Wilson from The Music Man.)
“Serena’s exam was a wonderful moment where all her hard work and preparation aligned in a performance filled with solid technique, dramatic conviction, and sensitive musicality throughout,” Ms. Daniell said. “Having the performance be so appreciated by the examiner was really bolstering; Serena works at such a high level, and seeing other musicians notice and value her gifts is a pleasure. Then, after all that, to find out it was the highest mark in the entire territory was a joyful bonus.”
This isn’t the first RCM gold medal for Serena. She previously took top marks in BC for her Level 1 voice exam, prior to her time at Shawnigan.
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