Talking Diction with Stefano de Peppo and Kathryn LaBouff

In this episode, Keturah speaks with bass-baritone and Italian diction coach, Stefano de Peppo, as well as English diction coach, Kathryn LaBouff, about the importance of good diction.

Stefano discusses his journey from Milan to the United States, and how he started helping his colleagues with Italian diction, which has turned into a business.  He also talks about the use of dialects in Italian, and how good diction can help carry emotions across to the audience, even if they don’t speak Italian.

Kathryn discusses her technique, which is laid out in her book: “Singing and Communicating in English.”  She also talks about the rise of English dialects and accents in opera, and how she prepares to coach in dialects, as well as how her role changes from rehearsal room to stage when coaching an English opera.