Diana Yampolsky
 | |
|---|---|
| Origin | St Petersburg, Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Master Vocal Coach |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1976–Present |
| Website | The Royans School |
Note: This page is under development.
Diana Yampolsky (born February 3, 1957 in St Petersburg, Russia) is an internationally renouned vocal coach and founder of The Royans Professional Vocal School. The school opened in 1984 and is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; where Diana settled after completing a Bachelor's degree in Music Education at the Leningrad School of Music.
Biography
Early life
Diana began her music training at the age of 6, studying at the best schools in Leningrad (known as St Petersburg today) and specializing in voice, piano, and accordion [1]. As a youth she began questioning the methods that were employed in the singing lessons she was receiving and later, after being accepted into teacher's college in 1972, her rebellion toward conventional singing techniques resulted in her dismissal from the college choir and nearly had her expelled from teacher's program itself. By 19, Diana had graduated and was working as a public school music teacher in Russia [2].
Coming to Canada
After achieving acclaim in her musical community at home, Diana moved to Canada in 1979 and as a single mother supported her family by teaching piano lessons along with her new vocal method. While performing as a soloist in international and Russian Choirs she was also receiving offers to join a number of pop and rock groups, exposing Diana to this type of music for the first time [3].
The Royans School
Diana's choice to pursue pedagogy over a career as a performer lead to the creation of The Royans School [4] which opened in Toronto, Ontario in 1984 [5].
Vocal Science
Origin & Definition
Diana's unconventional technique came into development after a serendipitous experience while performing a song for one of her public school classes. Unintentionally abandoning the methods she had been taught throughout her training, this performance came through more clearly, with greater strength and better tone. Diana's motivation to uncover the mechanisms responsible for these improvements lead to the development of the Vocal Science method [6].
The method is characterized by its holistic approach whereby the voice is lifted off of the vocal chords, reducing strain and improving vocal tone and power through a system of exercises that simultaneously integrate visualization, posture and muscular control into the act of singing in order to promote mental, physical, as well as, spiritual harmony while performing [7].