Discover the program that transforms your voice — and your path.
Launching in January 2026, the Colchagua Vocal Institute invites a new generation of singers and pianists to be part of something extraordinary. As the pioneering edition of this retreat-style program, it offers not only exceptional training, but the rare opportunity to help shape a meaningful international space for artistic growth, cultural exchange, and musical excellence.
Set in the heart of Chile’s Valle de Colchagua—a region often called the Chilean Napa Valley for its world-class vineyards and rich cultural legacy—the program brings together a hand-selected group of just 15 singers and 2 pianists for nine days of focused study, collaboration, and inspiration. Participants work closely with faculty who are not only acclaimed educators but active performers on international stages. The curriculum centers on the beauty and power of Hispanic and Latin American repertoire, offering in-depth stylistic work and insight rarely accessible in traditional conservatory settings.
More than a training program, Colchagua is a space where personal and artistic well-being come first. Alongside lessons and coachings, the week includes sessions in music therapy, vocal health, and career preparation, all taking place in an intimate, retreat-style atmosphere that fosters reflection and connection. Chilean students and faculty join throughout the week for shared activities and masterclasses, and the experience culminates in a public concert that welcomes the local community into the musical journey.
To ensure a solid foundation from the start, this inaugural edition is proud to be supported by esteemed local partners including Fundación Factoría Musical and the Antología de la Canción de Arte Chilena, a program of the Universidad Alberto Hurtado. Their involvement helps root the program in Chilean artistic life and offers participants an authentic and trusted cultural bridge.
More than training, this is an experience that will stay with you — reshaping how you sing, how you think, and how you connect to the world through your art.
Applications for the Colchagua Vocal Institute open June 1st, 2025.
We welcome you to be part of the first chapter.
A Glimpse Into the Daily Experience
At the heart of the Colchagua Vocal Institute is a carefully curated daily flow designed to support artistic excellence, personal well-being, and cultural immersion.
Set in the peaceful landscape of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, this international music retreat offers singers and pianists a structured yet spacious environment to refine their craft and deepen their connection to voice, language, and self.
Throughout the program, participants experience:
🎻 One-on-one voice lessons and personalized coachings with world-class faculty
🌤️ Morning sessions in movement, vocal wellness, or body alignment techniques
🎼 Public masterclasses led by internationally active artists, open to the local community
📚 Workshops on Hispanic and Chilean repertoire, mental health, vocal hygiene, and career development
🌿 Intentional time for rest, quiet study, or exploration of Colchagua’s natural and cultural beauty
🍷 Cultural excursions including a museum tour and vineyard visit in one of the world’s premier wine regions
🕯️ Evening gatherings including artist talks, open rehearsals, or informal peer performances
Each component of the day is designed to balance technical voice training with artistic reflection and holistic support. Whether you’re preparing for a career in opera, developing your artistry as a soloist, or exploring new repertoire, this immersive setting allows you to step away from the noise and invest fully in your growth.
At Colchagua, you don’t just train — you transform.
International Resident Faculty
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Dr. José Miguel Santelices
GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | VOICE FACULTY
Colchagua Vocal Institute
Chilean tenor José Miguel Santelices is a dynamic performer, educator, and cultural leader whose work bridges the worlds of performance and pedagogy. He has appeared across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe in leading roles such as Rodolfo, the Duke, and Pirelli, and is a proud member of the GRAMMY Award-winning Los Angeles Master Chorale. A champion of Latin American repertoire, he is frequently featured in programs highlighting Hispanic music, tango, and Chilean song, including Voices Beyond Boundaries, a recital dedicated to LGBTQ+ and new music representation in the arts.
As founder of VOCES Academy of the Arts in Dallas, he trains emerging singers through a science-based approach to voice grounded in functional technique, expressivity, and artistic self-awareness. At Colchagua—his hometown and the namesake of this program—he returns not only as an artist, but as a pedagogue committed to developing healthy, expressive voices through cultural connection and technical mastery.
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Dr. Alba Franco-Cancél
VOICE FACULTY | VOCOLOGIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Director of Vocal Studies, Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music
Puerto Rican soprano Alba Franco-Cancél is internationally recognized for her “pure, silvery, and bell-like sound” (San Diego Story) and “magnetic stage presence.” She has appeared in over forty operatic productions across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, performing signature roles such as the Queen of the Night, Gilda, Despina, and María in West Side Story. Recent highlights include The Phantom of the Opera in Italy, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna in Los Angeles, and solo appearances in Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
A dedicated pedagogue and certified vocologist, Franco-Cancél currently serves as Director of Vocal Studies at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. Her teaching is rooted in evidence-based voice pedagogy, with a strong emphasis on vocal hygiene, functional technique, and long-term vocal health. At Colchagua, she guides students with a powerful blend of scientific insight, pedagogical rigor, and artistic sensitivity.
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TBA
PIANO FACULTY | VOCAL COACH
TBA
TBA
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Steven Franco-Santiago, MA
WELLNESS ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Music Therapist, Veterans Hospital - Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican music therapist Steven Franco-Santiago is an internationally recognized leader in music-based mental health care. With over eight years of experience, he blends clinical expertise and artistic insight to support wellness through music. He holds a master’s degree in music therapy from the University of Missouri–Kansas City and a bachelor’s in music performance from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. He currently serves as the first music therapist at the Veterans Hospital in San Juan and teaches at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, where he leads the course “Philosophy and Principles of Music Therapy Study.”
At Colchagua, Franco-Santiago directs a wellness track that sets the Institute apart as one of the only classical voice programs in the world to integrate mental health, self-care, and holistic well-being into the core of artist training. His experience across clinical, academic, and community settings brings a vital dimension to the program, ensuring that young artists develop not only their voices—but the tools to thrive in a demanding creative world.
Local Guest Faculty
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Dr. Marco Guzmán
PRESENTER | VOCOLOGY
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Universidad de los Andes
Chilean voice pathologist and vocologist Dr. Marco Guzmán is internationally regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in voice science and a pioneer of vocology in both the Spanish- and English-speaking worlds. With over twenty years of clinical and academic experience, he holds a PhD in vocology from Tampere University (Finland) and professional certification from the University of Iowa and the National Center for Voice and Speech (USA).
He currently serves on the faculty at Universidad de los Andes in Santiago, Chile, and is Adjunct Professor at Tampere University. A faculty member of the Summer Vocology Institute (University of Utah) and guest lecturer at the University of Bologna, Dr. Guzmán is also an editorial board member for the Journal of Voice and serves on the Advisory Board of the Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA). His scholarly publications and international lectures have contributed to advancing the field of applied voice science around the world.
As the featured guest of Colchagua Vocal Institute’s inaugural edition, Dr. Guzmán brings an essential perspective to the training of today’s classical singers. His work at the intersection of voice science and performance offers participants a rare opportunity to deepen their understanding of vocal function through a vocology-informed lens. With his guidance, singers gain tools to enhance technical efficiency, prevent vocal fatigue, and build healthier, more sustainable voices—grounding their artistry in evidence-based practices.
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Rosa Vergara Marshall, BM
PRESENTER | MASTERCLASS CLINICIAN
Founder & Director
Fundación Factoría Musical
Chilean pianist Rosa Vergara Marshall holds a degree in advanced piano performance from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She pursued further studies in Germany, specializing in piano performance at the Musikhochschule Lübeck and instrumental pedagogy at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. Her training combines technical rigor with pedagogical insight, positioning her as both a distinguished performer and a dedicated educator.
As a soloist and chamber musician, she has appeared on many of Chile’s most important stages and festivals, including the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, GAM, Teatro del Lago, Teatro Regional del Maule, Teatro Municipal de Castro, and the Rosita Renard Festival in Pirque. She also performs regularly at cultural centers throughout the country and has collaborated with leading Chilean musicians and arts institutions.
Vergara Marshall is the founder of Factoría Musical, a creative music education initiative established in 2019 to support young musicians through innovative pedagogy, artistic mentorship, and community engagement. The organization champions access to high-quality music education and fosters a vibrant culture of musical excellence.
At Colchagua Vocal Institute, Vergara Marshall will present on the mission and impact of Factoría Musical and lead a masterclass for piano students focused on accompanying Chilean and Latin American art song. Her work bridges performance and education, guiding students toward deeper cultural awareness, stylistic fluency, and collaborative artistry within the Spanish-speaking art song tradition.
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Gonzalo Simonetti, MM
PRESENTER | MASTERCLASS CLINICIAN
Director of Vocal Performance
Universidad Alberto Hurtado
Chilean baritone Gonzalo Simonetti holds a degree in advanced vocal performance from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and a Master’s in Opera Performance from the Musikhochschule Mannheim. He later specialized in Lied at the Hochschule für Musik Saarbrücken, studying with Irwin Gage and graduating with top honors. His formation was enriched by masterclasses with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Thomas Hampson, Helmut Rilling, Verónica Villarroel, and Edith Mathis.
Simonetti has performed widely across Germany, Latin America, and Europe, appearing in opera houses in Weimar, Erfurt, and Görlitz, with roles including Valentin (Faust), Conte (Le nozze di Figaro), and Tarquinius (The Rape of Lucretia). A versatile performer, he is equally active in Lied and oratorio, with repertoire ranging from Schubert’s Winterreise to Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s major sacred works.
He currently serves as professor of voice and phonetics at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile, where he directs the vocal performance program and leads initiatives centered on Latin American art song. He also teaches at the Universidad de Chile.
At Colchagua Vocal Institute, Simonetti will present on the Antología de la Canción de Arte Chilena, a project dedicated to the study and performance of Chilean art song. He will also lead a masterclass focused on interpretation, diction, and stylistic elements of Spanish-language repertoire—offering singers valuable guidance in exploring the richness of Latin American vocal literature.
Our Home
For The Week
Centro Mariápolis
El Huape, Cunaco, Comuna de Nancagua,
VI Región, Chile.
Located in Chile’s scenic Colchagua Valley, just outside the town of Santa Cruz, Centro Mariápolis is a historic retreat center known for its peaceful grounds, architectural charm, and spirit of welcome. Originally a 19th-century wine estate, the property spans more than 17 acres of gardens, groves, and vineyard-lined paths. Today, it serves as a center for education and cultural gatherings, offering a rare blend of natural beauty and thoughtful design—an ideal setting for focused creative work.
Participants of the Colchagua Vocal Institute will be housed on-site in the center’s restored early 20th-century manor, surrounded by century-old trees, open-air courtyards, and quiet rehearsal spaces. The atmosphere invites rest and reflection between lessons, and fosters a strong sense of community among artists from across the world. Rooted in values of inclusivity, dialogue, and care, Centro Mariápolis is a place where music, culture, and landscape come together with purpose and grace.
“Step into a landscape that lets your artistry breathe.”
Colchagua is more than a destination — it’s a retreat into stillness, nature, and focus. With every garden, hillside, and courtyard, the setting invites you to disconnect from the noise and reconnect with your craft.
Program Partners
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Fundación Factoría Musical
SANTIAGO, CHILE
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Antología de la Canción de Arte Chilena
A PROJECT OF UNIVERSIDAD ALBERTO HURTADO
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Centro Mariápolis
CUNACO, CHILE