I had only been on the job at Classical Singer magazine for two weeks, and suddenly I was faced with a last minute cancellation and nowhere to turn. The 2005 Classical Singer Convention was only a week away. My usual source of information, Carla Wood—or CJ Williamson as CS readers knew her—lay in the hospital, having just undergone surgery for an advanced brain tumor. I didn’t know where to turn. Suddenly I thought of Janet Bookspan. I had never met her in person, but she had called several times to inquire about CJ and offer her assistance. Well, I certainly needed assistance now!
It was late in the evening in New York City, where Bookspan had her home and studio, but I was desperate, and so I dialed her number. When she answered, I thought for sure I could hear singing in the background. She was working with someone. Did the woman ever sleep? She listened to my conundrum patiently, and offered a host of names of people who could and would step in to help.
Janet Bookspan set me on the path for solving my problem that night, just as she had done for so many others. This beloved opera director and performance coach pioneered a new kind of actor’s training for singers that is now a mainstay in today’s training canon. She helped singers find meaning in the music and create believability in their performances.
“At a critical junction in my career,” wrote CS Editor CJ Williamson in the pages of this magazine, “I found my way to Janet Bookspan, who quickly moved me past a serious performance block and onto my ‘singing feet’ for the very first time. She taught me how to find my singing soul and express it. I’m in debt to her for much of what I became as a singer.”
A long-time staple to the New York-area artistic community, Bookspan was head of the Opera Department at S.U.N.Y. Purchase and served on the faculties of Juilliard, the Curtis Institute, the Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes. She gave masterclasses at other universities throughout the country. She was also a visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and Carnegie Mellon University.
On stage, Bookspan performed as a narrator and soloist with orchestras around the country, was the commentator for the “Live from Lincoln Center” national telecasts, and appeared on many commercial recordings, including the Grammy-nominated CD Voices from the Gallery.
Behind the scenes, Bookspan directed more than 40 productions in the United States, Europe, and Mexico, including stints at the Caramoor Festival, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Delaware, Opera Columbus, and many others. She was the performance/communication coach for the New World Symphony in Miami and for Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Program.
Such a listing of her many accomplishments, while impressive, fails to give a complete picture of Janet Bookspan. It misses a fundamental part of who she was. Janet Bookman was a mentor fully dedicated to her students. She had clear ideas about great performances and she inspired those with whom she worked to create them.
“My teacher sent me to Janet 25 years ago, to learn how to bring a character to life,” wrote Andrea Broido. “On my résumé she is listed as my drama coach, but she was so much more than that. She was my mentor, teacher, and friend, and I worked through all of my operatic roles with her, as well as song recital repertoire. She inspired me to ‘dig down deep’ and do a lot of homework on each character, and to find, or, when necessary, create my own background information about her. She always challenged me to pour more of myself into her and in the end I always had learned a little more about myself.”
Bookspan died peacefully in her Florida home on Sept. 13 after a brave battle with breast cancer. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Martin Bookspan; their three children: Rachel (Richard) Sobel, David (Phyllis) Bookspan, and Deborah (Scott) Margol; six grandchildren; and the many, many more she inspired along the way.
