A voice for all seasons

How many of us can look back and say we knew the answer to the aged-old question, and especially as early as elementary school, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  

Owego native, Jordan Schreiner, a 2010 OFA graduate, reminisced about a time while a fifth grader at OES when the Tri-Cities Opera touring education program performed at the school.   

Jordan commented exuberantly, “I was enamored by the unamplified human voice,” and further shared that the performance captivated him, and so much so that a seed was planted.” 

By the following year in sixth grade, Jordan began voice lessons, and is thankful for the support of his family during those formative years.

Fast-forward to today, and Schreiner is a voice professor and opera singer. He recently started a second adjunct professor role at Mansfield University in Mansfield, Pa., and on this occasion as a one-year contract. In addition, he manages his own business in Owego, a venture he started in 2012 called “Schreiner Voice Studio.”  

Schreiner balances multiple components of his career as a voice professor and voice instructor, and in addition, has been auditioning for stage roles and will soon be performing again. The “audition season” is in full swing, and live opera events and theatre are slowly making a comeback.

Jordan graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Opera Performance, and also completed dual Bachelor’s Degrees at Mansfield University in Music Performance and Music Business: Management. He thanks Dr. Alissa Rose and Laura Brooks Rice, both Mansfield voice professors, for their guidance in achieving his success-to-date.

Schreiner is best known for his portrayals of romantic tenor roles, such as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Rodolfo in La boheme. As a resident artist with Tri-Cities Opera located in Binghamton, N.Y. from 2016-2018, Jordan played a number of characters in opera and concert productions, ranging from La Traviata to Iolanta, and The Pirates of Penzance, just to name a few. 

It was at Tri-Cities Opera where he initially polished his craft. Schreiner enjoyed his time in Binghamton, and noted, too, that Southern Tier audiences are particularly opera-appreciative and loyal patrons of the arts. Tri-Cities Opera, a staple in the region, dates back to 1949.

This summer, Jordan spent time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin performing and singing with the Florentine Opera Company. A performing arts organization since 1933, and Wisconsin’s oldest, it is also the sixth oldest opera company in the U.S.

Back at Schreiner Voice Studio, Jordan teaches vocal technique while also emphasizing physical and mental well-being. His clients range in age from 16 to about 45.

Jordan explained that his clients perform all genres of music, and at all levels, and believes that healthy singing can be achieved in every genre through the study of vocal technique. Some of his clients are preparing for college auditions, or for entrance auditions elsewhere.

Jordan remarked that he is, “Very fulfilled working with these singers,” and as part of his overall “dual career” path as a teaching artist.

He encourages his students to individualize their own paths.  From his own personal experience, he is working to change the cookie-cutter precedent set decades ago that once you are an opera singer you should only be an opera singer. 

Schreiner said he is using his voice to, “Help change the mentality that multiple income streams are okay,” and further explained that “dual careers” should not be frowned upon, but instead, be welcomed, adding, “I train artists to be entrepreneurs.”

The pandemic has challenged the vocal teaching world just as it has every other business. Much of Schreiner’s vocal classes are still on-line at this point to assure health and safety, and considering one particular issue, “Singing produces so many molecules.”

Schreiner noted that Zoom sessions have actually proven more productive in some cases. Although in-person lessons are ideal, on-line sessions, in general, he said, “Make you focus more and really engage in the listening process.”    

Jordan’s creativity has expanded, too; he is producing the second season of his podcast called “The Energized Mindset,” which is available on Spotify, Apple, and more, and has worked to strengthen his social media presence on several platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. In the near future, he is planning to produce a series on YouTube.

A special note to the public, Schreiner commented, “Please come out and support the arts, it’s so important,” and he encourages all to attend an opera, too. “Experience the magic in the singing, the orchestra and the costumes.”

For additional information, find Schreiner Voice Studio on Facebook, JMS Tenor on Instagram, or read Jordan’s full biography at www.jordanschreiner.com.