Keeping the tradition alive

Ignas Melnikas

Bass-Baritone · Vocal Pedagogue

I am a professional opera singer and vocal pedagogue dedicated to the study and transmission of the Melocchi Method, a historic Italian school of operatic singing.

As a direct third-generation exponent of this lineage, my study of this tradition began over a decade ago in Italy, where I trained extensively with direct students of Mario del Monaco and Marcello del Monaco. Through this deep immersion, I developed a comprehensive, practical understanding of the method's core physiological principles and their precise application to dramatic operatic singing.

Today, my work is primarily devoted to teaching the Melocchi Method to singers who wish to develop their technique through this distinctive Italian tradition.

My Professional Experience

With more than ten years of professional teaching and performance experience, I have appeared on stages including Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Teatro Donizetti di Bergamo, Auditorio de Tenerife, Ankara Opera House, Teatro Rossini di Pesaro, Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza, and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic.

My experience as a performer informs my teaching, connecting the technical work of the studio with the demands of operatic repertoire and performance.

My Teaching

My teaching is rooted in the principles of the traditional Italian school of singing as transmitted through the Melocchi tradition.

The work begins with the technical foundations of the voice, with attention to vocal coordination, resonance, registration, and continuity throughout the range. These principles are explored through exercises and practical work adapted to the individual singer.

As the technical work develops, it is applied to operatic repertoire, including questions of diction, phrasing, style and interpretation.

My aim is to help singers understand their vocal technique more clearly and develop the ability to apply that understanding independently in their singing. Each voice has its own characteristics and challenges, and the work must take these into account.

The Arturo Melocchi Academy

I founded the Arturo Melocchi Academy to preserve, study, and transmit this historic vocal tradition while making its principles accessible to today's opera singers.

Alongside my teaching, the Academy documents the Melocchi School through historical research, interviews, translations of original teaching material, and archival recordings. Its purpose is to provide singers with access not only to practical instruction, but also to the historical sources and ideas behind the method.