Malibu High School student Hailey Hoffman graduated from the Bel Canto Institute in Florence, Italy where she studied vocal performance, Italian and diction. She participated in the 2012 Youth Division Program, where she performed recitals at the Ente Cassa de Risparmio di Firenze.
Hoffman’s voice teacher was Eduardo Valdes, tenor at the Metropolitan Opera since 1993, and her vocal coach was Robert Morrison, assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for the past 15 seasons.
Founded by Jane Bakken Klaviter, conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, the Bel Canto Institute celebrates the style and tradition of 19th and 20th century Italian opera featuring the works of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi and Puccini.