Teaching Simon

A memoir of the author, despite an incurable recurring virus, describing his life and preparation, for the teaching of the great Simon Estes.

The grandson of a slave – an underprivileged African American student at the University of Iowa in 1961 and a new, young professor who first discovered him and then became his teacher/mentor, nurturing him through to international fame. Two interwoven themes connect Simon Estes and Charles Kellis. Described as a "Union made in heaven," their student-teacher relationship became legendary. Like a diamond in the rough, it took a determined commitment with many hours every day for two years at the University. Then Simon Estes, onto Juilliard for one year; a winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow; his operatic debut as Ramphis in "Aida" at the Berlin Opera in Germany; "The Flying Dutchman" at the Bayreuth Festival; and subsequently, all major opera houses and most important symphony orchestras throughout the world. The rest is history.

This writing, however, also progressively evolved into an exposition of varied impressions. A microcosm of people and events including the unusual professional experiences of some exceptional international performers, who were also significant in their youthful interaction at a time of their relative anonymity.