Met Auditions

Well, there is no shortage of aspiring singers out there, and I find that exciting. Yes, it's even tougher going after a career than ever with a lot of shrinking of seasons, less companies, etc., but all of that cannot kill one's desire to express the deepest of human emotions through singing.
On Saturday, I sat in at the District Met Auditions here in Wisconsin, hearing thirty nine aspiring singers (I will be judging later this season in Detroit and Lincoln, Nebraska). A real pleasure of hearing these auditions is that I get to choose three artists for a Florentine Opera Recital later this season, and also a singer to do a principal role with us in a coming season. This season, our Elder McLean in Susannah came about through this process.
There was some fine singing on Saturday, and some really good things happening across all voice categories - (oddly, there weren't a lot of mezzos).
Some things that stuck out that singers still need to think about were repertoire (choosing appropriate rep, and being consistent with what you choose) and wardrobe (dressing in a way that is appropriate for you, and in a way that keeps people focused on what you are there for - to put across a character and situation through your vocal and physical performance).

As I said, I get the same thrill now hearing singers performing as I did back in high school at solo and ensemble contest....it never gets old!