Arias in a Scenes Program

We have a scenes program coming this week with our Studio Artists, and in the past, I have shied away from putting arias on a program like this, opting instead for duets, trios, and quartets.
I am really glad each singer is doing a solo scene on this program, and I have really enjoyed directing them.
It gets me back to a point I have made before about preparing arias for auditions.  Staging them out ahead of time makes the performance (or audition) much richer.

This program will have four interesting, contrasting arias:

Da tempeste from Giulio Cesare
Augusta's aria from the Ballad of Baby Doe
Lensky's aria from Eugene Onegin
The Count's aria from Le Nozze di Figaro

Each of these presents unique vocal and dramatic challenges- but each also represents an opportunity for a singer to grow as a singing actor.

Remember to take each of your audition arias and stage them - even if you don't use all of that staging in your audition, you will find that the "residue" of that staging exercise will leave you with a stronger audition aria!

New York

I just got back from almost a week in New York for the Opera America New Works Forum, and I also heard some auditions, and caught the Met's The Tempest.
As a board member of Opera America, this was my first opportunity to visit the new Narional Opera Center, which I can tell you is really stunning!
Hearing auditions in the new Audition Hall was great, and gave a great perspective on hearing singers in audition.  I hope that you get an opportunity to sing there (there are some wondeful studios for rent there as well).