New York and Jonas Kaufmann

I just got back from 5 days in New York for Opera America Board Meetings, and along the way, I was able to hear tenor Jonas Kaufmann in recital singing Schumman, Strauss, Wagner, and Liszt - what an evening (including six encores!)

I was reminded again how a great singer can command a stage (Carnegie Hall in this case) with just his voice and a pianist.  May lessons here for the auditonee.  In addition to being a great singer, Mr. Kaufmann is not afraid to do nothing when it fits the occasion - there was never any empty gesticulation - every move or non-move meant something.

More than anything, when you audition, remember that it IS a performance, and your job is to not just get hired or win, but to touch and move your audience, whether its 3000 people or 1 general director.

The power of the human voice to touch us is awe inspiring - tap into that anytime you sing, and certainly don't leave it out of your audition!
 

Well, it's been a while...

January was a bit hectic, as I was at Rutgers University, having a great time directing Candide.  Since getting back we have done the screening round of our Studio Artist auditions, and we are now getting ready for our big Studio Artist concert this weekend, Festa Fiorentina.

So, now that I am ensconced here for a while, I hope to be a tad (OK, a lot) more consistent with my blog entries.

We will have our 14-15 Studio Artist auditions coming up at the end of the month, so there will be a lot to talk about!

Stay tuned!