This has been a busy month - our Studio Artists just finished their first "half" with us - and what a busy December it was - staging our kid's opera, The Three Little Pigs, three carol concerts with our great partner Alterra Coffee, (which we then recorded for later release!), and finally five performances as soloists in Messiah, with the Milwaukee Symphony, and wonderful guest conductor Christopher Seaman - that is quite a month!
I am hearing some auditions tomorrow, and gearing up for 2012! -
How is the "audition season" going for you out there? It remains difficult, but I can't help feeling there is a crack of sunlight in the optimism department in opera.....
what are your thoughts on that?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Off subject, but very exciting....
We just learned last night that our recording of Aldridge's Elmer Gantry has been nominated for three Grammy Awards! Needless to say, I am very excited.....
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
A month of auditions
It has been quite a month.....started with our production of Turandot......after that went to New York for an intense weekend of new opera, plus a few auditions, then followed that with a trip to Detroit for the Met Auditions. Judged with Ben Malensek from the Met - we've done this together several times now, and Patricia Wise - wonderful soprano and voice faculty member at Indiana University - who I had not met before. We all had a grand time together and finished that weekend off with a production of The Marriage of Figaro at Michigan Opera Theatre, where we were graciously hosted by General Director David DiChiera. - No wonder I'm exhausted!!
During this month, I've gotten to hear a wide variety of singers in audition, and it has put me in mind of something that I have said before - You of course have to have the vocal goods, and you have to present professionally - vocally, visually, and dramatically. But, in addition to that, you have to say something with your singing and show us who you are - both who you are in reality, and the character you are portraying. I know that that is a bit of a cypher - how does one concretely do that? The best I can say it in this short post is that I am left with a certain feeling at the end of an audition like that - the feeling that the artist left it all out on the stage. I don't mean that they blew themselves out vocally or that they wildly gesticulated. I mean that the artist auditioning opened up their soul, and gave us a glimpse of the character - made us feel what was happening. It's as though I have experienced an entire opera within the scope of one aria.
Think about the performances that have moved you the most in your life, and I think you will agree that those performances were permeated by that sense of opening up, sharing, and intimacy with the artist.
Thoughts?
During this month, I've gotten to hear a wide variety of singers in audition, and it has put me in mind of something that I have said before - You of course have to have the vocal goods, and you have to present professionally - vocally, visually, and dramatically. But, in addition to that, you have to say something with your singing and show us who you are - both who you are in reality, and the character you are portraying. I know that that is a bit of a cypher - how does one concretely do that? The best I can say it in this short post is that I am left with a certain feeling at the end of an audition like that - the feeling that the artist left it all out on the stage. I don't mean that they blew themselves out vocally or that they wildly gesticulated. I mean that the artist auditioning opened up their soul, and gave us a glimpse of the character - made us feel what was happening. It's as though I have experienced an entire opera within the scope of one aria.
Think about the performances that have moved you the most in your life, and I think you will agree that those performances were permeated by that sense of opening up, sharing, and intimacy with the artist.
Thoughts?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Auditions everywhere!
Well, it has been a month! Turandot here at the Florentine, and then off to New York for the Opera America New Works Forum (where I heard a lot of interesting new opera), preceded by some auditions. Tomorrow, I fly to Detroit to judge the Met Auditions, preceded tonight by our Studio Artists Scenes Program. When I get back next week, I will synthesize all of this into some thoughts relevant to this blog.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Comment on Earlier Post
I am just getting back here after Turandot wrapping up this past weekend - we had a great capacity run, and it was exhilarating! I have a couple days here, then I am off to Opera America for the New Works Forum in New York.
In the meantime, a question was asked from my earlier post - to expand upon proper attire for auditions, etc....
I won't spend time here on recital attire, which is really a different issue. Instead, I will comment on competition and recital attire.
This is an evolving topic too. When I was auditioning, you rarely saw a male singer not in a coat and tie. Today, I would say that the majority of male auditioners do not wear a tie. Now, this is for general and young artist auditions. At competitions, I still see coat and tie quite a bit. Again, for ladies, things have changed over the years. It seems you used to see a lot of what I would call evening wear for women, which now has become decidedly more eclectic and individual - again, though, competitions, still tend to be a bit more formal.
What I would say as a bottom line statement is this - whatever you wear should fit two criteria:
1. It shows respect for the occasion, the material, the people you are auditioning for, and of course, yourself.
2. Your attire (and this includes hair, eye wear, shoes, as well as clothes) should not distract the auditioner's attention from your audition. We as auditioners, should focus on your vocal, musical, and histrionic skills, and your attire should be a neutral, positive accompaniment to that.
In the meantime, a question was asked from my earlier post - to expand upon proper attire for auditions, etc....
I won't spend time here on recital attire, which is really a different issue. Instead, I will comment on competition and recital attire.
This is an evolving topic too. When I was auditioning, you rarely saw a male singer not in a coat and tie. Today, I would say that the majority of male auditioners do not wear a tie. Now, this is for general and young artist auditions. At competitions, I still see coat and tie quite a bit. Again, for ladies, things have changed over the years. It seems you used to see a lot of what I would call evening wear for women, which now has become decidedly more eclectic and individual - again, though, competitions, still tend to be a bit more formal.
What I would say as a bottom line statement is this - whatever you wear should fit two criteria:
1. It shows respect for the occasion, the material, the people you are auditioning for, and of course, yourself.
2. Your attire (and this includes hair, eye wear, shoes, as well as clothes) should not distract the auditioner's attention from your audition. We as auditioners, should focus on your vocal, musical, and histrionic skills, and your attire should be a neutral, positive accompaniment to that.
Monday, October 24, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
In the the clutches of Turandot!
I have not posted for a bit, but we are in the lift off phase of rehearsals for Turandot which opens November 4. What an incredible cast! headed by the amazing Lise Lindstrom in the title role and the wonderful Italian tenor Renzo Zulian as Calaf. Apropos to this blog, one of our principals I hired through an audition, so it does in fact happen!
If you are in traveling distance to Milwaukee, this is worth experiencing!
If you are in traveling distance to Milwaukee, this is worth experiencing!
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