Singing in English: 3 reasons why no one can understand you

Editorial

It's hard to think of your own language objectively, and English is often a complicated mess of vague vowels. In today's opera and classical music scenes, it's more important than ever for young singers to sing well in English, and to be understood by their audiences. Crisp consonants can go a long way, but here are three valuable tips to keep your listeners' attention, and eventually make same-language surtitles a thing of the past.

Stop letting audition season destroy your bank account

Editorial

Auditioning is so freaking expensive. This is a fact. And it feels like it’s getting worse. After application fees, travel, accommodation, food, accompanist fees, and the 3 beers you need after they decided to only hear one aria even though you were banking on them to ask for the Bellini...you’re probably not sitting on a whole lot of leftover cash. But you have to do it, right? How are you supposed to get work if you don’t show up?

Don't miss: Julie

Editorial

Tomorrow night is the North American premiere of Julie, Philippe Boesmans' 2005 opera, presented by Soundstreams. The piece is based on the Strindberg 1888 play, Miss Julie, which has one of those fantastic premiere stories of scandal followed by success. I mean, in the 19th century, a story about a woman who tried to "train" her fiancé with a whip is pretty darn honest.

4 steps to taking (& fixing) notes

Editorial

One mark of a professional opera singer is his or her ability to take notes. At the end of a rehearsal, a singer may have a collection of notes from music staff, diction coaches, their teacher, even an enthusiastic donor or two. Taking notes "well" isn't necessarily about being a polite professional and not taking anything personally; it's about what a singer does next.

Happy Hallowe'en, Miles...

Editorial

I'm always looking for an excuse for more Benjamin Britten, and thankfully he wrote the notoriously creepy opera based on Henry James' novella, The Turn of the Screw. It's got ghosts, troubled kids, maybe a haunted house, maybe some mental illness, and the general eeriness of what I imagine is a damp, foggy English countryside.

My WTF lightbulb moment

Editorial

Artists love it when they hear an artist of another discipline speak about their work, their struggles, and their (many) moments of insecurity. It's amazing when actors have stories that resonate with writers, when writers' plights are relatable to musicians. We get to hear common tales of working hard without any recognition, of taking depressing jobs to pay bills, of getting That Big Opportunity, and whether or not it led to anything interesting.

We don't have to starve: dreaming of an artistic middle class

Editorial

The starving artist. A cliché so played out it wouldn’t even deserve mentioning if it didn’t reflect the reality of so many. It’s generally agreed upon that since artists have the luxury of living their dreams, they’re signing up for a life of financial struggle. They knew life would be like this, and they chose it anyway.

Look at all the new operas!

Editorial

I came across this comprehensive list of operas written after World War II, compiled by French writer and critic Thierry Vagne. There are hundreds of operas listed by John Adams, Krzysztof Penderecki, Steve Reich, Harrison Birtwistle, Benjamin Britten, and way, way more that I'd bet you've never heard of.

Opera nerd meets grammar freak

Editorial

I look at a lot of artist biographies, concert programs, season line-ups, and other lists of opera titles, and I keep noticing a small, nerdy detail that I've finally decided to address. Can we discuss the right way to use capital letters in your opera titles?

via Wolf Trap Opera, Audition Season 2015: the conversation

Editorial

This is a cross-post from Wolf Trap Opera's great blog, where Kim Pensinger Witman, Wolf Trap's Senior Director of Opera & Classical Programming, talks all things auditions. The season is nigh, singers! You're working away on the great singing, but how do you tell your auditioners who you are? Read and learn.