I sit here writing an Opera Journal, not really knowing where to begin. This is something I have never done before. I sort of feel as though I’m not qualified to do this, and that others would write this so much better than I could. Or, even if I were to do a good job, I would be overshadowed by other Opera Journals written by people who are more qualified, more talented writers, or more gifted at oration. I don’t have a fancy degree in English or Journalism. Why does the metro Detroit community need to hear my voice on what it’s like to audition as a young artist? As you read, I encourage you to let these thoughts simmer.
Auditioning as a young artist is difficult. It’s time-consuming, soul-crushing, and (expletive redacted) expensive. It is WAY harder out here than I thought it would be. I was sort of a hot mess when I started out—those who know me would say I’m still a hot mess in most respects. That said, I’ve learned some things as an auditioning young artist and a casting advisor that would have saved me a lot of grief before I walked into my first-ever young artist program audition. It was for a very famous soprano (who is a lovely person and shall remain nameless), and I was terrified to be there.
First, remember that the audition panel is looking for something. They want you to be the last audition they have to hear—they want you to do well so they can stop hearing people sing Ain’t it a Pretty Night back to back for five hours. Seriously, they are rooting for you! They need to cast a show, and they are hoping to find what they’re looking for. It would be a shame to not sing well because you're too nervous about whether or not you’ll get the job. It happens, but just keep this in mind.
Second, remember that the audition panel is looking for something. Yes, I just said that, but go on a journey with me for a moment. I love French fries, right? But if I’m looking for a peach or a banana to put in a milkshake, it won’t matter how great those French fries are; I don’t really want them in my milkshake. The same is true for casting purposes. If a company is trying to cast Guglielmo, for example, and you sing a beautiful rendition of Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge, it might not be super helpful for the panel. Not that you wouldn’t make a beautiful Guglielmo—or a Wotan—but it’s hard for the panel to see what they’re looking for. You should, however, list all the roles you've done on your résumé. Maybe you did Wotan at a small house and now want to do Guglielmo. Perhaps they've cast a big Ferrando and Dorabella and now want a bigger Guglielmo. It would be helpful to know that in this case.
Let’s zoom in on this a little further. Make sure your audition package makes sense and immediately tells the panel who you are—and that you know who you are as an artist. Talk with your teachers, coaches, and mentors about how to do this. Audition panels don’t want a “greatest hits” reel. If you’re a tenor who comes in with Dies Bildnis, Ecco ridente, Vesti la giubba, Simplicetto, Here I Stand, and Salut, they’ll be confused. It’s great to have a wide variety of repertoire, especially when you're in school and experimenting, but not in the audition room. Say a company is casting Albert in Albert Herring. A more helpful list (besides his arias, which would be great to lead with) would be Un’aura, Miles, O blonde Ceres, Frisch zum Kampfe, and A mes amis. This list, for example, demonstrates that you're really comfortable in the top register, you lean towards character work while maintaining some lyricism, and you like to explore interesting text expression. This can be tricky, so work with your mentors on how to do this. It really makes a difference when a panel is seeing 8–10 singers per hour.
On the topic of résumés: they’re a nightmare. There are many right ways to format them, but also many wrong ways. Much of it comes down to taste—things like formatting, file type, font, and colors. But what has nothing to do with taste is the audition panel’s ability to quickly gather information about you without working too hard. If they have to scour your résumé to find your training or what roles you've done because it’s formatted confusingly, they aren’t paying attention to you and enjoying your performance. Opera America has a great example of a well-formatted résumé on their website (Click Here).
Be sure your audition folder is organized, neat, and has all the pages in the correct order, and make sure it’s easy for a pianist to sight-read. Do this the night before at the latest! Being an audition pianist is hard, and I’m glad I’m not one. They often don’t know your repertoire, and even if they do, they almost surely have never done it with you. They are on your team, so be a good teammate! Know your music well, and mark your score concisely and clearly. There are very few things you can control completely in an audition, but your audition folder is one of them!
These are some of my thoughts, and I have a few more. Perhaps we can revisit this in a future installment. To wrap up: remember how I started this journal? Why am I qualified to write this opinion blog? I guess the same can be said about being a young artist. Some may be more qualified, have fancier degrees, have attended more prestigious young artist programs, or be more technically skilled—the list goes on.
But if you have something interesting to say about opera, you have a place here. It might be on stage, in the orchestra, directing and design, arts administration, or supporting financially. I believe that at Opera de Metro, we have the power to do something really different, and really special in Detroit. It truly is a gift to do what we do. There is a place for you in opera, even when the audition season is challenging. Never forget that it is an amazing thing to be an artist.
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