In his recent Auditions Schmauditions post, Chris Foley linked back to his recap of last year’s Wolf Trap Opera aria frequency list. In reviewing it, I remembered that Chris had wondered aloud which arias were sung by the singers who ended up being chosen for this year’s company. Here you go. The first selection is
Read MoreBlog
Archives
Judging Young Voices, More Mozart Arias, Cavatina/Cabaletta
I’m winding down on the pre-tour audition questions. Answers to recent submissions below. You may still submit questions via the comments section of the blog for another few days. But by next Monday, we will have to turn our attention to reporting on the actual audition process. I have a general question about the studio
Read MoreAudition Pianists, Studio Profiles, and Mozart Arias
Blogging has had to take a back seat to screening as we topped 1,000 applications. I truly hate this part of our process – not just because it means saying no (something I struggle with in all its guises), but because it means saying no in a very unsatisfying and incomplete fashion. We used to
Read MoreMore Aria Questions and Audition Guidelines
Catching up with some more questions from the comments section of previous posts – answers from yours truly and my colleague CameraMan: Recently in an audition (where I offered Tu che di gel, Je veux vivre, Ach ich fuhl’s, and Sul fil d’un soffio etesio), I was chastised for offering both the Juliette and the
Read MoreOpening the Screen Door
This is my least favorite part of our annual cycle, bar none. We’ve received about 1,000 applications for next month’s audition tour, and we need to pick fewer than half of those singers for our audition tour. Why? First (and least controversial), it’s sheerly mathematical. We (I) can only really hear about 30 people a
Read MoreIn the Audition Room
More questions via the comments section: Do you have any advice about how to enter the audition room, greet the panel, and set myself up to sing? This always feels so awkward. Are there any things singers do as they’re making their entrances and exits that are turn-offs? First of all, there’s no reason to
Read MoreReruns Welcome
A comment on yesterday’s post: “Regarding the aria package: what if we’re singing the same arias as last year?” I’m guessing that the writer wants to know if it’s OK that the list is identical to last year’s audition offerings. Generally that’s not a problem at all – especially if you’re in the first few
Read More“I’m not going to do nothing any more.” “Never again?” “Well, not so much. They don’t let you.”
(Christopher Robin, to Pooh ) I’ve overindulged on my blog vacation. Living the unexamined life has proved pretty seductive. My month off has sprawled into 6 weeks, and it’s time to force myself back into circulation. But I’m back and ready to face audition season. Are you? Hop on board, and we’ll get through this
Read MoreFinish Line
A 14-week season is not exactly a distance run. Compared with much larger opera companies’ marathon seasons, ours is probably more like a 400-meter dash. Nevertheless, we’ve paced ourselves for an August 20th finish line, and I don’t think I could go a step farther. Much has been said about this particular WTOC season, for
Read MoreEnd of Season Rumination #1: Opera People
Tonight’s Ariadne opening was a success by any measure that mattered. I’m proud of all the productions we’ve done, but because this one was a huge leap out of our comfort zone, surviving it in style is an additional reason for celebration. The singing sparkled and gleamed, the characterizations made us laugh and sigh, and
Read More