In transit today, from LA to Chicago, spending the flight researching new repertoire on the 2018 Short List. On to today’s #ASQoD* “Nobody can do two things at once, you know.” The Red Queen, via Lewis Carroll (Through the Looking Glass) Take that, multi-taskers. The Red Queen was a tough customer, but she had much to
Read MorePosts Tagged: auditions
ASQoD: Preparation
Day 2 in LA, hearing a wide range of repertoire, including some things that we’ve never (or extremely rarely) heard in audition! Fidelia’s aria from Puccini’s Edgar, the Controller’s Aria from Dove’s Flight (the first of several this year, possibly), the Song of the Indian Guest from Sadko, Lagrimas mias from El anillo de hierro, and Miei pensieri fom Orlando Palladino.
Read MoreASQoD
Yes, friends, audition season is upon us. There’s so much work to be done. Updating resumes and rep lists, filing applications, cleaning up aria notebooks, nailing down travel, scheduling appointments. And while you’re doing all of that and more, we administrator types are trapped in our own logistic circle of hell. Reviewing said resumes, fielding
Read MorePamina vs. Iolanta: The Soprano Stats
In honor of the fact that our first audition application deadline for summer 2017 is just a week away (yes, if you want to audition in LA or San Francisco, you must apply by Thursday, September 1…), I give you the 2016 Aria Frequency List for sopranos! Click through to the PDF to inspect the data in
Read MoreAria Frequency Lists!
The ever-popular Aria Frequency lists from this year’s audition tour are now available for your post-turkey tryptophan haze viewing pleasure! Hop on over to the Aria Lists page to link to a separate document for each voice type. Best wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving! See you on the other side, where I’ll begin to drop
Read MoreHello, Houston!
And just like that, we’re in Texas. Off the plane, bags thrown in the hotel, and suddenly we’re at the Wortham Center, bathing in the beautiful sound of the HGO Orchestra playing Beethoven. It has been 20 years since I saw Fidelio, and this evening was even more compelling because of the WTOC alumni onstage
Read MoreOffice at 38,000 Feet
Detritus from the Trail
A random collection of things we’ve accumulated along the audition trail… No, the Winter Mustn’t Come So Soon Ladies, there are alternatives to the Mezzo National Anthem. Recently heard to good advantage: “I Am an Actress” (Nina’s Aria) from Pasatieri’s The Seagull, “Waiting” from Harbison’s Great Gatsby, “Don’t Say a Word” from Heggie’s Dead Man
Read MoreOn the Road Again
After a week off from opera duty (and yes, my daughter’s wedding was a.ma.zing…), we’re back on the road again today, in beautifully sunny Cincinnati. Our Ohio stop always brings us music from an array of wonderful midwestern music schools – CCM (our audition site host), Indiana University, University of Illinois, and University of Missouri
Read MoreNever Sure
Rahree and I have an annual audition tour magazine addiction. Neither of us tends to read magazines for fun (you can’t count Opera News, really…) the rest of the year. But in October/November, our carry-on luggage bulges with things like Vogue, Scientific American, Real Simple, Psychology Today, Rolling Stone, Wired, and Oprah. It’s Ms. Winfrey who
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