Venturing overseas for work is not a new concept for singers, but it is still hard to know where to begin if you do not have a manager or agent. Going for an audition tour was the way of the past, and that method is still relevant in some cases, but there are more ways of being heard by European houses these days. First, though, research the opportunities, the countries themselves, the opera houses, managers, agents . . . and then research some more.
How to Know if You’re the Right Fit for Europe
Speaking from her own performing experience—and as someone who has mentored young singers looking for work in Europe—Susan Owen-Leinert says that, as you might expect, if you perform a lot of German repertoire, you could be what German houses want. She said this isn’t limited to Wagner and Strauss but also includes German operetta and other lighter repertoire performed in the German language.
“Germany has a tradition of opening the door to Americans,” she says. “They respect our singers and they know our educational prospects here.”
As a dramatic soprano, she was finding in the early 90s that America was more likely to hire “veterans” of the dramatic Fach, meaning she needed to become one of those veterans by looking elsewhere for work. She went on an audition tour—before which she studied speaking German enough to be able to get by—and found herself with a contract for the following fall. She lived and performed in Germany for years before coming back to the States and is now associate professor of voice and the Vocal Arts division head of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis.
“There are agents who work both continents, there are agents who have an office in New York or Chicago but also in Europe, and they are international—and it would behoove a young singer looking across the ocean to start with some of these agents.” One such manager is Robert Gilder, managing director of Robert Gilder & Co. International Artist Management, who has offices in London, New York City, and the Balkans. Manager Ana De Archuleta, based in New York City, also books her artists internationally.
Both Gilder and De Archuleta agreed that dramatic voices are often desired in Europe and Germany in particular. And, in general, tenors and basses have a better chance at getting hired than mezzos, certain types of sopranos, and lyric baritones. Even further than that, a lot of the openings are specific to the operas they are casting.
“If they see that you sing certain repertoire [they plan to do], they would want to hear you,” De Archuleta says.
As for France, England, Italy, and Spain, there are plenty of opportunities there, but Germany is generally still regarded as having the best opportunities because the house sizes vary, meaning there are different types of work to be had—from Fest contracts (like resident artist programs) to guest contracts (hired for one specific role at a time) to Young Artist Programs.
De Archuleta says France works much like America in that its regional houses more often than not hire national singers and will not bring in Americans for cost reasons, but the large houses will hire the best of the best.
Time and Money
In an ideal world, every singer would magically be awarded a stipend for three months of study in a European country. Gilder, Owen-Leinert, and De Archuleta each said they know most singers do not have those kinds of resources. But if they do—whether through saving, winning competitions, generous gifts, etc.—the knowledge one obtains during a long-term stay in Europe simply cannot be replaced by what you read in a book.
“I would say that if a singer has the time and the resources, going to Europe for three or four months and establishing yourself in a city like Berlin or a city that’s not too expensive [would be well worth it],” De Archuleta says. “Then you can sing for agents and houses and not be in a rush to get as many auditions in one month [or less].”
That’s what Owen-Leinert did, and it paid off for her.
Owen-Leinert’s initial stay in Germany was for three months. “It gave me time to create relationships with European agents so they knew where I was and they could send me out [to sing for houses],” she says.
While she didn’t sign her first contract during that trip, the connections she made led to her first gig there in the fall of the next year.
Learning languages from native speakers and coaching with highly regarded professionals as you network would be good reasons to take up residence in Europe for a few months, Gilder adds.
“Americans are well trained but they lack language skills, and I find more and more singers are taking that to heart and are going for three months to work on their language skills,” Gilder says. “Spend three months just living there, learning the language, and coaching with as many well-researched people as possible and, therefore, establishing contacts and learning about the system.”
There are many reasons De Archuleta and Gilder recommend longer stays as opposed to shorter stays of a month or less. For one, the jet lag alone can put someone out of commission for a day or two or longer—and this will certainly happen if a singer is not particularly well traveled among varying time zones.
Also, during longer trips, a singer may have more time to learn more about the language, network, and perhaps obtain a few more auditions through word of mouth. “Suddenly people will say, ‘Oh, I’ve just heard there’s a vacancy there,’” Gilder says.
If going to Europe for the purposes of being cast, the recommended time frame is late fall into winter.
“Usually the way it works is the German houses will give notice” to current singers on October 31 if they’re being rehired for the next year, De Archuleta says. And, oftentimes, the houses won’t make casting decisions if they’re going through management shifts, which are usually in place after the new year—so she does not recommend going to Germany to audition after May and before November, as the most optimal time now seems to be January and February.
Tours versus Other Ways of Getting Hired
Gilder, on the contrary, is not necessarily a proponent of audition tours.
“Far too many people go to Europe far too soon to do these tours. In fact, I think these tours are so much less relevant than they were 10 years ago,” Gilder says.
He suggests that instead of going on an official two- or three-month audition tour in late fall and early winter, making international connections could be much more useful.
“I think singers need to work harder in advance on trying to make international connections to really know people who actually know what’s needed [as far as casting goes],” Gilder says.
He thinks that if a singer does choose—whether with the backing of an agent or manager or going solo—to do an audition tour, he or she must first find an anchor for that trip because houses are doing fewer general auditions.
“They’re much more specific about only hearing people for the vacancies they have,” Gilder says. “My advice for younger singers is to wait till there are a couple of vacancies that could have your name written on it, and then use those as the anchor when you know there is a possible pot of gold at the end of your trip.”
There are also more Young Artist Programs at these European companies than there were years ago, “with often up to 6 to 10 places [for singers] in the big houses,” Gilder adds.
As with Young Artist Programs in the States, singers in YAPs in Europe “are involved in mainstage work, small roles, and big covers, so that’s often the best way now to look at those programs rather than expecting that they’re immediately going to get hired by a theatre,” Gilder advises.
Some of these programs do New York auditions, which are often listed at AuditionsPlus.com and YAPTracker.com.
One New York-based group, the Opera Foundation, Inc., says it aims to “support young American singers abroad and build cross-cultural bridges between the United States and other important opera supporting countries.” Ages 18–30 are eligible for the yearly scholarship auditions, which place up to four singers at partners Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Regio di Torino, and Die Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich.
Another such organization is the New York International Opera Auditions (Nyiop.com). NYIOP has been working since 2002 to bridge the gap “between Europe and the USA for casting” by holding auditions at which multiple casting directors from all over the world can converge in particular cities (New York, Moscow, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, just to name a few) and hear singers. This means singers can be heard by multiple houses in one trip, rather than traveling to each house over a long period of time. But be prepared to drop around $300 for one of these auditions.
Soprano Heather Engebretson got her first European gig at Staatsoper Hannover through an NYIOP audition in November 2012. “NYIOP is an incredible organization that I can’t recommend more. It really is a must for any singer, period—and even more of a must for a singer thinking of heading over to Europe,” she says.
As for language skills, Engebretson agrees that knowing the language of the country in which you’ll be living is important. Now working at Staatstheater Wiesbaden—the general manager of which cast her after judging her win at Finland’s Savonlinna Opera Festival competition—she says the need to know German has increased as it’s less of an English-speaking theatre than Hannover. She’s been treated with nothing but patience as she’s been learning, but says it’s “about what your quality of life is if you don’t speak the language of the country in which you’re living. It can get very frustrating very quickly.”
Engebretson is really happy with her agent and how he helps her secure auditions for guest work in addition to her contract at Wiesbaden. She recommends finding an agent you trust that has your best interests in mind. “There is a list of nearly every agent in the world on Operabase.com,” she says, “and remember that word of mouth is probably your best guide when in doubt.”
The Audition
Research is essential. This is no surprise to American singers who use all the resources they have to find out whether Artistic Director Jane Doe likes Britten or Young Artist Program Coordinator John Doe likes to hear one aria plus one musical theatre piece. The same goes for Europe—but without a network there or an agent who knows these practices, it may be a challenge to obtain that information.
De Archuleta says she and other managers offer this kind of guidance so that you do not show up to an audition expecting one thing only to find something else.
“The sad thing is some houses just hear one aria,” she says. “This is why it’s good to have an agent to find out ahead of time what is the tradition of this house.”
She also advises that if a singer lists a role on his or her résumé, it is fair game as a request from the audition panel. Performed Donna Anna three years ago? Better be prepared to sing “Non mi dir” or have to explain why you can’t.
And, in general, the panel sometimes assumes you’re lying about your age, she says, but she never recommends doing so. “You don’t know why they’re asking,” she says. “They might think you’re too young for the repertoire being presented, and taking two years off won’t help your cause. Just be honest.”
Also, auditions might be a bit less formal in Europe. Engebretson describes it as a sort of “cattle call” style, with many singers called at 3 p.m., for instance—and you may be heard right away or not until a couple of hours later.
But regardless of the differences between auditioning in the U.S. and Europe, De Archuleta offers this sound advice. “I wouldn’t worry too much,” she says. “Be yourself. Do what you do.”
