How wonderful it was to meet so many of you at the convention last month! It was like a big party with old friends! Next year in New York!
I want to talk about auditions and competitions. David Blackburn, who brought the German companies to the auditions, was so kind to spend time with singers, talking to them about their auditions.
However, a very few singers ruined their chances of being hired by the auditioning companies by becoming angry! The big issue seemed to be that auditioners didn’t ask for a second aria.
One singer refused to leave the stage when the company thanked her after her aria. The singer stood her ground a full minute on the stage, until the companies were obliged to say rather forcefully, “THANK YOU!” The singer seemed to be angry and stormed off, then stood and glared at the companies. Sadly, all the companies wrote:
“UNEMPLOYABLE” next to her name.
Suppose a few companies had decided to hire the singer and were writing that on their sheets when the behavior changed their minds?
Another singer stormed off the stage and complained, loudly, “I have NEVER not been asked to sing a second aria. NEVER.”
We don’t know if the companies saw that attitude in the way the singer walked off the stage, or heard the complaint. It’s possible that yet another singer got “UNEMPLOYABLE” written by his or her name.
For those upset about singing one aria, consider that one of the most common questions asked in the waiting room at a New York audition is a whispered, “How many arias are they hearing?” The reason? One aria is often the norm! I’ve been hired after one-aria auditions many times. That’s why it’s critical to have an aria that shows your whole range vocally and emotionally. Often you only get one shot so it’s got to be good!
But none of that matters. If the singer had been allowed only half an aria, the singer is expected to be gracious and show impeccable manners all the way to her private space where she then can yell and rant all she wants. She can call Classical Singer and ask what in the heck was going on!! However, she can’t do it in an audition setting! The current opera climate doesn’t allow for singers who are difficult to work with. Take note of Kathleen Battle’s career, if you want to see what happens to singers who insist on public temper tantrums.
One singer showed up in an outfit that demanded constant tugging. It’s a good idea not to have to deal with these things when you’re trying to pour your soul into your aria. (She did great though.)
One of the comments the general directors made is that singers should definitely have contrasting arias on their list. You all know this but not doing it cost one singer a possible job at the convention. They were very interested in her but she had only had five similar arias listed on her sheet—all of them slow and sedate with no contrast. It’s agonizing to hear these things because I wanted so badly to hear that you’d all been “hired!”
Show up 30 minutes early to your auditions. You never know when something will go wrong. At the convention, there’d been a change of location at the last minute. If singers had planned to come early, they wouldn’t have been out of breath. Arriving early sometimes lets you talk to auditioners who are running early.
Also, the companies were dismayed to hear so many esoteric arias. They wanted to hear the standards. It’s easier to compare singers if you can hear them do the old warhorses. People like what they know.
Another thing: Don’t ever audition unless you are feeling your best and can sing your best. Companies have long memories and you may not get a second chance.
Consider a telephone call I made to a General Director while working on the convention: “Oh I remember auditioning you! Let me look you up in my database.” He then looked up what I had sung, his impressions and recommendations. You can’t afford to make a bad impression. Companies keep notes and those notes never go away.
The companies told us they were very pleased with the auditions overall. We are hoping to hear over the next few months that some of you have been hired. Please let us know. We’ll get you more help in the coming months. Classical Singer wants you to get hired!!
If you have a question about this editorial or anything else, please write to Ms. CJ Williamson, the editor of Classical Singer magazine at cj@classicalsinger.com or P.O. Box 1710, Draper, UT 84020.
