As my love for young singers knows no bound, I have often been a sounding board to their frustrated warblings, which seem to increase exponentially about the time singing competition season rolls around. It was during some such exchanges that I first heard the name of Angela Meade, a young soprano who seemingly swept most of the first place prizes in 2007. Her winning streak proved steady, and in April of that year NPR affiliates across the country broadcast Meade winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a feat later shown to audiences worldwide in the film The Audition.
Ever since, Meade’s ascent has been steady and, in many ways, rapid. Less than a year after learning the ways of New York’s big repertory house through cover assignments, she scored a huge triumph when she came to the aid of an ailing colleague and took over the demanding role of Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani. I was in the audience that night and finally put a voice to the name of the much discussed newcomer. Subsequent additions to her repertoire, particularly Rossini’s Semiramide and Bellini’s Norma (both showcased at the Caramoor International Music Festival), proved that the success of her Elvira had been no accident.
At the time of our interview, Meade was being whispered about as the latest candidate to the title of “The New Hope.” Last November, she became the most recent recipient of the Richard Tucker Award, and in January of this year she received the Beverly Sills Artist Award. And only three years following her Metropolitan Opera debut, the great American company has already entrusted her with a number of important engagements. This season alone she shares Donizetti’s encyclopedic Anna Bolena with Anna Netrebko, as well as the full run of Verdi’s Ernani, including the inevitable HD transmission.
The time to prove her worth has arrived.
I want to begin with the question that is in the minds of most students of voice today. You won a series of important singing competitions, which culminated in your win at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2007. Did you have a specific strategy to win?
Oh, absolutely! I decided that I needed to set myself apart from the other competitors, so I looked for a piece that I hadn’t heard anyone else singing at competitions, which for me ended up being “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s Norma. Once I added the aria to my list, I started getting good feedback about it and taking home some prizes. It dawned on me that I had a formula for winning—and once I realized this, I made it a priority to sign myself up for as many competitions as possible.
Did you ever receive negative feedback concerning this selection?
In the beginning my teacher at the University of Southern California was apprehensive about me bringing it to competitions. He was concerned that people would immediately compare me with all the great singers of the past, and also the aria is very exposed. As things turned out, in all of the competitions that I participated in only one panelist told me that I should not sing “Casta Diva.” In the end, the aria not only allowed me to win all of those competitions, but also defined my career from the beginning.
Did you notice patterns in the way panels approached you when it came to your selections?
Yes. If I didn’t start off with “Casta Diva,” the panel never asked for it. When I would start with it, the panel would almost always ask me to follow up with the Czardas from J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus—regardless of what else was on my list. Something similar happened when I started offering “Ernani, involami” from Ernani. They always requested that I follow up with “Non mi dir” from Don Giovanni.
Once I started winning competitions, other singers began to approach me for competition advice. [My advice] remains the same to this day: you have to sing well, but you also have to set yourself apart so you’re memorable. Don’t sing what everybody else sings. You should look for something that showcases your strengths—and if that means singing something off the beaten path, then go
for it!
Ultimately competitions are all about strategy, so do your research so you can figure out where you have the best odds of winning. Find out who else is competing, what kind of hall the competition is taking place at, and who won the competition last time. Also, find out the names of the judges that will make up the panel. (If there’s a judge that you know doesn’t like you, don’t sign up because chances are you’re not going to win!). I did all of this digging when I was attending the University of Southern California. They had a big file drawer with competition listings and I was in that office everyday investigating. Nowadays we have all of that information online, so there is no excuse.
How much of the prize money did you put toward your career?
Almost everything I’ve won has gone toward paying for coachings, travel expenses for auditions, new concert attire and stage jewelry, scores, CD purchases, etc. I did make it a point to put a good portion of my winnings in a savings account, because early on I decided that I wanted to have enough money in the bank so as to not feel forced into engagements just for the sake of being able to pay the rent.
What do you mean by this?
I have found that sometimes singers get themselves in financial trouble and feel compelled to sing roles that aren’t right for them because they need the money. I have tried to be smart with my money and have a reserve in order to avoid finding myself in that situation.
Does this policy also apply to canceling an engagement that you have already accepted?
Yes. If I accept a role and realize in the middle that I made a mistake, I will not go on and sing it anyway. I’d rather bow out before I do that to myself. The thing is, if the role isn’t good for you but you go ahead with it, you could hurt yourself or get bad reviews. I’d rather bow out, take the pay cut, and not get a reputation of singing poorly.
You have a very savvy perspective of the business aspect of opera. Was your family involved in the music industry?
Not really. My dad never sang, but as a young man he played the steel guitar. My mom used to sing a lot, but mostly in church. Incidentally, it was in church where I discovered that I had a voice. Every Sunday I was volunteered—nominated, really—to sing a solo. The service would stop as the congregation begged me to sing. I was so shy, and getting up there to sing was a nightmare. Thank goodness I’ve gotten over that!
Once you realized your talent, with whom did you first study singing?
At first it was my high school choir teacher. Every year there was a solo and ensemble contest, and she helped me prepare the solos I sang each year. After high school, I didn’t study with anyone until I enrolled in Centralia Community College [in her home state of Washington]. There I was, trying to decide what to do with my life. I knew I loved music, but didn’t know how that was going to fit into my professional life. It was during these times of uncertainty that a teacher in the college choir suggested that I see a friend of hers who taught voice. His name was Wayne Bloomingdale. On our first session, he assigned me “Deh vieni non tardar” from Le nozze di Figaro and “V’adoro pupille” from Giulio Cesare. “You sound like an opera singer!” he said when I sang for him a week later. My immediate reply was, “I do? What does that mean?”
Incredible!
I just knew that this type of singing felt really comfortable and natural for me, so I continued to study with him for the next year. At his suggestion, I transferred from Centralia to the voice program at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State where he had taught. Since he knew the faculty, he was able to recommend a good teacher there. Afterward, I went to the University of Southern California to pursue my masters.
Was it at Pacific Lutheran where you got the bulk of your technique?
To be honest, I had already been blessed with a lot of natural ability. It was improved upon, of course, but I was never one of those people who had to start from zero.
What led to your participation with the Academy of Vocal Arts?
When I finished my masters, I didn’t quite know what I was going to do with myself. I applied to all sorts of Young Artist Programs and didn’t get into any of them. A year into my doctorate, I auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera National Council but I didn’t get past the national semifinals. I was totally bummed out, but had already set up an audition for AVA. I made my way down to Philadelphia for the audition telling myself the entire time that I just didn’t care what happened as I probably wasn’t on the level to gain acceptance. To my big surprise they accepted me on the spot, and it was at AVA where I began to work with Bill Schuman, who continues to be my teacher today.
Do you still work on your technique with Bill Schuman constantly?
No. I usually see him for checkups or before I sing a role for the first time. Some singers are very attached to their teachers, others like myself see them twice a year.
You eventually won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2007, and appeared in the much discussed documentary The Audition. Were you aware then of the potential impact this film would have on your career?
I wasn’t. During the filming my primary focus for being there was to win the competition and grab the attention of the Metropolitan. I didn’t realize at that point that not only would I achieve these goals, but would also grab the attention of a wider, worldwide audience. You just don’t realize the power of television until you’re walking down the street and people stop you and say, “I saw you on TV!”
You have been covering roles at the Met ever since you won the National Council Auditions. Was this part of your audition prize?
Not exactly. In years past there was a contract that went along with the win, but they don’t do that anymore. The contract to cover came the day after I won the auditions. I received an e-mail from the Met asking if I’d be interested in covering the role of Elvira in Ernani the following season and, of course, I jumped at the opportunity. Covering at the Met as my first professional experience in the world of opera was a blessing. I covered Renée Fleming in her opening night gala in 2008, the special performance of Verdi’s Requiem honoring the one-year anniversary of Pavarotti’s death, the 125th Anniversary Gala, Rossini’s Armida, and both covered and sang the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. I cannot think of a more supportive company to make a professional debut at or to continue to work on one’s craft.
It was as a cover that you made your unscheduled Met debut in March of 2008. What series of events led to your debut in Ernani?
On the opening night of the run, the evening’s Elvira, Sondra Radvanovsky, was not feeling very well. The management placed me in an adjacent dressing room in case I needed to provide a last-minute replacement. Nothing happened that night, but the day before the second performance, while I was in a cab on my way to my apartment in Philadelphia, my phone rang with news that Sondra had cancelled the performance scheduled for the following night.
“Do you want to sing?” What a question, right? Yes! Definitely! Then I was asked if I could come back to New York to work with the conductor right away. While part of me really wanted to go back immediately, I didn’t want to make myself tired for the performance, so I figured I would get a good night’s sleep and return to New York the next morning to meet up with him. Needless to say, I could not sleep that night at all and stayed up calling everyone that I knew and making plane reservations for my parents to fly from the West Coast immediately. Looking back, that debut was everything that I had ever dreamed it would be.
Was this debut the moment when you become conscious that you had embarked on an important career?
[Laughing] Well, I still don’t know!
Wait, seriously? Ernani at the Met, Norma and Semiramide at Caramoor—these are big deals!
Well I guess I do know, but I try not to think about it. I think you can get really neurotic and caught up in the pressure of everything. After I made my Met debut, everybody wanted to know if I had been nervous prior to the curtain going up. The truth is I wasn’t! I thought I was ready for it and I was going to go out there, do it, and try to have the best time that I could have. Had I been backstage getting myself wrapped up in nerves, I would have been a panicky mess. The same thing happened when I was singing Norma at Caramoor. While everyone was saying, “You shouldn’t sing Norma, its huge!” I kept thinking, “Just go out there and sing it. If something tragic happens, it won’t be the end of my life.” Nobody is going to die if “something” happens.
That was the Norma you did for the Caramoor Festival in 2010. How did your association with the Caramoor Festival come about?
I had an audition for Will Crutchfield in the summer of 2007, and he immediately wanted me as second cover for Leonora in Verdi’s Il trovatore. When my manager and I decided that we did not want to do that role at that point, he offered me the title role in Rossini’s Semiramide. I told him he was crazy!
Why?
I was petrified about singing Rossini’s coloratura. I was used to singing Mozart, Bellini, and Donizetti coloratura, but I always thought Rossini’s was different because of the way the runs are grouped. There just seem to be more notes per measure than with other composers and typically the coloratura is fast, really fast at times. Will assured me that I could do it, and I am the type of singer who will give anything a try. I looked over the score for a week, and even though it was gigantic, I went ahead and said yes. Stupid me, I waited until about three weeks before the performance to learn the role.
You are kidding me!
That was the biggest cramming session of my life.
The presence of the renown Rossini scholar Philip Gossett can be felt by all that attend performances at Caramoor. Did you work with him in matters of ornamentation?
Not extensively. For Semiramide, Will Crutchfield sent us a packet of ornaments that he and Philip Gossett had decided upon prior to rehearsals. Philip Gossett was present during the preparatory period, but we didn’t have coachings or extensive discussions with him.
Did you have much say in the choice of ornaments?
Sort of. Obviously it’s easier to discuss variations in your arias than to try to get everyone to agree on what should be done in duets and ensembles. We did primarily what he had decided on before for those.
A quick look at your repertoire sheet can both impress and alarm opera fans. Mercadante’s Virginia, Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, Bellini’s Norma, and Rossini’s Semiramide can be found among them. Are you concerned that you are taking on these roles too soon?
Well, who is to say that it’s too soon? If you look back at the singers of the past, they were well into their careers by the time they were my age. It’s not like I am 20 years old and singing these parts. I’m a pretty good judge of my abilities and I know what my limitations are. I’ve been offered very heavy roles that I have declined.
How do you determine that something is not right for you?
I look for things like the tessitura, the amount of chest required, and how long the role is. The sequence of how the role is constructed is also important. If an aria is followed by a duet, and then a trio back to back without an intermission, then that could be an issue. There are also other factors to consider, like how many performances there are in the run, and how many days apart they are scheduled.
Now that you’re a professional opera singer, what would you say are some things that were not covered in school that maybe should have been?
Wow, lots of things! So much of what we learned in school focuses only on singing, and there’s so much more to this industry! Anyone majoring in music ought to also be a business major, as you become essentially self-employed. Singers should learn how to manage their money, choose management, and do their own taxes (at the very least, be taught what they can and can’t deduct).
This is invaluable for singers tackling issues such as contract negotiation and how to plan for retirement. I also think that language training in schools is somewhat lacking, and I believe that all students should be required to be fluent in at least Italian by the time they graduate with a voice degree.
You have, in many ways, been a product of the university system. What is your assessment of the system as a whole?
You go through school and basically have four years as an undergrad and two years in a masters program to complete your package. If you get into a Young Artist Program, add one more year. Can you imagine perfecting a voice in six or seven years? That’s only about 350 hours of voice lessons. Unfortunately, that’s the way we’re taught here. I also think that schools should stop taking in so many singers. What do you do with them? I know they do it so they can pay tuition and keep the school running, but in an ideal world they should take in fewer singers and focus on perfecting the craft, much like the program at AVA.
The great thing about AVA is that, unlike other Young Artist Programs, you get to sing leading roles. It was there that I sang the leading role in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena and Lucia di Lammermoor, Weber’s Der Freischütz, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, part of Verdi’s La forza del destino, and Bellini’s Norma. Several of these roles have become part of my staple repertoire.
What are some of the current trends in opera that concern you today?
Well, the gleaming problem with me would be the weight issue, which I am trying to take care of. I have done some things to curtail this and, of course, there’s more to go, but that’s life. I see a lot of instances where artists who sound “OK” are cast based on looks. I don’t understand how our business has come to that because—call me crazy—I think the primary concern should be in finding a singer who can sing the pants off the score. How that singer looks should be secondary.
How has your career so far affected your personal life?
When I started down this path I was determined to have a career. I always said that I didn’t want any distractions until I had made it and was able to support myself from only singing gigs. I suppose I should be careful for what I wish for, because from the time I started my undergrad degree until this past fall, I didn’t really date anyone. When I met my current boyfriend in Ireland this past fall, however, everything changed. It has been a challenge finding a balance between spending quality time with him when I’m not traveling and spending quality time with my studies, but now that he’s part of my life I would never want to go back to the time without him.
What are some of the negative parts of being a professional opera singer?
I think that traveling by myself is the biggest negative for me. It gets very lonely being on the road alone. Also, the constant upkeep of oneself, thinking about what I look like, sound like, whether I should eat this food because it may cause reflux, or opting not to go out because I have to sing the next day. These things make this career difficult sometimes. One time someone equated it to being like a nun, and it’s so true.
For those young singers reading this article, do you have any advice for them now that you have arrived at the professional league?
Dream big, work hard, be over-prepared, be vulnerable, take risks, and never stop learning. Finally, only pursue this if you feel like your heart would stop beating if you couldn’t do it anymore. There are so many singers in the business that tell me, “I just do it because I’m good at it.” And I ask, “But do you love it?” I mean, this would be torture if you didn’t love it. I didn’t realize when I first started how much work would be involved, but what keeps me going is that I do love what I do.
