CJ: Since you are an American, why did you choose to live in Europe?
KS: I never really intended on staying in Europe. I always just thought I’d go back eventually to the States. When I was finished with my ‘Fest’ contract (in which you’re paid a monthly wage regardless of how many performances you actually sing) in Hamburg, I just kept my apartment there but also bought a house in New Mexico. I then spent more time in Hamburg than in New Mexico (not very much time in either). After a few more years, I really did try to only live in the NM house but the long flights started to get to me. When my wife and I had a baby, we packed it in with the NM house and decided to build in Austria nearer her people (she’s Swedish with a branch of the family in Austria). It’s nearer most of my work and, when Trudie’s home alone with Axel, it’s nicer for her there with her family. In short, it’s nice to live near where you work so you can get home easily and quickly and see more of your family and home. I’m also sure I’ll retire there and not go back to NM to live.
CJ: If we had you on a question and answer panel, one of the first questions you’d be asked is about opportunities for singers in Europe. Women in particular would be asking you if there are any opportunities for them, if only young singers are being hired; what the best time of year to come is; which voice types are needed there; which agents are good; if they really need agents; which countries are best; etc.
KS: Yes, they should come to Europe. Remember, this is a European art form we’re involved in. You’re more likely to understand it better if you spend at least some time in Europe. There are a lot more reasons than that though, only a couple of which are these:
There are a lot of opera houses and concert halls in a very small radius with a wide range of fees being offered, making it easier for singers of differing calibres/levels to thrive; the opera houses are generally smaller than in the States, which means it’s easier for the young voice; distances between all these venues are small, making it easier to get jump-in work or to audition without spending a month’s salary on flights…
Women? Why would only women ask that question? There are opportunities for everyone. They may or may not pan out, but there is work. If you live in Texas there’s also work, but less of it per square mile, if you know what I mean.
Young singers will always be hired because their voices are fresh and they look good. Plus, they don’t have a reputation, which can be a very good thing. Not only young singers are hired, but it’s a good idea to go when you’re younger (25-35). It’s also a very good idea to bone up on your languages before you go. There’s really no excuse not to. It’s not necessary to have them down perfectly, but reasonably well. Even if the entire audition process is done in English, knowing a bit of the local language shows you’re serious. Also, be prepared to move there. No German house needs newcomers who ONLY want cushy guesting roles. What’s two years of your life? Move there if they offer you the job. Move back after it’s over if you don’t like it. What you’ve gained in that two years is invaluable.
I can’t offer advice on agents but know one thing: you can juggle a few at a time. There’s no rule that you must choose only one. The only rule to remember is this: if agent A sends you to Kassel and then agent B says he wants to handle you in Kassel, it’s proper to say to B that Kassel is out for him. B can send you anywhere else though for other auditions.
An agent is necessary, but that’s also part of the audition process: when you come to Europe, a good strategy is to plan on the competitions first and then on to the auditions for the agents. Then, of course, you’ll need to leave time at the end of your trip to audition for the houses. The normal time for all this is September to November. When I did it, I stayed in Europe six weeks. If you’re offered a job it’s likely to begin the season after, in August or thereabouts in the next year, so you return to the States in any case and prepare for your life abroad, however long it may be.
The German speaking countries have the most to offer in ‘Fest’ contracts but you needn’t stick to them. There are young artist programs across Europe. If I were to do it all over again, I’d do exactly what I did: a competition in Holland (s’Hertogenbosch), a couple of auditions for agents then a few houses.
CJ: Do you read your own reviews?
KS: I don’t worry too much about reviews, but I did read them when I was a young singer. When I first came to Germany as a young American, I learned quickly that few reviewers are experts. My first review said something like, “Kurt Streit is the best new young singer to come out of Germany in a long time.”
CJ: What has been the biggest hindrance in establishing your career?
KS: A case of enlarged blood vessels on the vocal cords which I had operated on. Many singers don’t like to talk about it (and many do have work done on their cords) but I don’t mind talking about it. We live in a time where it’s possible to have laser surgery (outpatient, no less!) so why not do it? If I had had this problem and lived in 1890, my career would have been over, but I had a wonderful laryngologist and my voice is in terrific shape now.
CJ: What is your favorite compliment?
KS: Italo Tajo, after I sang Rinuccio’s aria from Gianni Schicchi for him, said to those in the room, “Un vero tenore!” That was the greatest compliment I ever received.
CJ: How did you become a singer?
KS: I was a guitar and composition major at the University of New Mexico, playing pretty mediocre classical guitar, but singing easy pop stuff on the side for fun (accompanying myself on guitar—I had been doing this since I was 12 years old). But after only one semester at the university, someone stole my classical guitar and I didn’t have the money to buy a new one. At that point I didn’t have an applied instrument and was just studying composition (and with no piano skills!). A friend of mine, who had seen me in a local concert as the “warm up” artist for the main attraction, said to me, “You have a great voice. Why don’t you go up and audition for THE VOICE DEPARTMENT. They teach you a bunch of Italian baloney but it can only help your voice, can’t hurt it.” (!) I auditioned that very day and in three years was an apprentice at Santa Fe Opera. All that singing I had done for all those years (light singing, I might add, not opera) had prepared my muscles for the job, and in my early 20s my voice took to it quickly.
CJ: What advice do you have for singers looking for a good teacher?
KS: On teachers, it’s important to realize that there are no good teachers, only good students. Whoever you study with, it’s going to be up to you what you make of it. An extra pair of ears is always good and coaches can be very handy on the road, away from the voice teacher. But no matter what, it’s the work you do on the side that will determine how things go generally. It may not be a fun answer to hear, but practice is still important, even at my age of 42. I can go a long time without a teacher (I’m on the road around 10 months a year), but I can’t go long at all without practicing. I have kept contact with the same voice teacher from my old school days, Marilyn Tyler of UNM. She’s been a great inspiration and help in my career.
CJ: What career advice do you wish someone had given you as a young singer?
KS: I wish someone had told me at the beginning of my career to take better care of my money. That goes for any direction your career may go. It’s also good to be reminded that we live in a time of amazing medical techniques that a singer can really benefit from. I had an innate condition on my vocal cords that needed laser surgery. I wouldn’t have needed it if I hadn’t become a singer but, as a singer, I would have needed it eventually no matter what I did. Young singers shouldn’t be afraid to consider treatment from a laryngologist. It’s just so easy these days and, at least for me (and others I know about who insist on remaining nameless), it cured my problem instantly and was a HUGE relief.
A big career mistake I made was this: In the beginning of my career it all went so well and easily. I assumed it would just keep on going that way and got very relaxed, very laid-back. But it’s very important to keep on your guard. Your body changes and, if you don’t watch out, your voice won’t keep up with those changes. I’ve seen this happen with so many singers, so I know it’s the norm and not the exception. But, boringly enough, it’s nothing that a little work—ie, practice—won’t stave off. All in all, it’s so important to be wary, dedicated, watchful about your voice, to not let the successes or failures get between you knowing your own voice intimately. Think of it this way: there’s career and there’s voice. The former is the business side of things, all the networking, telephone calls, agents, etc. But the voice is separate. It requires work whether you’re having a Bryn Tervel career or auditioning for your first agent, whether you’re 24 or 42. And, what’s more, if you DON’T keep up with the voice part of it, all the way along, there won’t be a career side to deal with.
CJ: How important is attendance at a big name music school? Is it so important that young singers should go deeply into debt? From what you’ve seen in your colleagues, is it the school and the training and contacts made there that launches a career?
KS: A big name music school is just as important (or unimportant) as the grade point average: I remember worrying so much about the latter, yet it hasn’t helped me in the least. It may sound good to have gone to Juilliard or to have gotten a 4.0, but the sound of your voice is what really matters (and the quality of the package you have to offer: voice, acting, experience, etc.). If I could do it all over again, I’d still worry about my GPA, but only because I want to do well and I want a well-rounded education. But no opera house in the world will ask at an audition, “What was your GPA?” And no opera house in the world will hire you just because you say you studied at Julliard.
I would definitely NOT go deeply into debt just for the name of the school. I’d find a good but less expensive school with a good department. Before going to graduate studies at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, I studied at the University of New Mexico under Professor Marilyn Tyler during the 80s, when she had made the department a very good one (unfortunately her fantastic work has been undermined by many shortsighted people there and now the opera department is a shadow of its former self; presently there isn’t even one opera per season being presented). That was a very inexpensive school, the teacher was right for me and, at least then, the department was a good one.
CJ: What do you think makes a singer successful?
KS: Because of our human nature, when we begin our career we are tempted to imagine ourselves someday as a Placido Domingo (or Bryn Terfel or Cecilia Bartoli) and that’s not a bad thing at the beginning of a career or during school. But, in fact, there are many “successful” singers whose names we don’t read about every month in Opera News. To define success for oneself, one should consider during his/her career what one really wants, taking into account along the way where he/she is realistically likely to sing.
Here’s an example: When I began my “Fest” contract in Hamburg, there were two of us tenors hired at the same time. Both of us naturally wanted to be world-famous stars someday and wanted, at the very minimum, to eventually leave the house contract and make it as freelance artists. Four years later, I went freelance and found that it was right for me. I didn’t necessarily hope for that level of stardom anymore and I was happy with the type of career and the level I had achieved. The other tenor had had two children in the meantime, had a nice house there in Hamburg, and loved his life. Since then he’s reached “Unkündbarkeit,” the magic number of years when you can no longer be fired (tenure?). He’s as happy as he could possibly be and loves his life. So for him the “Fest” job was right, whereas for me it wasn’t. He learned along the way what was right for him. I consider him to be completely successful (as he does himself). There are others who have gone through that level, found themselves freelance artists with careers to be proud of, who don’t at all consider themselves to be successful because all they had hoped for—all they still hope for—is the Domingo-style career. That is a burden I wouldn’t want to carry and yet I see many people living that way. And, let’s face it, how many Bryn Terfels or Placido Domingos are there in the world? The chances of that happening to us are very slim.
CJ: Is it difficult being married to a singer?
KS: I can’t imagine it any other way. For example, Trudie was singing Pamina in a small German festival called Zwingenberg and I had only come along for the fun as I had some time free. Well, as happens from time to time, the tenor got sick. They asked if I could sing knowing full well that my fee was literally ten times what they could offer! I couldn’t turn it down, and my wife and I sang Pamina and Tamino together. It was the most enjoyable performance to date and I never appreciated a fee more than that one. Also, an audience member who didn’t know we were married came to us afterward and said she could tell we were more than just colleagues, that the love between us really showed. She was not surprised to learn we were married! I mean there are a lot of other stories I could tell you over a glass of wine but I’m afraid they’re not printable!
CJ: How do you manage to combine being a father and a singer who is on the road so often?
KS: It isn’t easy now and it didn’t start out being easy! Axel is coming up on four (he’ll be four in March). He was due March 24th, 1998, a Tuesday, and my last Idomeneo in a Lausanne (Switzerland) series was March 22, a Sunday. Trudie was in Austria. If he came on his due date (or even the day before), I could make it there for the birth. I talked to Trudie on the phone before going to the theater on Friday the 20th and she said all was quiet and well. I walked to the theater and, just 30 minutes later when I arrived, they told me my wife had called for me there to say she was on her way to the hospital! I sang a tough show that Friday night, but still had one more on the Sunday. We had decided I wouldn’t fly home if he came early but that idea went out the window once this all happened. With the generous blessing of Lausanne’s then general director, Dominique Meyer (now at Chatelet in Paris), I flew out on Saturday morning and missed his birth by two hours, but spent that first magical day with them both. The next morning, I flew back to Lausanne and sang one last Idomeneo (remember the subject matter!), before joining them again on Monday.
CJ: What are the tax implications of living in Europe versus America when you’re an ex-patriot?
KS: I’m no CPA, but I do know that after any exclusions you might be entitled to for being out of the country most of the year, you must claim everything you earn all over the world. That’s an outdated law that very, very few countries have. It makes it tough for ex pats because we have to file our taxes twice a year, hire two accountants, keep the IRS happy in two countries! Not easy, especially when you, the singer, are in yet a third country most of the time.
CJ: Do you feel that you have fulfilled your potential in your career?
KS: I feel fulfilled in my career with reservations. I’ve made some mistakes and have had some bad luck, but I’m glad I am where I am. It’s not what you do or how far you get, it’s all how you look at it and feel about it. Like most, I have mixed feelings. But someone who has the right personality in the first place is going to be happy even singing Second Priest in the fest contract in Pforzheim (the smallest German theater with fest contracts) and his answers to the same question would show this. It’s not about what you do/did in your career; it’s about how you look at it. It also depends on who you ask… my father or a critic!
