Six months after speaking with Classical Singer on the struggles of a young singer trying to break in to the New York music scene, Kimberley Bentley is the winner of a major competition, a finalist in a second, and soon-to-be star in a nationally touring artists-in-residence program. But the road to these first breakthroughs was difficult.
“A year ago I was discouraged, in a state of de-pression, working my way out of it. But I knew that I had to sing, that I had to keep trying. Still I found myself thinking, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t do this. Maybe I should give up and become an administrative assistant.’”
Bentley added some new coaches to her team and took chances that had previously seemed too risky, sending out applications to young artists’ programs and opera companies. “From the first audition I sang in the beginning of September, I built momentum. With that has come consistency in my training, technique, and auditions, and a better mental place,” she says. “I realized I wasn’t going anywhere without professional level feedback.”
In her own words, she “got her butt in gear,” and sang two auditions in two days. Good news reached her at work in the afternoon after her Met audition. “I knew I sang well but I still didn’t think anything would happen,” Bentley admits. “Lo and behold, there was a message on my machine saying that I was a finalist in the Liederkranz competition. Half an hour later there was another message saying I was a district Met winner. I hung up in the middle of the message and started crying, because I was in shock! I told a friend, ‘It’s been a year and a half since I’ve gotten anything. This is the first sign that I’m going in the right direction.’ Three days later I got the call from National Opera Company in North Carolina offering me Fiordiligi and a role in another opera yet to be named.”
Bentley intends to make the most of this new level and new attitude. “At the moment I feel that where I am now is the perfect opportunity for me to start working. Now I’m on track.”
