In a recent phone conversation with Gianna Rolandi, director of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, I asked if anything had surprised her about Chicago when she first moved there.
“The only thing that surprised me about it is what a big secret it is,” she said. “It’s like Chicago people keep everything a secret here so the rest of the world doesn’t know how great it is.”
America’s third largest city is known for being cold, windy, and full of strange pizza—but it’s also one of the nation’s operatic hotspots. Chicago, for example, is home to more Classical Singer subscribers than any city but New York.
So what’s drawing the talent?
“I specifically moved here from Houston, Texas, where I got my ‘start,’ namely because there are more paying opportunities [in Chicago] than what existed in Houston—and this has indeed proven to be true,” said bass Martin Lowen Poock, who has lived in Chicago since 2003. Poock counts among his gigs being a supplemental chorister for both the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. “I’ve been able to do more solo work than I was able to do in Houston, and the union pay rates are almost unsurpassed.”
Mezzo-soprano Jessye Wright, a Midwesterner by birth, has lived in Chicago for 10 years. “I think Chicago is a great place for artists. There are a number of local opera companies, which offer performing opportunities to young singers of various levels and experience. It’s a big city, so we have a fabulous array of concerts to attend. The level of musicianship and artistry within the classical music scene is exceptionally high.”
Wright admitted her bias: “Of course it’s my home, so that’s a huge draw.”
Japan-born baritone Teppei Kono, who moved to the United States when he was 11, chronicled his journey to Chicago for CS. “I used to live in Cleveland, for my undergrad and grad work. I lived there for seven years. I did work for the local companies out there, but there was not as much exposure in Cleveland as I wished. I needed a change of place.
“I happened to have an opportunity to attend Roosevelt University for their artist diploma in opera, along with being a young artist for Chicago Opera Theater. Because of my visa situation, I had to go somewhere to continue my student visa and to be in the U.S. Chicago seemed to be the logical step for me, mainly because I lived in the East Coast for my high school, then moved to Ohio for seven years. I got used to the Midwest mentality.”
Kono has lived in Chicago ever since; he just reached his three-year anniversary.
“I really fell in love with Chicago. It’s a great city with a great view of the lake [Lake Michigan],” he said. “Of course, New York City is the place to be for singers, but being in Chicago, I can always find a cheap flight to [New York City] anytime and it’s only a few hours away. My manager is in Chicago as well—so convenient. Also, I wasn’t ready to be out there in the city with no job and what not.”
Across the board, our Chicago contacts agreed that flying to New York for auditions is necessary, but quick and inexpensive, thanks to Chicago’s central location.
“Sometimes you have to just be able to hop on a plane and go to an audition the day before [the audition] or something, which, when you’re first starting out, can be difficult,” Rolandi conceded. “But a lot of people that have left the Opera Center here still live in Chicago—but then they go and spend a month or six weeks in New York during that big audition season in the fall, and that seems to work very well.”
Kono provided some practical advice on audition trips. “Always be prepared to fly out to catch any other auditions that you might miss here in Chicago. In fact, I’m flying out to New York City for a quick audition trip. The ticket only cost under $200. It’s on the higher side for a flight, but I bought the ticket a few days ago. I can usually find something around $150 or less, depending on the special or [on] how early I can get the ticket through ATA or JetBlue. I’d rather avoid flying out of O’Hare, so I take ATA from Midway to LaGuardia. I feel it’s more convenient.”
Poock chimed in with further advice to Chicagoland newbies.
“Be able to learn music quickly . . . the hourly rates dictated by the unions are so high, rehearsal times are notably abbreviated. Sight reading seems especially desired.”
“Find a teacher you want to work with and build your support system,” Rolandi counseled. “A good place to always start is the [Lyric] Opera House. If people call, they can find out who coaches here. Most of the teachers at the local universities teach privately, and they have good coaches on their staffs. [Singers] just have to do a little research, but it’s pretty easy to do here.”
As a Chicagoland expat myself, my only complaint about the city is the wind chill. Our interviewees had some other small advisories.
“It’s actually a bit stodgy in the major classical music scene,” warned Poock. “Having come from a more cutting-edge opera company and chorus, I find the stuff I’m doing here to be much more oldie and moldy (good, but a lot more standard, which can get old).”
Poock also gave the sense of community a mixed review. “It doesn’t seem as intimidating as New York City or the East Coast, but I do have to comment. I find the scene to be less friendly, in that smaller ‘family’ kind of way, than Houston was, and I miss that aspect a lot.”
Wright had a different perspective. “It’s an honor to be a part of the artistic community here in Chicago. Musicians stick together. We really try to support one another. Many of my closest friends are singers,” she added. “It’s competitive here, but ideally this should encourage an even higher level of artistry.”
Kono painted a similarly rosy picture of life in the Windy City.
“The variety of venues and performances really brings the classical music scene here in Chicago. During the summer there are two major outdoor venues—one up in the north suburbs with the Ravinia Festival, and downtown with the Grant Park Festival—which are great summer to-do’s. Most of the major performances in Chicago usually have discount fees for students, or rush tickets, so you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to go see a performance.
“As for these summer festivals, you can get cheap lawn seats in Ravinia and pack your own little picnic basket, then enjoy the beautiful music and the view. For Grant Park, the lawn seats are free, so get there early and you can get yourself a nice lawn area to enjoy the concert. I must say, it’s great to walk around during the summer through the Grant Park/Millenium Park area, and you can hear the live performance from the Grant Park Festival.”
Rolandi is just as enthusiastic. “You really can live just about anyplace, and Chicago is a wonderful city. There’s just so much in Chicago, not just music: museums, parks, a beautiful lake—it’s just a wonderful, wonderful city. As long as you know who you’re going to work with and figure out a support system, Chicago can be a great place to get started.”
