Classical Singer Magazine

Read Up : Learning from the Greats in One Easy Read

One great way to evaluate the morals and ethics of this profession is by looking to those who have blazed the trail just ahead of us. The opening decade of this new century has been fraught with change and challenge. In 29 separate interviews conducted between 2002 and 2008, a variety of singers, conductors, directors, and administrators share how they have dealt with a craft in transition.

The $50 Week : Low-Cost Ways of Avoiding the High Cost of burnout

Life moves at an extraordinarily fast pace these days. Making sure you take steps to stay emotionally and mentally well will increase not only your happiness but your bank balance too.

From the Editor : Morals and Ethics

The idea for this month’s issue of Classical Singer began many months ago when we e-mailed a survey to readers asking for their opinions and experiences with nudity in opera.

Feedback

Tell us how we’re doing. We’d love to hear your response and reaction to the articles published each month, as well as your view on the classical singing community. Contact us via e-mail at editorial@classicalsinger.com or by mail at Classical Singer magazine, P.O. Box 1710, Draper, UT 84020.

Bulletin Board : News, Tidbits, Musings and More

Spoleto Festival Presents Ballad Opera One of the featured presentations of the 2010 Spoleto Festival USA will be Flora, originally entitled Flora or Hob in the Well, which was first

The Comeback Kid : Roberto Alagna Delivers a New Wave of Old School

Once hailed as “the fourth tenor” and “the next Pavarotti,” Roberto Alagna continues to find his own voice in his ongoing and successful international career. His journey hasn’t been without a few hiccups, including the infamous booing at La Scala three years ago. But Alagna has proven his resiliency as he takes on new roles and rediscovers old ones. In this Classical Singer exclusive, he speaks candidly in his thick French accent about his take on Don José, why he doesn’t usually give advice to young singers, and what advice he would give if pressed.

What Singers Can Do

Advice from Alan Gordon, national executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), on sexual harassment in the workplace.

Skeletons in the Closet : An Open Door Reveals Opera's Dark Secrets

Just how far would you go for the role of a lifetime or that long-awaited contract that meant your big break into the ever-competitive, demanding, and daunting world of opera? You might be surprised to know how far some singers were asked to go—and what other singers sacrificed—for great roles or lucrative contracts.

This article contains some sexually explicit language. Reader discretion advised.

Baring It All

In response to a recent CS survey, singers shared their widely varying philosophies about nudity’s role in opera.

Nudity as a Trend : Its Role on the Operatic Stage

Singers faced with the question of whether to disrobe onstage share their experiences, including
why they have or have not done it and the ramifications.

Thaddeus Strassberger : Inside the Avant-Garde

Stage directors often take the blame for what many view as the declining morality of opera. One stage director shares his reasons for his own controversial stagings, as well as discussing the oft asked question: to whom is the director responsible—the composer or the audience?

The Shame Old Story : Ageism in Opera

In response to CS’s recent polls on both racial discrimination and ethics and morals in opera, many respondents replied that the issue that really needs to be discussed is age discrimination. So, Rachel Antman takes a fresh look at this age-old problem.