My daughter has been accepted in a university music program. They produce a yearly opera and have auditions the first week of the fall semester. She has only ever auditioned for musical theater before where either a song from the actual musical was required or a piece that is similar or by the same composer. Is the process similar for opera? Do they usually request a piece for the part one is auditioning for to be prepared? Do they want to hear a variety of arias or classical song pieces or usually just one. She wants to start preparing. I realize different schools are going to have different criteria but I was just wanting to get an idea.
I wish I could answer this…maybe @“Mezzo’sMama” or @dramasopranomom will know. I have never been involved in this as I assumed the private teacher would know. Have you asked the private teacher? Also when she knows her studio teacher at the university she may want to inquire with her/him.
Edit: You may want to ask the teachers about expectations for Freshmen as well. I would assume a Freshman would only be in the chorus. Every school will differ…but I do know that at my D’s school (IU) Freshmen did not audition for the first semester operas. They were not considered ready. They did however audition for ensembles…and one ensemble was opera chorus. So I would also check if the audition would be for principle roles only or principle and chorus roles.
Opera is more akin to athletics than other forms of singing are. Don’t start with a triple handspring (i.e. aria). If she knows what language the opera’s being performed in I’d suggest learning an art song in that language. If it’s being performed in English, a “legit” musical theater song might even work, since that’s the style she’s already comfortable in.
Saying nothing about your daughter’s talent level, it’s unlikely she’d be cast in anything but the chorus as a first year student with no experience, but that’s not a bad thing. But take it easy with the material at first would be my advice.
Most likely she will sing an aria or excerpt from the opera they are producing. But they may also ask for an aria. I think most vocal majors in a BM/MM vocal performance degree program will have sung in master classes, studio classes and juries for the voice faculty so they know most of the singers before they cast. But if the opera is very contemporary or more cross over MT then they may wish to hear something in a similar style. Your D can get guidance from her voice teacher at home now and with her teacher at school when she starts on the process and choosing appropriate pieces.
And what the others said, as a freshman it is likely only to be a chorus opportunity unless the opera has specific niche parts that might be suited for a young voice.
Thank you everyone. She hasn’t been assigned a studio yet. She was accepted as an early admit so I think they are waiting for everyone before they assign a studio. If she gets cast, she expects to be in t he ensemble. She has many art songs but not really any arias. I was just wondering if she should start working on one with her voice teacher.
Hi @thevoicemom ! I second all the things said above… generally at a high level program, in the Fall, incoming Freshman wouldn’t be considered “ready” for a role, no matter their level, really. This is, in part, because they haven’t had time to settle into college (academically, socially, etc.) or get to know their primary teacher (and start working on technique issues, etc.). At my D’s college, they have Freshman Hearings during the first week of classes, just so the voice and opera faculty can hear all the singers as they enter (and Juries, of course, at the end of each term). I imagine this helps them know what baseline talent and ability levels are, and helps for planning repertoire for the coming years (just to know what voice types and personalities are coming!). Usually, Opera auditions would require at least one art song or aria (ideally in the language and perhaps style of the opera that is being cast, as @NYCMusicDad says), and excerpts and/or an assigned aria for principal roles. @Scubachick will know a lot about this!
Note: I would say Opera Chorus might be fine for an incoming Freshman Fall Term, but even for the most advanced and well adjusted First Year, a role would really be too much. There’s a LOT of academic, social, and musical adjusting to be done the first term of college; let ‘em get their feet under them!
If you do know what Opera they’ll be casting in the Fall, a GREAT place to start would be to have your D watch and listen to the Opera; read the libretto, and really study the Opera.
Great advice, thank you. They just did an operetta ( Die Fledermaus) that we saw in in the bios we noticed some freshman in the ensemble. But you are right about the load in the beginning. Thanks again everyone for your help. I am wanted her to get connected and be part of a group and in our experience in musical theater, the company really formed a tight family.
@thevoicemom And just so you understand (and I did not know this in my great ignorance when my kid entered an opera program), opera chorus rehearses separate from the principles. So an MT ensemble experience and Opera chorus experience will feel quite different. In general, they only rehearse together for about 2 weeks. My D was in 2 operettas where the chorus worked with the principles a little longer I think. My D’s first opera was La Boheme and the opera chorus leaves half way through the show and does not bow at the end. This is all to say…that the commitment for opera chorus is a lot less and can be appropriate for a Freshman. As @dramasopranomom says above, Freshman year is an adjustment so opera chorus or no opportunity in the first opera is perfectly fine.
I share your great ignorance lol and appreciate any and all advice.
The others were right in saying that the opera is pretty much cast aready from the grad students and possibly the seniors. Your daughter shouldn’t worry about learning anything new at this point as her new teacher at school will want to work with her on new repertoire and will tell her what is required for the audition in the fall.
For reference, when one auditions for an opera (unless specifically told to use an aria from the opera) one sings something in a similar style.
Thank you, Mezzo’s Mama. The audition is the first Friday of the first week of school. I appreciate the rep info regarding auditions. There are no grad students but the seniors and some juniors got the leads (as they should) in an operetta we just saw there. There were some sophomores and a freshman or 2 in t he ensemble though.
It’s understandable to be eager and excited to audition for college operas and it’s fantastic experience regardless of the outcome. My daughter’s audition this fall was in the largest performance hall at her school and it was thrilling for her to hear her voice filling up the space, something she probably couldn’t have done a year ago. I mention that only as a reminder that the student’s development as a vocalist is typically quite separate from their ability to snag a role early on, exciting as that can be. @thevoicemom - I wonder if those freshmen in the chorus might have been young men or mezzos?
Exactly what I was thinking…if only for the experience even if she doesn’t get anything. Thank you. Great advice here.
I wanted to come back to this as I didn’t have time yesterday to do a more general comment to:
“I am wanted her to get connected and be part of a group and in our experience in musical theater, the company really formed a tight family.”
I touched on the fact that an opera chorus experience is different from an MT ensemble experience. The creative process in MT and Theater is more free flowing and collaborative (in my D’s opinion). It feels more like a team project whereas in Opera the chorus is more “placed” in the action near the end. This is very general and I’m sure people could argue the point in the long run that Opera is just as collaborative…but transitioning from high school MT to Opera…there will be differences in how shows are built and put together and how you collaborate (and become a family or not).
Also, in college, the time in music study with like-minded people will greatly expand. In high school, you may have only your choir class and then it is not until after school that you get to flex your music/performance muscles and hang with like-minded people. If for some reason you are not cast…it can feel like a disaster and be isolating. Not so in college.
My D met most of her vocalist class at the ice cream social for incoming music students on the first day of welcome week. She discovered almost all Freshmen music students lived in one of two dorms (next to each other). They used the same cafeteria. Once school started they were in many of the same classes in the same two building most of the day with similar assignments. There was a coffee shop, a few restaurants and a bar alongside the music school that was filled with music students. In fact, one warning students often gave at her school was to get out of the music school “bubble”. Her “family” will be many of those freshmen classmates that she learns to navigate college with.
The shows start feeling a little more “professional” at college…no longer the only outlet for social bonding. Shows are not quite the “love fest” you can get in high school (I loved the love fest after the shows where the kids were all like a pile of puppies at the after party eating pizza with a few crying over the great friendships built and soon to be lost - lol).
Finally, in high school (and of course your situation may be different), “making the show” was a big deal…meaning you’re good or not. Casting in college is a bit more “strategic” particularly in opera imho. As said above, the primary casting decisions will already be done by the time she auditions. The role of her studio teacher (a new role in her life) will be to guide her development and recommend appropriate roles for her…that balances her needs for development in technique for example against time in shows for performance skills. In UG, my D was once told to decline a small principle role as her teacher thought it wasn’t worth her time…it would be better spend on repertoire study. Of course my D didn’t take her advice…and loaded up as usual. But casting is a different process in college…and kids figure that out and are more comfortable (sort of…kind of) waiting for the right time and right role.
Well this got loooong. I hope it helps!
It really does…a lot. I was under the misapprehension that the “opera experience” in college would be similar to the MT one in high school. Besides church, her closest friends have come from choir and theater. It sounds like there will be other ways to get the kids connected in the conservatory and bonded. Thanks so much for taking the time to explain all this.