Auditions Post-Mortem

November 23, 2009 - Our Autumn round of auditions has now come to a close. I have to say that I was very impressed with the general level of singing. Definitely some very strong candidates for all the roles in the 2010-2011 season. One thing that I did notice, however, was that singers really do not take enough care with their resumés. In addition to having several people proofread them, I also highly encourage singers to enlist the services of someone with graphic design experience. You wouldn't submit a headshot taken with a disposable camera by a friend so why submit a resumé that's been typed on a home computer using a basic word-processing program?

Anyway, I was disappointed that none of the public observed the auditions. We had opened them to the general public as part of National Opera Week. Maybe there were so many things going on onstage during this past weekend that people just didn't have the energy for any kind of "behind the scenes" offerings. There were so many things going on, it was difficult to attend everything. I myself made it to opening night of Peabody's Così fan tutte and the second performance of University of Maryland's La finta giardiniera but unfortunately was unable to see Baltimore Concert Opera's Don Pasquale or Baltimore Opera Theater's Il barbiere di Siviglia. If any of my readers were able to attend those productions I'd love to hear what you thought of them.

Next up - OV's Holiday Cabaret on December 11th.

National Opera Week

November 5, 2009 - In just a little over a week, America will be celebrating National Opera Week (November 14-21). This joint initiative between Opera America and the NEA will kick off with the second annual NEA Opera Honors in Washington, DC on Saturday, November 14th. Throughout the week, opera companies across the country will be offering various operatic activities to bring about an increased awareness of the art form to their respective communities. To mark the occasion, Opera Vivente will be "lifting the veil" on an aspect of opera production that is virtually completely unknown to anyone other than professional singers: the audition. Opera Vivente invites any people interested in the process by which singers get cast in roles to attend our auditions in Baltimore. The audition period is Friday, November 20th from 12-4pm, Saturday, November 21st from 2-6pm, and Sunday, November 22nd from 3-5pm. The auditions will take place at our venue located at 811 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Come enjoy this rare opportunity to hear what normally only industry "insiders" hear. And help spread the word that opera is a vital, exciting, and relevant art form worthy of celebration not just for a week in November but throughout the entire year.

See you at the auditions! - John Bowen