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Our days within the south have yielded some stunning auditions! We began in Atlanta, with The Atlanta Opera serving as our gracious hosts at their rehearsal facility in midtown. Right here’s a shot of their rehearsal room taped out for an upcoming manufacturing: every shade denotes a distinct scene, and the singers need to navigate not solely their vocal strains, but additionally the colour that represents the scene during which they’re taking part in.
Atlanta was a brand new metropolis for us, and we had been so impressed with the expertise that got here out! Alongside the usual rep that we heard, we heard a lot of stunning excerpts from William Grant Nonetheless’s oeuvre, which was a pleasure. The monologue sport was additionally robust for Studio Artists: we witnessed probably the most compelling latest studying of Biff’s monologue from Miller’s Dying of a Salesman. The Atlanta Opera employees had been splendidly accommodating – they actually made us really feel at house. We had been so glad to have heard robust performances on this nice metropolis, and look ahead to returning!
We then flew to Houston for 2 days within the rehearsal area at Houston Grand Opera. Houston is historically a powerful web site for us: the opera scene, with HGO, Austin Opera, Fort Value Opera, and robust applications at Rice, College of Houston, UT Austin, and LSU (amongst others) at all times make this an artistically fulfilling cease, and this yr was no exception. I used to be struck by the dedication that every performer delivered to the room, and we heard some nice performances. One takeaway was for the women who sing the Fireplace aria from L’Enfant et les Sortileges by Ravel: as an alternative of ending it at “Gare a toi!” think about including the subsequent 2 pages.
On a social stage, we had been fortunate to have music staffer Joseph Li with us within the rehearsal room on Saturday. And we shared a meal with Brian Speck, who’s the director of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Yours really would possibly’ve been launched (and instantly addicted) to Velvet Tacos.
We begin our final leg within the Midwest in the present day. We fly to Cincinnati this morning, for 2 days of auditions, after which on to Chicago earlier than heading house for the ultimate audition days.
Normally we offer you a take a look at among the repertoire we’re contemplating, with a glimpse on the brief listing. This yr that brief listing is much more changeable than standard – it’s gone via a number of permutations as repertoire falls off and new items come on. One of many nice strengths – and luxuries, if I’m being sincere – of Wolf Lure Opera’s course of is that our programming responds to the strengths of these singers who audition for us. Attending to know the present crop of US rising younger artists, monitoring their progress throughout the final variety of years, and daydreaming about attainable programming selections is really thrilling!
