Can NYC's opera scene take good advice?

Op-ed

Opera in New York has been pretty perilous the past few years, between NYCO's demise and potential rebirth, and the Metropolitan Opera's frustrating back-and-forth with several of its unions last summer. "The smartest city in the world seems to think that opera is an old-fashioned, expensive toy — or worse, high camp, something so ridiculous you can’t help adding it to your list of guilty pleasures."

Are printed translations screwing up recitals?

Op-ed

After academia, it becomes less common to give spoken translations in voice recitals. It's one thing to hear an undergrad voice student tell you what "Das Veilchen" is about, but it's another thing entirely to hear the likes of Stephanie Blythe and Warren Jones reciting song texts.

Artists, administration & reputations

Op-ed

Artists are such neat people because they're a creative bunch, not an organized bunch. Good, employable artists know that they can't be flighty, or bad at returning emails, or constantly late; yet it's not hard for me to imagine the artist that, left to his or her own devices, would probably keep odd and inconsistent hours, a messy workspace, and they'd occasionally get wrapped up in their work enough to forget to buy groceries.

Overthinking it and other traps

Op-ed

Don Giovanni may have a drug problem, or he may be secretly gay, or he may be grossly insecure, but you can *play* seduction. And that's enough, you know? Simplicity doesn't mean you put in less work, it just means you let the audience get interested on their own.

Love of opera, and getting perspective

Op-ed

I got into writing about opera because I wanted to tell people about this very cool industry of mine. The art is enormous and stunning, and the people who created opera are extraordinary folks. I knew that most people my age didn't have much exposure to opera, and it seemed like an obvious way to bridge the gap, to show just how fascinating it really is.

Is opera really for everyone?

Op-ed

You might have read the recent interview in *The Courrier-Journal* with Eric Owens and Morris Robinson, who sing King Philip II and the Grand Inquisitor in Opera Philadelphia's upcoming Don Carlo. Mike Silverman asks them about the "challenges of being a black opera singer." It struck me, though, that while barriers like race have dissipated quickly, an opera career can still be contingent on a few factors, many of which fall under "luck of the draw."

Kristen Seikaly on how to learn a role

Op-ed

Whether you are just learning your first role or seasoning your role-learning technique, this guide is intended to help you with learning an operatic role as efficiently and painlessly as possible. I hope that you will share with me any tips and tricks that I have not mentioned here.

Classical vs popular music: is it a global thing?

Op-ed

It's important to note that to North Americans, European Classical music is something that's already once removed, culturally speaking. I wondered if it was different in India, where both the art music and popular music are fostered in the same place.

Valentina Lisitsa: Freedom of speech is a two-way street

Op-ed

I'm by no means the first to weigh in on the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's decision to cancel Ukrainian-born pianist Valentina Lisitsa's performances on April 8-9th. The decision came after the TSO was made aware of some crass tweets on Lisitsa's Twitter feed, and after they confirmed that Lisitsa was indeed the author of the controversial comments, they made the quick decision to cancel.

How Much Money Makes an Artist?

Op-ed

In the last few weeks, a recurring topic has come up among my artist friends. The crux of the issue can actually be boiled down to one question: are you still an artist if you can’t survive on your artist income?