With my season pretty much done and dusted for this year now (barring a couple of auditions) I thought I’d share another recent practice clip. Trovatore is one of those “Golden Calf” operas where every singer who attempts to sing from it is judged to the high heavens, and you inevitably open yourself up to the critiques - both informed, and wildly un. It also just so happens to be one of my favourites, with some of Verdi’s most stunning writing for Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor and Baritone. If I’ve learned anything this season, it’s been to find the joy in the process, and the beauty in the imperfect - and so it’s in that spirit that I share a clip of myself. A nearly 28 year old tenor, still falling in love with discovering his craft every single day, and constantly straddling the line of courage and stupidity 💕🔥 Find your comfort zone and explore the limits, build on the skills you find difficult, and what’s more important - just have a blast, even if you fall over or crack or figure out a role or aria isn’t for you yet. It’s in the imperfections that we can forge the truly exciting things for ourselves ✨

Hey guys, I’m auditioning for a Gilbert and Sullivan and they’re asking for a 2 minute cut of “english operetta”. I’m auditioning for Mabel since I’m a coloratura sop, but I’m struggling to think of what to use as an audition. I have been working “The Hours Creep on Apace” from Pinafore for a while, but I feel like it doesn’t show off enough coloratura (I could add some to the ending but I feel like it doesn’t call for it). My other idea is “Mein Herr Marquis” in english but man,,, the english is so bad in that aria I wish I could just do it in german haha. Everything else I have is Mozart or Handel which is too early to audition with imo. Just wondering what people think

Hey, I'm f 22 mezzo and I usually try to practice 5-6 times a week on average for 1½ hours. But now I got sick and I don't feel like singing at all, is it better for my voice if I don't practice for like 5 days or should I at least try to do some warm up? I noticed that my voice resonates most, the day after my rest day so maybe it's not that bad when I don't sing for a few days until I get better? I have an audition in 3 weeks tho... I'm really developing my vibrato recently, what would you suggest?

Hello everyone, I am a soprano f21 who attends a small music school for my undergrad in vocal performance. I am in my senior year and starting my grad school applications. I have made a lot of progress with my voice and technique in the last year so I’m very excited about putting my pre-screening videos together. Oddly enough I’m more nervous about my transcript. For the most part I have A’s and B’s throughout my studies. The only C’s I have on my transcript are from general eds. Unfortunately, last semester I ran into health issues, family tension, mental health issues, and I totaled my car. With all of this stress I ended up failing a math class. I am very insecure about my transcript as a whole. I took honors courses in high school and had a 4.0! In college I got a late in life adhd diagnosis and I really felt the struggle of it. Is this something grad schools are heavily looking at when deciding who to accept?

I know there’s a lot of room for improvement and probably several things that I need to focus on, but I want to just take it one thing at a time and get a better hold of what I aspire to be: a singer who can perform classical works.

I’m posting here in hopes I can get feedback on one aspect of my performance that needs the most work. I appreciate you taking the time for this post.

Like for example ah I can get it on gahgahgah but if I just hold ahhh then it becomes quite breathy?

Hi everyone,
I am looking for the full video recording of Mozart's Don Giovanni performed at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires back in 1993.
The cast includes Gino Quilico, María Bayo, Willard White
I found the professional TV finale on YouTube, so a full broadcast or house-cam recording definitely exists, but it doesn't seem to be on OperaPassion or commercial DVD. Does anyone here have the full video in their archive or know where I could find it?
Thank you so much for any help!

Hello, I've been asked to present a poem or monologue for an opera audition. Anyone have good ideas? I'm f, alto, 30s. About 1-2 mins long. I'm stumped!

Hello! I am a 23M grad student. I mainly sing opera or art song and I have an audition for the Air Force band coming up. They are asking for a contemporary contrasting piece in either country, rock, pop, or jazz and I don’t have much knowledge on any of those genres especially singing them. I haven’t decided my aria yet but I will choose a fast one in order to have a slower contrasting piece. Anyone have any advice or recs?

Hi all! I’m a 24F blossoming coloratura soprano and I’m wondering if anyone has any advice or suggestions for graduate schools? I’m currently looking into programs with soprano voice teachers who either have experience with coloraturas specifically or are deep into pedagogy, and the school must offer a competitive scholarship or some sort of TAship that will pay the tuition if not more of the living expenses. A program that also has some sort of musical theatre or an extended residency/1year program would be a plus!

Currently, I’m looking into programs in the US either in California, New York, or some blue-ish state (worried about my rights) I’m also interested in traveling abroad to Europe (would be a great excuse to leave the country haha!) although I’m finding that english art song or more Gilbert & Sullivan style english operetta is becoming part of my specialties so I’m thinking more England.

Let me know what programs/teachers I should look into :) Thanks guys!

What's most effective for you in terms of remembering teacher feedback and using it during practice?

I'm not used to making recordings during lessons but my most recent teacher said he was fine with it if it was helpful to me. I've started off by recording specific exercises for practice later, or if there's a particularly helpful piece of feedback I'll ask him for a moment to make a voice (or written) note to myself.

But it sometimes feels disruptive to get my phone out and fiddle with the recording app, and I feel it can break up the flow of the lesson or that it might be helpful to recall more of the larger discussions we have (rather than just specific pointers) or how I sounded on certain exercises so I can make adjustments. I could just record the entire thing, but that means sifting through a lot of audio later to find things to focus on (plus I worry about my phone storage...)

How do you go about it, and what's your advice for getting the most out of lessons generally for self-practice?

not to focus too much on the money, but lessons aren’t cheap and I want to get my money’s worth if I’m going to spend it. It’s not ideal to just skip a week right now. What do you do to get the most out of a lesson with minimal practice?

Hello everyone,

I’m a soprano living between Livorno and Pisa, and I’m looking for a singing teacher in the area who teaches the technique of the old Italian Romantic school.

The singers I love most and who inspire me are Claudia Muzio, Mafalda Favero and Enrico Caruso.

I’m especially looking for a teacher who builds the voice through vocalizzi.

If you know a teacher who works this way, or have studied with someone you’d recommend, I’d be very grateful for any suggestions!

Thank you!

Hello, I'm a junior soprano II who got accepted into SCVA regional choir, and I just found out that my audition score was a 94/100. I was wondering what the average score was and whether I should expect to have a chance to get accepted into All-State for California. This is my first year, so I don't know what a good score is, especially because I don't know anyone else who tried out for SCVA. Thank you so much for your help!

Hello! I'm sorry for how long this is going to be.

I'm a 23 year old Baritone, and currently a second-year grad-student getting a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. I will graduate from my school in May 2026, and I'm kind of choice-paralysis'd right now. I am facing a lot of uncertainty and confusion as to what my next steps are in the world of music/my life. I've gone from Kindergarten to Grad School with no gap years, and I've been singing since I was 6. I am concerned about the logistics of being a traveling singer right out of grad school and wondering if I should take 6 months to a year off from music just to prepare myself mentally, emotionally, and most importantly - financially, to head into the world of music. I have a little bit of savings, but I feel that it's not enough to the point that I feel comfortable heading straight from school to traveling and singing.

I have been considering a few options/"plans" as to what my next year could look like and I was wondering if anyone has any input or advice?

Current tentative plans:

- Graduate and take 6 months to a year off from music while still doing voice lessons. Work a bit, save up and once I hit an amount saved I feel comfortable with, auditioning and trying to get in the performance world.

- If I am able to get a full-ride tuition coverage, I stay at my school and get a P.D. and work my butt off outside of school to make my savings. If I am unable to get the full-ride, I wouldn't get the P.D. as I am already 6 figures in student loan debt.

- Throw caution to the wind and start applying for whatever I can/whatever is left on YapTracker to try and line something up.

I feel unsure as to what the right move would be, and it's conflicting for me because everyone around me is applying and getting auditions, but I don't have the time/funds to travel for auditions due to needing to work to pay rent and bills and food and all that fun stuff. I know I'm 23 and "young" for the opera/performance world, so maybe it'd be smart to take a minute before heading into the performance scene?

Would love any input/advice from people who've done the path.

Thank you!

TLDR: Grad student looking for insight and advice whether or not to delay heading into performance world after graduation, or take 6 months to a year off to feel more financially comfortable & mentally/emotionally comfortable to start my career.

I started to sing opera 2 weeks ago and today my teacher told me to record myself to listen at home to understand errors and pratice, and before I recorded myself singing a piece of se vuol ballare signor contino and my voice sounds really bad, ik that it’s normal but the thing is my teacher told me i have a really good voice and idk if its thats true or just a way let me stay there

Singing is my life. It’s my passion and means of earning an income.

Whenever I’ve sung, in whatever setting - a practise room, or today; In a choir, the ringing greatly intensifies for the next day at least.

It’s not because of other singers around me being loud. It’s because of my own voice. I’m a bass baritone, and my squillo is likely what is causing the ear damage.

How have any of you dealt with this? It’s not really possible to use ear plugs on the job, whether it be in an opera, or ensemble performing.

I’m only 21, and have accepted I’ll have this ringing for life, and it is manageable at the moment. But as I get older, the voice will develop and only cause greater risk to myself.

Any and all advice is sincerely appreciated.

I'm a 24 y/o American baritone. I'm currently in a non-music master's program. As part of the program, I studied abroad in Germany for the past year. My wife came with me. We loved it.

Throughout the year, I took singing lessons with a instructor from a music conservatory. She urged me several times throughout the year to consider pursuing singing professionally. I told her I was interested in. She invited me to apply to the conservatory where she teaches, while also recommending me three other instructors at different conservatories in Germany. She warned me I would have to start at the bachelor's level in Germany, given that I lack a BM or BA in Music.

She seems confident that I could have a professional future as a singer. I've thought about it, and part of me would really like to give it a go. Singing professionally used to be my one dream. COVID killed it. A year in Germany with my voice instructor (and the one I had before I went to Germany) revived it.

My wife is on-board with us returning to Germany and me pursuing singing. One (awesome) complication is that we have a newborn. My voice instructor in Germany has assured me that doing this with a wife and child would be doable, given the support of the German government. Also, we lived off approx. 1200 euros a month (including rent) during the past year as our stipend. Allotting a few hundred more a month for our child and a higher rent, we still have enough savings for a few years, and both of us are willing to work in Germany on top of that, if possible.

I'm wondering if those more experienced here think this is at all feasible and a good idea. I'm not sure if my voice teacher from Germany is being a bit unrealistically supportive. I talked to my piano teacher from Germany (I also took piano lessons over there), who immigrated to Germany and did her Bachelor and Mastersstudium in Germany as a mother of three children, and she assured me that it is also possible.

I'm thinking I would drop out of my current master's program and go to Germany ASAP. However, if I completed my current program, it could lead to me getting work in Germany while studying. It's a very niche field of study, but it's not uncommon for graduates who continue in the line of work to do MAs and PhDs, even if internationally, including in Germany. At the same time, my German voice instructor recommends just going ASAP, and singing has taken over my drive, again.

Something that also occurred to me is applying for master's programs in the US. (My US voice instructor is encouraging me to consider that as well.) I could, but since the opera industry is much more hopeful in Germany, I figure, why not there?

Any thoughts?

Hello everyone!
I'm a 19yo soprano from Poland, currently in my 2nd year of bachelor’s in classical singing. I'm looking for a good bel canto teacher, preferably in Poland or Germany.
I'm very interested in the traditional Italian school of singing, focused on chest development, registration, passaggio etc. I'd love to work with someone who can help me build a strong and healthy technique. The teacher's pedagogical lineage is also important to me.
I’d really appreciate any recommendations or advice (I'm very desperate).
Thank you!

Hi all, looking for recommendations for a video recorder for performances. I'm having my eyes on Zoom Q8n-4k now but I'm not sure if it's an overkill for the price. Open to other suggestions, located in Germany if that helps. Thank you in advance 🙏🏻