# How can I become an opera singer?



## addison (Aug 20, 2010)

I am 18 and love the opera. I am considering to become an opera singer.
However, I never took a music class and am in grade 12. My voice is adequate, I've never had a lot of practice. What are the next steps I should take regarding university/music classes?


----------



## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Hi addison

How hard have you thought about this, and how much research have you done?

I mean, off the top of my head, here are some basics:


Find a good teacher and learn to sing. From what I understand, this takes years of intensive practice.

Learn music theory and sight-reading. Pavarotti got away with it but you probably won't. Preferably learn to play the piano so that you don't always have to depend on someone else for when you learn new roles.

Learn Italian, French, German and maybe Russian. For starters.

Train your memory. One day you might have to remember several hours of Italian recit.

Take acting classes.

Look good. It helps these days.

Get seen and heard by the right people. Network, read about the industry obsessively.

Develop a good thick skin, tremendous persistence, a huge work ethic and a healthy ego.

Develop other skills so you can support yourself while making your way.

Have you read Jennifer Rivera's blog? It gives you a good insight into the life of an opera singer.


----------



## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

If you have no solid knowledge at this age it will be hard to achieve anything. It will take a lot of time for you to be able to sing short, selected arias - if you claim to love opera I don't have to remind you that foreground singer had quite a lot to learn by heart, with parts often difficult to remember. 

Even if you have talent you lost too much time, there are so many things that have to become natural and automatic to you, and this takes years, years that you don't have because at your age you should already apply for university, and to do so you have to finish the music school or, eventually, have the knowledge and experience that you would have if you would finish it. Do you have it?


----------



## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Aramis said:


> If you have no solid knowledge at this age it will be hard to achieve anything. It will take a lot of time for you to be able to sing short, selected arias - if you claim to love opera I don't have to remind you that foreground singer had quite a lot to learn by heart, with parts often difficult to remember.
> 
> Even if you have talent you lost too much time, there are so many things that have to become natural and automatic to you, and this takes years, years that you don't have because at your age you should already apply for university, and to do so you have to finish the music school or, eventually, have the knowledge and experience that you would have if you would finish it. Do you have it?


To be fair, while a good general rule it's not universal. Natalie Dessay didn't start singing until the age of 20. Of course, (even personal opinions aside) she's a rare talent and was able to fit 4+ years of conservatory training into 2 years iirc. She's probably the exception that proves the rule.


----------



## wagner4evr (Jul 10, 2010)

Take this with a salt grain because I'm not a musician or a singer (just an avid opera goer for decades), but I think it's almost impossible to recommend any 'next steps' w/o knowing your background. To my knowledge, becoming an opera singer (for most) isn't something you just decide on. Most have IMMENSE music education, performance experience, and raw talent from a young age (although not always). Even assuming you are born with the gifted vocals it takes to become an opera singer, it takes years and years of loooong hours of training to develop that kind of voice. Not saying you can't achieve it, but just realize that for most of us who aren't already musicians & singers, it's kinda the equivalent of asking how we go about being Lance Armstrong or Tiger Woods. Opera singers are the GODS of music performers because of what it takes to get there. For some roles/productions, there might only be a handful of people on the planet even capable of performing them...


----------



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

It might be a good idea to contact a reputable singing teacher and have this person evaluate your potential. But you must be prepared for a frank evaluation,and you might not like what you hear. Even so, this person could be wrong,so you might try for more than one evaluation. 
It's extremely tough to become a successful opera singer and the competition is fierce. 
And it takes extremely hard work to develop the necessary technique and learn all there is to learn. You must develp a thick skin and be prepared to face rejection. 
And for your own good, listen to recordings by a wide variety of great singers,past and present,and hear them live whenever possible. Study these carefully.
Great voices such as Rosa Ponselle, Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballe, Birgit Nilsson,
Maria Callas, Kirsten Flagstad, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Renee Fleming,Janet Baker, Lisa Della Casa, 
Leonie Rysanek, Galina Vishnevskaya, Regine Crespin, etc,to name just some female greats of opera singing.


----------



## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

10,000 hours.
Practise three hours a day, every day, for ten years.
See Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, for more (or here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_(book))


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Aramis said:


> If you have no solid knowledge at this age it will be hard to achieve anything. It will take a lot of time for you to be able to sing short, selected arias - if you claim to love opera I don't have to remind you that foreground singer had quite a lot to learn by heart, with parts often difficult to remember.
> 
> Even if you have talent you lost too much time, there are so many things that have to become natural and automatic to you, and this takes years, years that you don't have because at your age you should already apply for university, and to do so you have to finish the music school or, eventually, have the knowledge and experience that you would have if you would finish it. Do you have it?


Aren't you guys being a little too harsh on the kid? There are cases of successful singers who started late in life. I even remember a case - I forgot the name, maybe you'll recognize the anedocte - of a male singer, a tenor? - who was a drug addict or alcoholic (again, I don't remember the details) as an adult and had never sang before, then as part as his recovery process from his addiction, he took singing lessons and now is a regular in the operatic world.

Maybe what you and others here are saying is what it takes to be one of the world's top singers, but not what it takes to be a decent singer with a modest career in small or regional opera companies.

Not everybody in any given field will be among the top, but it doesn't mean people shouldn't try. There are millions of basketball players and thousands of them make a decent living in less prestigious teams and leagues, but there are only a handful of Michael Jordans and Kobe Bryants of the NBA. What does it take to be a Michael Jordan? Unusual talent, an early start, years of practice and hard work. But what does it take to be a decent professional basketball player in a less prestigious professional league? Probably a lot less than that.

I'm just trying to be less discouraging. I don't think the kid should give up just because he/she is 18.


----------



## MILLICENT (Oct 4, 2010)

I am 23 and love the opera. I am considering to become an opera singer.
However, I never took a music class and am in grade 12. My voice is adequate, I've never had a lot of practice. What are the next steps I should take regarding university/music classes?


----------



## Boccherini (Mar 29, 2010)

Your post looks exactly like this one: http://www.talkclassical.com/10070-how-can-i-become.html.


----------



## Alnitak (Oct 21, 2008)

MILLICENT said:


> I've never had a lot of practice...





Boccherini said:


> Your post looks exactly like this one: http://www.talkclassical.com/10070-how-can-i-become.html.


Glups!
Between August and October, you've already lost two months.
And time is so precious!


----------



## Very Senior Member (Jul 16, 2009)

Alnitak said:


> Glups!
> Between August and October, you've already lost two months.
> And time is so precious!


Also had a name change and gained 5 years in age.


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Very Senior Member said:


> Also had a name change and gained 5 years in age.


This looks like a prank to me.


----------



## ASHLEY (Aug 22, 2010)

*Is it possible for me to become a opera singer?*

Hi! I am a 15 year-old girl from Hong Kong, and came to study in US a month ago.I played piano for 5 years, cello for 3 years and voice for a year. I continue learning cello and voice in this new school in Raleigh, NC. I love classical music and opera the most. I really want to be a opera singer. I decided to study in a music school next year(Junior), and focus in studying voice. I know my voice is not good enough to get into music school, so I am going to add one more voice lesson each week that I can learn voice twice a week. I practice music at least 1 and a half hour every day. I really work hard, but I can't relax myself when I am singing.And I can only sing 3 octaves(low E-high E). I think I can do better if I work hard!

Do you think I will be good enough to get into the music school in a year?

And is it possible for me to become a opera singer? I am an Asian, I don't know whether people like Asian singing opera or not


----------



## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Surely your voice teacher would be the best person to ask. We've never heard you sing.

But here are some successful opera singers of Asian extraction:









Sumi Jo









Hei-Kyung Hong









Kathleen Kim









Philip Kang


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> Surely your voice teacher would be the best person to ask. We've never heard you sing.


Natalie, the multiplicity of these posts by users with 1 post of posting history, pretty much all saying the same thing with variable ages (15, 18, 23) makes me strongly suspect that they are a prank or the product of a troll. Just warning you. Although this one seems to be a little different, so this may be a legit one, but just beware.


----------



## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

I want Ridge to choose Ashley over Brooke. Brooke is really pissing me out. What a bitch. She should die instead of Sally Spectra.


----------



## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Opera career? In all earnestness, good luck!:tiphat:

Do you have a favorite role? No, wait... let me guess--

The soprano lead in Offenbach's _Les Contes d'Hoffmann_.


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Chi_townPhilly said:


> Opera career? In all earnestness, good luck!:tiphat:
> 
> Do you have a favorite role? No, wait... let me guess--
> 
> The soprano lead in Offenbach's _Les Contes d'Hoffmann_.


Well, this one joined in August, asked about American high schools before, came to Raleigh which has a big Asian immigrant population, so maybe this one is legit and not just like the other two posters who obviously are trolls.


----------



## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Almaviva said:


> Natalie, the multiplicity of these posts by users with 1 post of posting history, pretty much all saying the same thing with variable ages (15, 18, 23) makes me strongly suspect that they are a prank or the product of a troll. Just warning you. Although this one seems to be a little different, so this may be a legit one, but just beware.


Yeah, I wondered, but then I thought, what if it is legit, it is a bit different .

It was quite fun thinking about the answer to the first "addison" one, because being an opera singer seems to me to be a daunting achievement.


----------



## ASHLEY (Aug 22, 2010)

yes, I am the one who asked for music school before. And I am legit I sure! I really love classical music and opera. I know that it isn't an easy job to become an opera singer, so I am trying to studying in music school in order to learn more about music and voice. But I don't know can I get into the music school with only one year preparation time.


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

ASHLEY said:


> yes, I am the one who asked for music school before. And I am legit I sure! I really love classical music and opera. I know that it isn't an easy job to become an opera singer, so I am trying to studying in music school in order to learn more about music and voice. But I don't know can I get into the music school with only one year preparation time.


Well I'm glad that you aren't a troll if what you're saying is true.
Apparently others here who know more about these things have been encouraging, said that some conservatories will take you if they see potential even if you aren't at your best yet.

A suggestion: Raleigh has a decent opera company - actually had two and they merged into a bigger one, and this season is the inaugural season of the product of the merger (it starts with Tosca soon, on October 15 and 17). It's called North Carolina Opera. Their website is www.ncopera.org
The board members are veterans in the field; some of them are former singers. They are nice people (I've met them - Timothy Myers, Eric Mitchko, Sam Shaber). Maybe you should talk to them and ask for advice. I'm sure a couple of them would accept to meet you, listen to your voice, and give you some tips on what to do next, where to apply, etc.

You can contact them at this email address: [email protected]
Explain your case, ask to speak with them.


----------



## Very Senior Member (Jul 16, 2009)

Almaviva said:


> Well I'm glad that you aren't a troll if what you're saying is true.


Bit of an optimist aren't you? It strikes me as being highly unlikely that a genuine advice-seeker would stick a request like this in the same thread where two trolls have been openly exposed. Besides all that, I'm deeply suspicious of anything involving assessing someone's prospects of making the grade in the professional classical musical world. How on earth can anyone here make any sensible comments without knowing far more about the individual's talents? You don't get this sort of thing on other classical music Boards.


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Very Senior Member said:


> Bit of an optimist aren't you? It strikes me as being highly unlikely that a genuine advice-seeker would stick a request like this in the same thread where two trolls have been openly exposed.


The user had started her own thread with the question, following up on another thread that she had started in August. The *moderator* moved her post here. So this one may indeed be legit. I provided useful advice with contact information for real people who can help her, in her town. If the user is a troll, what can I say? That would be infantile and silly, but on the possibility that she is not a troll, I thought that it wouldn't hurt to give her useful advice.


----------



## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Very Senior Member said:


> . . . It strikes me as being highly unlikely that a genuine advice-seeker would stick a request like this in the same thread . . .





Almaviva said:


> The user had started her own thread with the question, following up on another thread that she had started in August. The *moderator* moved her post here . . .


The post(s) "merge" is exactly what transpired. Seeing that several new threads had been created with the same general interest, we merged them together into one thread. When merges are done like that, the posts are then arranged in "date of post order".



Almaviva said:


> I thought that it wouldn't hurt to give her useful advice.


Beautifully stated, Almaviva, and thank you :tiphat:.

Isn't that one of the reasons why we are here ... to educate others about Classical Music? 
At least these people are coming to THIS forum seeking answers to their query ...


----------



## ASHLEY (Aug 22, 2010)

Thank you you guys so much! And I have got the ticket of Tosca already.


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Krummhorn said:


> Beautifully stated, Almaviva, and thank you :tiphat:.


You're welcome.


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

ASHLEY said:


> Thank you you guys so much! And I have got the ticket of Tosca already.


Good for you! Enjoy!

They are having open rehearsals with the singers, maybe you should attend and see if you talk to the singers.

*Open Rehearsals*
Holly Park Shopping Center
3058 Wake Forest Road

(Behind Trader Joe's, next to Jerry's Artarama)

Wednesday, Oct. 6
2-5; 7-10 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 7
2-5; 7-10 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 8
2-5 p.m.


----------



## kidvisions (Mar 4, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> Hi addison
> 
> How hard have you thought about this, and how much research have you done?
> 
> ...


I'm 22 years old, I have taken some music lessons long ago. I speak French, Englis, Arabic, German and Russian and I can read Italian.
I forgot most of what I learned but I would love to become an opera singer. Is that possible despite my age?
Thank you very much.


----------

