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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 coloration denotes a distinct scene, and the singers need to navigate not solely their vocal traces, but in addition the colour that represents the scene during which they’re enjoying.
Atlanta was a brand new metropolis for us, and we have been so impressed with the expertise that got here out! Alongside the usual rep that we heard, we heard numerous stunning excerpts from William Grant Nonetheless’s oeuvre, which was a pleasure. The monologue recreation was additionally sturdy 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 workers have been splendidly accommodating – they actually made us really feel at residence. We have been so glad to have heard sturdy performances on this nice metropolis, and look ahead to returning!
We then flew to Houston for 2 days within the rehearsal house at Houston Grand Opera. Houston is historically a powerful website for us: the opera scene, with HGO, Austin Opera, Fort Price Opera, and powerful packages at Rice, College of Houston, UT Austin, and LSU (amongst others) all the time make this an artistically fulfilling cease, and this yr was no exception. I used to be struck by the dedication that every performer dropped at the room, and we heard some nice performances. One takeaway was for the women who sing the Hearth 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 degree, we have 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 may’ve been launched (and instantly addicted) to Velvet Tacos.
We begin our final leg within the Midwest as we speak. We fly to Cincinnati this morning, for 2 days of auditions, after which on to Chicago earlier than heading residence for the ultimate audition days.
Often we provide you with a take a look at a number of the repertoire we’re contemplating, with a glimpse on the brief record. This yr that brief record is much more changeable than typical – it’s gone by 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 decisions is really thrilling!
