Lovebird Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 A very close friend of mine, female, has her heart set on becoming an opera singer. She is 18 and has a pretty voice but has not had any serious training. Can anyone tell me what classes or programs would she need to take, how many hours a a day of classes, etc. Link to comment
Dale Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 At this point, being 18 with no serious training, I would suggest she find a very good teacher and study with him/her for a year, then try to get into a top conservatory or university with an excellent opera department (examples of the first would be Julliard or Manhattan School of Music in NY or a university such as Indiana or Wisconsin-Madison). Link to comment
Dale Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Oh, hours a day practicing -- she should consult with a teacher about that because singers practice less than instrumentalists so they don't damage their voice. My 3 soprano roommates at MSM used to practice maybe an hour, whereas I had to practice 2-4 hours a day. Link to comment
Lovebird Posted January 3, 2006 Author Share Posted January 3, 2006 Thank you Dale. She lives in New York, could you recommend any teachers or schools? Link to comment
Anthony_NYC Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Your friend might want to peruse books by noted voice teachers like Oren Brown or Richard Miller to see the kind of work required for an operatic career. She might also want to subscribe to Opera-L, or just search its online archives--I'm sure the subject has been discussed there. Link to comment
Anthony_NYC Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Oh, well if she's in New York, she can try this. Link to comment
Dale Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 I don't remember any vocal coaches off hand, I wouldn't feel comfortable suggesting anybody without knowing what type of teacher your friend needs. The conservatories in NY are Julliard, Manhattan School of Music and Mannes. In Queens, there's a very good music school (the Aaron Copland School of Music) at Queens College. What I can suggest is she go to those websites, look at the teachers and try to contact a few and take a private lesson. She'll have to pay, but the teacher would then evaluate where she is and maybe suggest somebody -- if they are honest. I only worry that she'll get one who needs students and they will string her along. That's why she should try a few. Link to comment
zerbinetta Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 At the present time only Juilliard, of the 3 local conservatories,has a really decent vocal department. The best nearby conservatories are Curtis & AVA (Academy of Vocal Arts) in Philly. The best local program is the Lindemann Young Artists Program at the Met. To get into this generally requires at least a year at a good music college. I am on the board of a foundation which holds annual auditions for large prizes for promising young opera singers & the bulk of our winners over the last 3 years have come out of the Met program and/or the Philadelphia conservatories. Link to comment
walboi Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 I am a singer myself for nearly 30 years allthough not professionaly, but if you want to start at 18 and learn how to sing opera, well I think it is a little bit to late for that. As with instruments you have to start at a early age to form the voice, at 18 that's extremely difficult to get that on level. Sometimes it happens that the voice is there and that it needs only polishing, but that's rare. Important is that a teacher assesses the voice, and if he or she is happy with it then by all means. It is not a easy path to trod on mind you. Good luck for your friend Walboi Link to comment
zerbinetta Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Sorry to disagree, walboi, but 18 can be just about an ideal age to begin serious vocal training. Much earlier & damage can be done, especially with the wrong teacher. I would like to add strong emphasis to Dale's comments about the right teacher being paramount. If your friend feels sore & hoarse after a lesson, that teacher is not for her. Tired, yes. Wanting to rest the voice, yes. But not in any great discomfort. It may take visits to several teachers for her to find the one that works best for her. Do let us know how this goes. Best of luck to her. Link to comment
dirac Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Yes, Lovebird, please keep us posted! I hope all goes well for your friend. Link to comment
Canary Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Hello, I am Lovebird's friend, she has let me use her computer so I can post on this board. First, thank you to all the posters for your advice, this is a very friendly board. The school in Queens mentioned is very near where I live, so I will look into it. How do you approach the school? Do I ask for an audition? I do very much want to sing in the opera but I have never taken a formal class. My grandmother was an opera singer, with a very beautiful voice and I have grown up listening to Sutherland, Callas and Te Kanawa but I do really need formal training. Also, are there any good schools in England? Link to comment
Helene Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Canary, All of the top schools require an audition, and if you haven't begun training yet, it's unlikely that you'd be prepared for one. (BTW, Guildhall in London is a school I saw over and over again in the English National Opera and London Symphony Orchestra program biographies.) You'd want to contact the school(s) to see if you can get a recommendation for a faculty member who teaches private lessons or who does private evaluations and recommendations. Link to comment
Canary Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Thank you Helene, Guildhall does seem an excellent school. A cousin of my father attended the RAM, is there an opera training course there as well? Link to comment
Helene Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Royal Academy of Music in London does. Here's the link to the website : http://www.ram.ac.uk/departments/opera-splash.htm Again, this is a program that is for students who have vocal training already. But perhaps for the future? The major music schools all have websites that list acceptance criteria and audition requirements. Google will help you find these sites. Link to comment
YouOverThere Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 There is an opera singer who frequently performs (mainly secondary roles) with Opera Colorado and the Central City Opera who reportedly did not start singing seriously until after she graduated from college (with a degree is "psycholinguistics")! I guess that doesn't necessarily mean that she didn't have any voice training at all earlier in her life, but it does show that if you have talent then it is possible to start out at a relatively 'old' age. Link to comment
zerbinetta Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 And there's the example of the late Matteo Manuguerra who drove a truck for a living & didn't make his professional debut until he was in his mid 30s. An outstanding dramatic baritone whose Rigoletto was superbly sung & gut wrenchingly acted. The singer you mention probably did quite a lot of vocal exercises in studying for her major, so there was at least that preparation. Link to comment
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