r/opera • u/greengoblin18 • 3d ago
Casting
I'm a pianist and I've accompanied lots of opera so I'm familiar. I have a question about the profession since I want to work eventually in arts administration. Big opera houses don't hold auditions for main roles right? So how does the connection happen? I understand these singers have management but how does it actually work? Does their management contact opera houses? How does it work exactly? Thanks
4
u/gizzard-03 3d ago
Big opera houses have people audition for the company, and then the company decides whether or not to give them roles for the coming season.
Typically the singers’ management will set up the audition. Also it’s somewhat common for casting people at bigger houses to go to other companies to scope out up and coming singers.
1
u/greengoblin18 3d ago
What I'm trying to figure out is how their management sets up these auditions. Also I live in nyc so I'm talking about big houses, you're saying really famous singers come here to audition?
4
u/gizzard-03 3d ago
Their managers would have relationships with people involved in casting at the big houses. Also most up and coming singers would be known to casting directors from performing in competitions and YA programs.
If there’s a really famous singer that hasn’t sung at the Met yet, then yes presumably they’d come to New York to audition. Maybe some singers with enough name recognition would be scouted by the Met without and audition. I’m not sure if that really happens much.
3
u/RenwikCustomer 1d ago
Speaking from experiencing coordinating auditions at a B house-- The really famous singers never have to audition. For really famous singers, and honestly even for less established singers that a company is thinking about hiring for a specific leading role, more often than not the administrators in charge of casting will go see them perform the role they're interested in them for somewhere else, rather than asking them to audition. Seeing a performance far outweighs an audition and for the important investment of leading roles administrators would invest in the travel to see them perform-- at least that was the case 10 or so years ago.
As far as how auditions are set up in the US- managers and administrators are in touch all the time. Managers will often share that an artist will be in town, is there time for an audition, and then the admin team will work to schedule at least 3-6 singers back-to-back and do an hour of auditions. In my experience (I worked at a B house and did audition coordinating as part of my job), it's rare that singers audition for specific roles- in my time that only happened with one singer they were looking at for Siegfried so they asked the singer to include Siegfried in their audition list, but it wasn't like he was auditioning specifically for the role in that moment, it was more getting to know them to see if it was worth investing in a trip to see him perform Siegfried, before considering offering the role.
1
u/DelucaWannabe 1d ago
This has been my experience in years past... Things have doubtless changed a bit now.
There are basic "cattle call" auditions that smaller & regional companies used to do in NYC every year. They would contact a bunch of managers in NYC and say, "We'll be in town on such-and-such dates. We're casting X, Y and Z operas for our upcoming seasons. Submit singers from your roster that you think might be appropriate." The agents submit a list of their singers; the companies choose who they're interested in hearing, and the singer's agent tells them, "Here's your audition date & time at Opera America (or wherever). They're hearing you for X role." Some singers they'll hear just for general knowledge: what's the voice like, how much sound do they make, are they an interesting performer, have they improved/changed since last time I heard them, etc. Those companies (esp. smaller-budget ones) may also set aside some audition time while they're in the city specifically to hear UN-managed singers, or specifically to hear young singers for their apprentice programs.
Large houses (e.g the Met, NYCO, LOC, HGO, SFO) will schedule auditions for more established singers to sing leading/supporting roles in their own theater. Sometimes in a rehearsal room and then eventually onstage, if the company is interested. I have friends who have auditioned a half-dozen times downstairs in List Hall, before getting a chance to audition onstage at the Met. A more powerful agent can often get their singer a house audition like that, just based on word-of-mouth about the singer's past performances elsewhere.
5
u/Positive_Strength404 3d ago
The typically or used to go to New York in the spring Summer. I like to imagined that it was a a thing with with all the regional folks coming to town and hanging out. More so than not now days, it is a conductor worked with such and such or I saw whosawhattsit in a YA program etc. opera singers get through their paces in ways that are much more determinative than auditions.
2
u/Mikeminer610 3d ago
The major houses, especially in Europe, have the same roster of famous singers who just circulate among the houses and the Met, often playing the same roles. I’m sure these people (like Sondra Radvanovsky, Lisette Oropesa, Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Juan Diego Florez) don’t have to audition. Kaufmann and Florez haven’t sung at the Met for many years.
1
u/CasualSforzando 7m ago
Depends. Sometimes houses hold house auditions. Sometimes casting people just keep an eye out when they're going to concerts or shows, or when they're on competition juries etc. Some is word of mouth, personal network connections. Some goes through agencies. It's all about networks and exposure in the end.
24
u/DeepPossession8916 3d ago
They do hold auditions. All opera companies do “house auditions” which just means you’re not auditioning for a specific role, but rather the house. They may need you next season or in three seasons or never (or you’ll reaudition).
Most opera companies also extend offers to people from word of mouth, fame/recognition, seeing them in a previous show, competition winners etc. The people who are in casting have their ears to the ground at all times. And they mostly all know each other too, so they talk.
Agents put their singers up for shows. They may be given a list of available roles at a company next season or two seasons from now and they’ll recommend singers from their roster. Sometimes the company will require those singers to audition for that specific role. If the singer has enough of a reputation or online presence, sometimes no audition is requested and they’ll be hired.
Once you have sung at a specific house, your agent will likely try to build rapport with that company and get you back for future roles. Or you may be offered something while there because you made a good impression in your previous role.
All of these casting methods are at work at every opera house at all times.