Expert: Donald - 11/6/2006

Question
Hi,

   I'm 16 and am in vocal magnet school. I want to audition for a opera studio summer program. It says that I need to had in my rep. 3 contrasting arias and 1 song. It also says that I should have a basic background in vocal music/ technique.
    One of my specialties in my rep. is Shubert's 'Der Erlkonig'. Would that fall under the category of aria or song? Also, do you have any suggestions for the other selections?
    Lastly, I am a sophomore in my vocal program, and have taking chorus for 9 years and had vocal lessons for 1 1/2. Do you believe this is a sufficient basic background? If so, how can I say it without it sound so childish?..lol.
                                Thank you,
                                   Justin Fowlkes

Answer
Hi Justin,

Congratulations on your already prolific musical achievements! You are obviously a very talented singer with a bright future. I wish that my own abilities had measured up to yours when I was sixteen!

"Erlkonig" is viewed as an art song, so one fourth of your audition should be set. Believe it or not, the old staple 24 Italian Songs and Arias book is a pretty good place to start when you are looking for an operatic aria. You might also ask the opera studio whether they would accept an air from an oratorio. This obviously opens up many other options for you.

I think that the key word in their requirements is "contrasting". If I were you, I would focus on elemental musical contrasts, including tempi, style, etc. A so-called "da capo" aria would give you a chance to show your ability to ornament the A section of an aria on the repeat. Some sopranos do an admirable job of this on "Come Unto Him" from "Messiah". There are countless other examples as well. You should also consider language as a possible variable. Italian, German, and English would be my recommendation for an audition. French and Russian would also be good choices, but the subtlety of those languages would be a challenge and open you up to criticism if there were experts on the panel who really knew the dialects.

As far as specific choices of pieces for the audition, this is really best left to your private teacher. He/she will know your voice best, and, provided your teacher is qualified, be able to point you to many choices in the repertoire that suit your voice at this point in your development. This probably isn't the answer that you wanted to hear, but it is the best answer that I can offer you without jeopardizing your audition. I would really need to hear you to make a recommendation in this area.

Finally, you need not apologize for singing in a chorus for 9 years. This actually shows a passion for music that is most desirable to any vocal program. After all, there are some very famous choruses in opera literature, and your ability to balance and blend might be a welcome reprieve for a weary conductor who longs for solo voices to conform themselves to the group. The fact that you have taken private vocal lessons shows that you have the desire to sacrifice and improve your technique. When you describe your background, concentrate on your strengths. For example, you might mention any times in your choral experience when you sang particularly difficult literature. Please also list any solos that you won that occurred within a choral piece. They should take into account that you are sixteen, and that there really isn't any way that you should have been studying much longer than a few years.

Good luck to you, Justin, with the audition, and with your future. It certainly seems that you will have a bright one!

Best regards,

Donald