2002 – Page 3

Competing Opera Companies Merge After seven years of competing with one another and frustrating potential donors, the Opera Company of North Carolina and Triangle Opera have decided to overcome their

AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY we singers are such hypochondriacs. Our desire to sing is so strong we’ll rise up out of our graves to do it. We’ll endure low pay,

Dear Editor: I’d love to see an article on deviated septum and the singer—i.e. does getting it fixed affect the timbre of the voice? Can you get it fixed without

Erda, the erstwhile earth goddess from Das Rheingold and Siegfried with knowledge of past and future, now visits CS readers with her knowledge, foresight and wisdom. To ask Erda, write to askerda@classicalsinger.com

HOW WAS IT? Write to me! The good, the bad, and the ugly! December’s issue will feature your comments. I will withhold your name if you like, but I need

Many singers believe that Manhattan is the center of the universe, and with good reason. For music, theater, art and general excitement, it stands among the great cities of our

• Drink lots of water. Your urine should be pale gold, rather like champagne unless you take Vitamin B, then it is orange. (Yuck.) • When you’re tired, sleep. Or

One of the most frequent requests we get at the CS office is for information about management. A few years ago, we did extensive research to find out which managers were really finding work for their roster and published Management: The Book. But still, you had more questions.

I wasn’t around then, but I’m told that when the tax code was formed about 90 years ago, it was little more than 100 pages. It is now about 20,000

STEPHANIE BLYTHE calls herself “the most fortunate young artist on the planet,” and with good reason. Opera lovers are not known for their charity when assessing vocal talent, and even the most famous singers before the public today have aggressive detractors. But all the critics, both professional and amateur, seem to agree that Stephanie Blythe is blessed with a major instrument that she uses to potent effect in a repertoire ranging from her triumphant Cornelia in the Metropolitan’s recent Giulio Cesare to contemporary compositions like Richard Danielpour’s American Requiem.

John Fisk—Young singer doing the New York auditions circuit Report on the summer: The pay-to-sing I went to was a big success. I played one leading role and one comprimario

The call came from a singer desperate to attend a prestigious Conservatory of Music. "My parents have eight children and can't help. The Conservatory told me they will only give me a $1,000 scholarship. Where can I get the rest of the money? Please do an article on scholarships!" (I suggested a state school rather than taking on a crushing $100,000+ debt which might take decades to repay as he had started too late to obtain financial aid.) While this article is coming out too late to help him, CS hopes it will help others. It will be permanently on file on our website.