I moved to Germany in the fall of 2005 as a Fulbright Scholar. For my project, I decided to concentrate on unknown German composers and their Lieder. Based in Leipzig, I attended the city’s conservatory. And now, four years later, I’m back—not just in Leipzig, but also to Classical Singer.
When I first found out I got the Fulbright, I contacted CS and offered to write an article about the program. That one article turned into a monthly column and, all told, I wrote about a dozen stories chronicling my experiences about life over here. It was a lot of fun to share what life was like when I was a Fulbrighter and, more than anything else, it helped me put things into perspective. I’d turn in an angst-filled article, and then actually read it in the magazine four months later.
Everything during those first months over here was so intense, and I’m glad I have a record of it that I can look back on. It was also a great way to keep in touch, in a way, with people back home. I’ve met a number of people who, because of what I wrote, were inspired to apply for a Fulbright, which made me smile. Some of them even got the grant, which was even cooler.
But you can’t stay a student forever, and with the end of my stipend came the end of my column for Classical Singer. I remember writing my last column, not knowing what the future would bring.
Shortly after the column ended, I was accepted as a real student at the conservatory (up until then I’d only been a visitor). I graduated with an Aufbaustudium degree, which is a bit like a Professional Studies diploma. Thinking my chances at a professional singing career would be better in Berlin, I moved from Leipzig to Berlin. I got hired to do guest work at a few houses not in Berlin, and then, in an amazing stroke of luck, I was engaged as a Fest singer back in Leipzig. It was a dream come true, not to mention a moment of near-perfect timing—my student visa had run out, and I was in danger of having to leave the country. Now I get to sing with an amazing orchestra on a regular basis, and I get to share the stage with some incredible singers. I go to costume fittings and premiere parties and as many nights of opera as I want.
When I started at the house, I was surprised at the number of Americans I saw in the seats around me: almost a third of the soloists were from, or educated in, the U.S.A. That’s not the norm in Germany. But if you take a look at the better houses in Germany, chances are they’ll have one or more Americans on their roster. There are a lot of us over here, and there are good reasons for it.
In my last CS column as a Fulbrighter [see Jan. 2007], I wrote about coming from a typical American point-of-view: we’ve got energy, talent, thick skins, and the drive to get back up again. Now, with four years’ added perspective, I think I hit the nail on the head. As Americans we’re not taught to assume we have a job waiting for us, no matter what field we’re in. And we work hard and long to reach our goals. All that work—combined with a bit of luck—often leads to success.
I just started my third season as a Fest artist, and we’re already going full speed. After only a couple of weeks back at work, I’ve already performed two shows. I am now preparing for a recital, a concert, and the annual Opernball—all of which will take place in the next month. I’ll start staging rehearsals for a new production in a couple of weeks and, although I have a small role in that piece, I also have to start getting ready for two major roles in the spring. And then there’s that Mozart Mass I have to learn—and, actually, I should also take a look at those songs I’ll be singing in recital in February.
That’s just so much! And it’s all music. Every once in a while I’ll be riding my bike to work, and I’ll wonder at the fact that this is my life. It’s so thrilling and exciting. But it’s not always easy.
Don’t get me wrong: I know I’m extremely fortunate, and I thank my lucky stars every time I walk into the theater. But being a singer can be hard, and being a Fest singer in Germany presents its own set of challenges that most singers in America don’t experience. This way of living isn’t always easy, and it’s not always what I thought it would be.
And that’s why I’m writing here again. Instead of receiving emails about applying for stipends, nowadays I get asked how to get a job in Germany, and then what it’s like over here. I often think that any advice I can give about getting a job is pretty worthless: there is no single recipe for success. It sounds so cliché, but the truth is, everyone has a different path to follow. The stories people have told me remind me again and again that everyone really does begin differently.
As for what it’s like to live and work here . . . that’s a whole other story. In the last two years, I’ve met a number of singers who do exactly what I do. Some are my coworkers on a regular basis, and some have been guests at my house but are Fest elsewhere in the country. They all face the same challenges I’ve faced. And they are all loaded with lots of information about a wide range of experiences.
What I hope is that what appears here in the coming months might give you an accurate glimpse of what living and working a Fest contract in Germany is like. There are times when it’s everything I always hoped it would be, and days when all I want to do is go back home and live a normal life in a normal American city. I think it’s important to write about the challenges as well as the joys.
I’m excited to be writing again for CS. I have met some amazing singers in Germany, and I’m looking forward to sharing our stories with you.
