Cold Writing: Finding Your Way Out of the Abyss
One thing singers need to know is how to communicate, and not just with our beautiful singing. Learn more about professional email correspondence in this article.
Welcome to the abyss.You’re starting to age out of YAPs—on paper, actual experience, and/or in your heart—and you’re ready and wanting to move to the next phase. But how? How do you start getting jobs at smaller regional houses that don’t necessarily list their opportunities on YAPtracker? What does “pounding the pavement” even look like in 2025?
The best advice I can give? Don’t wait—be proactive! The proverbial “pavement” is digital, and putting yourself out there can feel daunting, but fear not! I’ve been doing this myself for years and reached out to several people in the industry who are encouraging more singers to do this. Start building and maintaining real connections in the industry now!
Before you do anything, it’s time for a bit of housecleaning. You should have an up-to-date website that includes your biography and resume of relevant experience as well as recent recordings. I know making recordings is a pain, but at least it doesn’t need to be expensive. You can do a lot of work with an iPad and a separate mic. Remember to keep it simple, never do more than three takes and, if it helps you, have your friends in the “audience” for emotional support. Your public social media should tell the story of you: a singer who also has a life rich with other interests and people you care about. A company is hiring you as a complete person, and social media can help tell that story.
You should have a running list of people you have worked with and people who like you. Be in touch with them once or twice a year when you have some news to share along with an actionable request item. This can be an audition request, an invitation to a performance, or just reinforcing the connection. You want to stay in the foreground of someone’s mind; sometimes that’s all it takes!
This list of people should include, but not be limited to, conductors, directors, artistic directors, executive directors, general directors, directors of artistic operations, composers, coaches, pianists, artistic staff, and even boards of directors. This business is small, and people like to hire their own. Also, the fabric of who is in charge is always changing—you never know when that assistant company manager will be in a place to hire you one day.
Before hitting Send, research what your contact is doing. You don’t want to only blast them with your accomplishments; you’re building a working relationship. This can feel awkward to do online, but you want to foster the same kind of connection you would if you were to bump into them in the hallway of Opera America.
Make your email personal and timely, depending on what is going on in their life as well. For example, don’t email a stage director right before their show opens. Wait until just after opening night, congratulate them on their success and, if you can, see the production in person or online. Be genuine. This is your market research. You should actually like the work you see and want to be a part of it. Here is an example email:
Subject: Congratulations!
Dear [Name],
Congratulations on your recent [project/show]. I was really impressed by [specific detail you noticed]. I just finished [your project] and had a wonderful experience [attach review, photo, or short clip if appropriate]. I’d love to sing for you again—are there any projects coming up where I might fit?
Best,
[Your Name]
Simple. Direct. Personal.
I’ve always found this email to be relatively easy. What I’ve found more challenging is how to maintain these connections during a slump. Even if no one has hired you in a while, you should still be doing something to move the needle toward your goal. Celebrate the small wins. This could be as simple as “I’d love the opportunity to sing my new repertoire for you in an audition” or “I just made this recording and would love to know your thoughts.” There’s always something to be done when working toward your goal! Momentum matters, and tiny updates can keep you on people’s radar.
It’s important to keep this list as a file or spreadsheet separate from your email that you update from time to time. It’s your job to keep the iron hot! Track who you’ve reached out to, when contact was made, and what the result was. This year I sent 150 emails. Fifty wrote me back, resulting in nine offered auditions (so far) and two jobs, one of them from a conductor I’ve stayed in touch with for 15 years.
All right, you’ve reinforced your ever-expanding list of contacts with personalized messages. Now the hard part…you’ll need to reach beyond your circle. Yes, cold emailing. Yes, in an oversaturated market. Here’s how to stand out.
When I was first out of grad school and on the YAP hamster wheel, one of my favorite survival jobs was working in a call center for the Roundabout Theater Company in New York. There is nothing like calling New York locals during dinnertime to pitch theater tickets to give you a thick skin. We had a wonderful manager, who turned this daunting job into a playfully competitive and overall joyful task. It makes reaching out to companies via a cold email seem far less daunting. My wish for you is to have the same courage. At the end of the day, it’s not that serious.
Before you send your materials to a stranger, start with an honest assessment of where you are on the show-biz ladder—and this will change yearly. I would start with the Opera America Field Report. Look at the places you’ve already worked for and start there. If you recently sang a leading role at a Budget Level 3 company as a soloist and not as part of a YAP, congratulations! I would consider that an open invitation to send your materials to every other Budget Level 3 and 4 company out there.
If you’re not sure, or if that feels too bold, see who the target company just hired. If there are a lot of singers of your similar level of experience, then go for it! Double check, because things in the industry are really weird right now. For example, if you notice that your target company is, let’s say, Boston Baroque. Yes, they are of a comparable budget level, but also they just did an opera featuring the internationally recognized soprano Erin Morley. So, you can try—but you will probably have more luck elsewhere.
Now that you have your plan of where to send your materials, whom do you send them to? You’re looking for the word “administrator,” preferably the artistic administrator. If a company doesn’t have one, then you send it to the artistic director or the general director, if it’s a smaller organization. Now, is there someone in the industry that connects you with the person you are emailing? Or is there someone in the industry willing to vouch for you? A director, a conductor, an administrator at a YAP who liked your work? Ask if you can use them as a reference and make their name the subject line.
Here’s an example of a cold cover letter. The underlined aria title represents the included link to your recording.
Subject: [Name of Connection]
Dear Colleague,
[Name of connection] recommended I reach out to you. I recently recorded Es Gibt Ein Reich from Ariadne auf Naxos and would love it if you gave it a listen. This new Fach brings a lot of music to learn, but I feel up for the challenge!
I’d love the opportunity to sing my new repertoire for you in an audition.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
And, don’t forget to follow up! That can be as simple as a quick reply saying, “Hi, I’m following up on my previous email. Any word on this?” a few weeks later. These people are busy! You’re not being rude, you’re being persistent.
To summarize, here is your cheat sheet for cold emailing:
Step 1: Make a recording you are crazy-proud of, so proud that you want to shout it from the rooftops and play it at family gatherings (don’t do that, but you should be that excited).
Step 2: Send a “hello” email to everyone you have ever worked with, ever. Don’t forget to do your research and include a personal detail that refers to their life and accomplishments. While this is time consuming, being able to show that you are invested in their journey will open the door for them to invest in yours as well. Wait a week for a response and then send your updates if they haven’t reached out to you.
Step 3: Send your amazing new recording (or something done within last 6 months) to people you don’t know. You can limit it by geography, if you like. (There are a lot of orchestras in the U.S.!).
Step 4: Wait 2–6 weeks and then send a quick follow-up email. Sometimes an extra nudge is all that’s needed.
Breaking out of the YAP cycle isn’t easy. It requires persistence, patience, and a willingness to keep showing up, even when it feels like no one is listening. One of my colleagues once described it as a “war of attrition” or “survival of the most persistent,” and I couldn’t agree more! Try and surround yourself with like-minded colleagues who appreciate the hustle and celebrate your wins, while you celebrate theirs.
Try to not give in to the scarcity mindset—it only leads to despair. You are not competing with your colleagues. The jobs that are meant for you will come to you. Sometimes rejection is protection. The singers who succeed are the ones who keep the iron hot, build real relationships, and aren’t afraid to send that email.
The truth? The worst outcome is silence. The best is a job.
Special thanks to:
Aaron Beck, Artistic Director at Tulsa Opera
Jennifer Chung Quintard, Director of Artistic Administration at Virginia Opera
Eiki Eisimora, Former Artistic Director of Opera in the Heights
Rob Boldin, Pittsburgh Opera Director of Artistic Operations
Allen Periello, Director of Artistic Administration at Des Moines Metro Opera
Brad Trexell, Director of Artistic Administration, Lyric Opera of Kansas City
