Tips from the Trenches : Susan Razavi, Alta Classica


Soprano Susan Razavi is the founder of Alta Classica, a Manhattan company promoting classical Spanish music and zarzuela. Alta Classica features three performances per year, along with a vocal competition, master classes and an arts education performance. With a history of performance success and grant-writing experience, Susan gives some of her tips to singers thinking about starting their own company .

• Unless you have an agent, a benefactor or Placido Domingo backing you, you should think seriously about becoming tax-exempt as a nonprofit.

• It will take years to become stable.

• Nobody gives you anything for nothing.

• Everything you want to do will be much harder and take more time and money than you think.

• Keep your day job.

• If you want to start alone, think for yourself and do not be afraid to make decisions.

• You will make mistakes; everyone does.

• Get any agreement in writing.

• If you think you can just rent a space and perform, and an audience will attend—think again. Audiences are tough to find, and everybody is competing for the same audience.

• Do you do it for money? Or because you love music? If you do it for money, become a banker. If you love music—prove it.

• Be honest, go by the book, pay your bills and remember that your reputation is often your only asset.

• Network; grow a mailing list; work on a media list; send out comp tickets.