Mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti has enjoyed a long and varied career. She diligently worked her way from comprimario roles to all of the major mezzo mainstage roles. That hard work has taken her around the world for a remarkable international career. Now as she adds a few soprano roles to her impressive repertoire, one might wonder if she will follow other mezzos who have changed Fachs. But as she reveals in this Classical Singer exclusive, Cornetti has never been one to follow the pack—a conscious decision that continues to serve her well.
Soprano Angela Meade has been taking the operatic world by storm since winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2007, not to mention a host of other competitions that same year. In this Classical Singer exclusive, Meade reveals the strategies that helped her win, her strategies for using her winnings wisely, and how she is using that same good sense to forge a successful and enduring career.
Voice teacher Braeden Harris shares how his relationships with both teaching and his wife, soprano Brenda Harris, began essentially in tandem. Read how Harris helped his wife discover the uniqueness of her voice by tailoring his teaching to fit her individual needs—skills that have now become a hallmark of his work.
Dramatic soprano Christine Goerke didn’t take the typical career path to her current international career. Her musical studies began on the clarinet, and her first musical aspirations were in music education. Even after finding her voice, she didn’t attend a big name school or have important connections until sheer talent, hard work, and a bit of luck landed her in the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Now in the midst of a burgeoning career, Goerke shares how she has continued to find success in the midst of Fach changes, marriage, C-sections, and more.
Diana Soviero led a long and illustrious international career, singing all of the major roles of the verismo era until her retirement at the impressive age of 63. Now at 68, she has settled into a new and busy career as a voice teacher both in her private studio and with the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Read about what she believes helped her make a name for herself as a great actress, the advice she gives her students on work ethic and learning, and how she knew it was time to retire.
Soprano Aprile Millo burst onto the operatic scene in 1984 when she made her Met debut, filling in for an ailing soprano in Simon Boccanegra. Hailed by the critics as a “true Verdi soprano” and the next Renata Tebaldi, Millo had big shoes to fill. In this exclusive interview, Millo talks about her rewarding, sometimes difficult journey over the past 20 years. She talks about her decision to leave the limelight for a time, how she defines Bel Canto singing, and why classical music, opera specifically, needs to be defended at all costs.
Last month, CS featured conductor William Fred Scott’s thoughts on auditioning. This month, Scott shares details about his new position at Brenau University and its unique program to help singers emerge better prepared than ever for the operatic business. In addition, he discusses problems he sees in the training of young voices to have a “perfect” sound at the cost of individuality, personality, and uniqueness, and talks about what annoys him most about young singers today.
Conductor William Fred Scott enjoyed a distinguished, 20-year career as principle conductor with Atlanta Opera. This month read his thoughts on auditioning, a conductor’s expectations once you get the job, the pros and cons of listening to recordings, and much more. Read more from Scott next month about his new position at Brenau University and their unique program to help singers emerge better prepared than ever for the operatic business.
Soprano Mary Dunleavy appears this month at L.A. Opera in James Conlon’s Remembering Voices series. Daniel Vasquez caught up with this singer on the rise in New York City last November to discuss her upcoming appearance in Los Angeles, her meteoric rise to the top, what she wishes she had done more of in school, and how she stays fit while constantly on the road.
Alaska-born mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux made a name for herself singing the lesser-known Baroque and Bel Canto roles. In the 10-plus years since beginning her career, Genaux has continued to expand her repertoire, adding six new roles this year alone. The young beauty sat down with CS writer Daniel Vasquez for this candid interview. Genaux discusses finally making the switch from soprano to mezzo, why she considers technique a movable foundation, and what it’s really like to check your gender at the stage door.
Frank Lopardo, one of the leading tenors of our day, has graced the stages of major operatic houses from the Metropolitan Opera, to Santa Fe, to Covent Garden. He got his start singing the tenore di grazia repertoire (the light lyric roles of Mozart, Donizetti and Bellini), but has since moved into the heavier repertoire of Verdi and Puccini. In this Classical Singer exclusive, Mr. Lopardo candidly discusses the challenges and reasons behind such a repertoire shift, his philosophies on sound vocal teaching, why he no longer coaches his roles, and a deal he made with his wife that almost halted his singing career.
Christine Brewer knows the importance of being patient, saying no, and waiting for the right opportunities. Her patience has paid off, with an international career on both the recital and operatic stage.
