Auditions for the new year

I had my first of the new year's crop of auditions yesterday, with a conductor here in Brussels... we spent the whole hour and a half working through one aria (the Count's Hai gia vinta la causa) page by page, which was great, and then spent some time talking about Brussels as a base for an artistic career. He came to the same conclusions that I did regarding its suitability both for career options, easy mobility to other European centres of opera and for raising a family (he too has transplanted his young family to Brussels, and loves it here).

It was good to get his take on the aria; each person I have coached it with has different ideas about how it fits best in my voice. The way I sing it at any given moment is really an amalgamation of a lot of different approaches to each particular challenge of the piece, each one tried out and considered to see which makes the most sense for me (as the singer and as the character), and then adopted or discarded, and finally fused together into something that is my own, unified and consistent throughout.

He was quite encouraging, saying that my voice was well placed, youthful and energetic. He confirmed that I was on the right track in my audition searches, encouraged me to continue, suggested some people to sing for, and said that he'd definitely keep me in mind for comprimario roles and additional chorus work as they came available, most likely in the next season (2008-2009). He also suggested that I keep in contact and let him know how the career was progressing. All in all, a very energizing evening. Encouragement and support are critical when you are trying to start your career, under your own steam, especially in a new language, in a new town.

Now for the next several auditions in the pipe: one at La Monnaie as a soloist on the 31st of January, one for an agency in Antwerp on February 23rd, and one for a Parisian conductor who will be doing an opera at La Monnaie here in March, and who very kindly suggested that rather than me travel to Paris, he would rather hear me here. So I've got lots to look forward to, plus time to continue to refine my audition pieces and think about who I'll call next.

Now it's off to the shopping I think... it's near the end of the January sales, and the boys need clothes...