just sent the application and I'm scared

Scarlet Pimpernel · 05-03-2005, 11:34 AM

I just emailed the audition application, and posted my cv and headshot, for the Opera Studio Netherlands. This is a year-long apprenticeship program in Amsterdam, where you get lessons in voice, repertoire, languages, acting, stage movement, audition skills, and anything else they think you need, as well as participating in projects and master classes and taking small roles in Netherlands Opera productions. And they pay you living expenses. The auditions are the end of this month and I'm NERVOUS! Because I want it so badly. Getting into any opera studio anywhere would mean we would have to move, but my partner has lived in the town we're now in her whole life and if I got into OSN, at least we wouldn't have to leave the country. Plus not every opera studio pays you - some of them you have to pay them. They don't admit many students - between six and ten every year - and Dutch applicants have priority. I've been studying at a Dutch conservatory, so that puts me in the second row, but I'm close to the age limit, so that knocks me back a bit again. There's no guarantee I'll even be invited to audition.

That's it - I just wanted to vent some of my nervousness.

brucegdc · 05-03-2005, 12:18 PM

Good luck!

I, Brian · 05-03-2005, 12:45 PM

Hey, best of luck.

lunamoth · 05-03-2005, 08:02 PM

Good luck getting the audition, and please keep us posted. Exciting!

lunamoth

PS--How long have you been working toward a career in Opera? Have you performed in public before? Sounds interesting.

Lightkeeper · 05-03-2005, 08:25 PM

Best of luck to you, that sounds exciting.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine · 05-04-2005, 02:30 AM

Break a leg, Scarlet Pimpernel.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

InLove · 05-05-2005, 06:07 AM

Musical prayers being lifted up here; May you and yours be blessed, and may you bless others, as you have blessed us.

InLove (and company)

Scarlet Pimpernel · 05-06-2005, 10:49 AM

Wow, thank you, everyone, for your wonderful words! I know everyone here is friendly and kind, but I wasn't expecting so much interest and support for my little problems.I got an email from the administration, saying that my official invitation will be in the mail next week. So I guess the rest is up to me (with a little help from above).

lunamoth, I've been actively working toward a career in opera for about five years now - before that I knew I wanted to work in something to do with music, but I wasn't sure what (that period lasted three years), and before that I wanted to do musical theatre. As for performing in public, I've been doing that since I was five, but mostly just in school, community, and university shows or concerts. The last four years or so I've actually been paid for it occasionally - wow, what a thrill to actually get paid to do what you've trained to do!

The goal is to get it to where people want to pay me enough that I don't need any other job on the side - which is definitely NOT the case these days.

I'll let you all know how things go. The good thing is, Opera Studio Netherlands holds their auditions a year and a half before the season starts, whereas most opera studios hold auditions sometime in the year before the season. And I've got another year of grad school, so if I don't get into OSN I've got a whole year to concentrate on auditioning for other places. But like I said, this is the one I want most.

Well, if I'm meant to be there, I'll get in, and if I'm meant to be somewhere else, I won't. Thanks for letting me blather.

miclason · 05-06-2005, 07:08 PM

I hope all turns the way you wanted...and, if not, I hope that what God sends you is even better than what you dared imagine for yourself!!

Scarlet Pimpernel · 05-19-2005, 03:50 PM

My audition is tomorrow (Friday) at 2 in the afternoon (my time). I feel prepared, but nervous, but still looking forward to it. My voice is a little tired because we've also been rehearsing all week for the school opera project. I hope my voice doesn't let me down tomorrow. The first chance I have to get on the internet after the audition, I will post to say how things went. Thank you all for your good thoughts, prayers, supportive words, and everything.

lunamoth · 05-19-2005, 04:07 PM

Best wishes, Scarlet! Peace and a strong voice to you!

lunamoth

Scarlet Pimpernel · 05-21-2005, 10:45 AM

They wanted to hear two arias instead of sending me out after the first one, which is always a good sign. I was less nervous than I'd ever been for an audition - knowing that you all were rooting for me really helped me a lot! The technical things that I usually mess up on went perfectly this time. My breath support was shallower than it should have been, because I was nervous, but hopefully it wasn't as obvious to them as it was to me. There were five people on the jury, and at times I could see that some of them were impressed with what I was doing, but I don't know if enough of them were impressed enough, enough of the time, to get me in.

They said I'll be getting a letter next week. If I made it through these auditions I'll be invited to a two-week long workshop in August, and based on that workshop they decide who will be a full-time member of the program, who will be part-time (only invited for special projects), and who is out. I have no idea how many people they invite to the August workshop, but they only have about six full-time students each year.

Thanks, everyone, for all your support! It seems strange when I haven't met any of you, but I really could feel that it made a difference to me. This forum has such a great group of people.

brucegdc · 05-21-2005, 12:09 PM

Will continue to keep my fingers crossed for you. Glad to hear the audition went well!

... Bruce

InLove · 05-21-2005, 02:19 PM

Hi S.P.,

Sounds promising! Funny--we don't know you either, but last night I asked my husband (J.H.) if he had heard how your audition went--just like you lived next door or something.

I'm interested, which arias did you perform?

InPeace,
InLove

Scarlet Pimpernel · 05-24-2005, 10:38 AM

InLove, what a kind thing to say - I don't know how to respond.

As for my arias, I started with "Lucia! Go send a messenger" from The Rape of Lucretia by Benjamin Britten (the person before me also started with that one

), and the second one, which they chose, was "Non so più cosa son" from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart. I'm a lyric mezzo with some coloratura, if that means anything to you (I don't know how much you know about classical singing).

No emails or letters yet (yes, I'm checking obsessively

).