Question 1

What hard/technical skills are most important for Opera Singers?

Accepted Answer

For singers, obviously, vocal technique and vocal hygiene are a must. If a singer gets sick or is unable to sing for a portion of a rehearsal process or gig, they will likely be replaced and put on a "do not hire again" list. Knowing how to care for your body and voice is absolutely crucial. Aside from vocal hygiene, singers must know their languages and the variations in pronunciation between languages or even from a spoken language to its sung counterpart. Directors shouldn't have to coach a singer on how to properly pronounce words in whatever language the opera is in. The point of the director is to create a cohesive and impactful artistic experience, and that can only be done if the singer is singing the language correctly and understand what they and the other artists around them are saying.

Question 2

What skills stand out on Opera Singer resumes?

Accepted Answer

Opera Singer resumes don't follow the traditional format of resumes in the professional business world. The standard operatic resume lists the artist's name and voice type at the top, along with contact information and a headshot. Following that header, artists tend to list their upcoming roles or performance contracts, then roles they have performed in their entirety. After these sections of roles, artists will list concert and stage performances. Further down the resume, artists often list prominent directors, voice teachers, coaches, and collaborative pianists they have worked with, and then a list of additional skills comes at the very end.

As a director on the casting side, I tend to look first at the roles they have performed (or have coming up) and the company with whom they performed those roles. A lot can be inferred about a singer's abilities based on who has already hired them to sing certain roles. If a singer lists a large role, but it was done with a small company or a community-type production, that doesn't say as much about the artist as if they have listed more prominent companies.

After looking through the artist's past repertoire, I look at the list of who they have worked with within various capacities. In the operatic community, connections mean a great deal because people know people. If I don't know any of the directors, teachers, coaches, etc., that a singer has listed on their resume, I would be wearier of hiring them versus someone who has worked with people whose names I recognize.

All in all, a singer in the operatic style is going to benefit from listing roles sung with large or prominent companies and well-known teachers and directors on their resumes.

Question 3

What skills will help Opera Singers earn the most?

Accepted Answer

Contract negotiation as a singer is a skill that needs to be practiced. Singers must know their worth based on their own training and experience. As important as hard skills and technical proficiency as a singer and actor are to an operatic artist, the skills that are going to get an artist hired more frequently with a more substantial contract fee are the soft skills previously mentioned. If a company/director has enjoyed working with you or has heard good things from other directors who have worked with you, they are going to work harder to get you to sing for their company, typically meaning they will offer more money. From there, it is the responsibility of the singer to negotiate the terms of their contract based on their experience and other hard skills, such as language proficiency and the technical demands of a specific role or show. But, as previously mentioned, those skills don't matter if people don't enjoy working with you, so soft skills of dependability, work ethic, directability, coachability, and overall demeanor as a member of a team are the most crucial in getting continuous work and more substantial contracts.

Question 4

What soft skills should all Opera Singers possess?

Accepted Answer

Soft skills are some of the most important skills as a professional musician. Regardless of how talented a singer may be, a company is not likely to hire (or rehire) them if they don't possess certain skills. Opera singers must be dependable, adaptable, directable, coachable, and willing to learn. Singers have to show up on time to rehearsal with their music learned - notes, rhythms, translations, etc. During the rehearsal process, singers have to be willing to listen to all directors and find creative solutions to adapt the director's desires with the interpretation they've already established. Most importantly, however, is a singer's ability to work collegially as a team member. Some of the most successful singers are those who are enjoyable to work with, even if they don't have the most spectacular instrument. A singer's work ethic and personality in the rehearsal process go way further than their ability to beautifully sing the notes on the page.

Frequently asked questions about opera singers

Questions about opera singer skills

What hard/technical skills are most important for Opera Singers?

What skills stand out on Opera Singer resumes?

What skills will help Opera Singers earn the most?

What soft skills should all Opera Singers possess?