Greg Waxberg

Opera Wire • April 30, 2022

A Second Debut - How Transgender Baritone Lucas Bouk Made a New Beginning With a New Voice

“As more people transition, the [opera] industry is going to realize that transgender singers are just like any other singers. I was transphobic in my own beliefs and thought; ‘The voice will be less. It won’t be operatic in quality.’ There are some risks, of course, but I have the same lyric baritone range as a lyric baritone, and the problems I have are all baritone problems in terms of fine tuning the voice.”

Opera Wire • September 6, 2020

Vocal Health - "Vocology Ireland" Founder Eimear McCarthy Luddy on Providing a Major Resource for Artists

Eimear McCarthy Luddy has the admirable, but lofty, goal of becoming a major resource about vocal health and voice science for singers based in Ireland, where these resources are scarce. The Dublin-based mezzo-soprano and founder of Vocology Ireland told OperaWire, “I don’t want singers to feel alone or to feel like they have done something wrong.”

Classical Singer • January 1, 2020

Ciao, Roma!

The scene is a church in Rome as the backdrop for an Italian opera. That scenario might normally apply to Tosca, but in this case, a group of young women is performing Suor Angelica, part of Operafestival di Roma, an award-winning, four-week opera training program.

Classical Singer • November 1, 2017

A Choral Calling

"It is a big, organic mass of beauty. Utterly thrilling. It's really an incomparable feeling." Lyric bass Jim Meyer is describing the feeling of contributing to the blended sound of an opera chorus--in his case, the San Francisco Opera Chorus.

Classical Singer • February 1, 2017

Two Sides to Anne-Carolyn Bird's Story

Timing worked well for soprano Anne-Carolyn Bird and for Virginia Opera. Their paths had crossed before, and each was seeking something that the other was able to provide.

Classical Singer • July 1, 2016

In Michigan, Richard Leech Helps Train Young Professionals

Previously, it was four to six weeks. Now, it is nine months.

Classical Singer • January 1, 2016

Continuing Education to the Nth Degree

Nobody would assume that singers who are trying to determine their post-high school education know for certain which direction to take in their careers. Some might intend to only sing, some might want to teach, and others might want to do both. But in any of these cases, what educational background are people who could hire them going to look for?

Classical Singer • January 1, 2016

The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Musiktheater

"I see Musiktheater Bavaria as a high-end training program for young singers and a natural step for those who want to audition and perform in Europe's German-speaking countries," says Cynthia Munzer, artistic director of Musiktheater Bavaria, a four-week summer program for young singers dedicated to German language, opera, musical theatre, and dance.

Classical Singer • July 1, 2015

Behind the Scenes: How Opera Companies Rehearse and What You Should Expect

The weeks leading up to an opera's opening night are filled with activity, but that activity varies depending on whether it is a repertory production, new production, or world premiere. In each case, the opera company allots a certain number of weeks for the production to come together in rehearsal rooms and on stage, so singers should know what to expect when they arrive at the theater.

Classical Singer • January 1, 2015

Lessons of a Lifetime: Sherrill Milnes

By his own pronouncement, Sherrill Milnes, who turns 80 this month, has always worn a teaching hat.

Classical Singer • November 1, 2014

Let's Review Those Reviews: Getting the Critics' Perspectives

They sit in the audience to evaluate your performance and then write, their articles later appearing online, in newspapers, or in Opera News. On the surface, their opinions seem to have the power to make or break your singing career or, at the very least, to influence the next person who could hire you...But should singers be nervous about critics and their reviews, or are critics performing a valuable service?

Classical Singer • November 1, 2013

Early Bird or Night Owl: Strategies to Make Your Performance Shine, No Matter the Time

A final dress rehearsal at 10:30 a.m. A matinee with the unusual start time of 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. Singing Wagner with an early curtain at 6 p.m. Singers are expected to perform at different times of the day, which can affect one's eating schedule or make it difficult to find time to vocalize properly.

Classical Singer • October 1, 2013

It's All in Your Head: Mental Preparation Makes a Big Difference for Auditions

Perhaps singers should heed Abraham Lincoln's famous quotation, "You can please some of the people some of the time...but you can never please all of the people all of the time." His words seem tailor-made for singers, most of whom probably think they need to make everyone in hiring positions like them every time they open their mouths.

Classical Singer • April 1, 2013

The Well-Rounded Wotan: James Morris on Wagner, Variety, and the Beauty of Changing Your Mind

A farewell proved to be an unexpected greeting.

Classical Singer • November 1, 2012

To Sing a Role or Not to Sing a Role: That Is the Question

What happened when 23-year-old lyric soprano Cherity Koepke was offered the chance to sing Norma? And what happened when Sheri Greenawald, well into her singing career, was offered the chance to sing the soprano part in Missa Solemnis with Daniel Barenboim?

Classical Singer • October 1, 2012

Mind Your Manners: Proper Etiquette Opens Doors

The cost of your next coaching session could be the price of a stamp or the time it takes to write a one-paragraph e-mail. Your future with an opera company could hinge on saying "thank you" at the appropriate time. Maybe you need someone's assistance? Choose the right words.

Classical Singer • May 1, 2012

Multiple Choice: Finding Resolutions in Disagreements with Directors

"I was rehearsing a production of 'Madama Butterfly' with an Asian Cio-Cio-San and a Latin Pinkerton, and both of them had very different ideas about how to approach the love scene."

Classical Singer • July 1, 2011

Stage Door Entrance: How Can Singers Land Engagements with Symphony Orchestras?

Flipping through the brochure of nearly any orchestra, the casual observer will see a list of conductors, musical selections, and soloists. However, a singer will see a list of potential opportunities--concerts with vocal music. How are singers chosen for these engagements?

Classical Singer • July 1, 2011

Could Singing in a Young Artist Program Help You Succeed in the Met's National Council Auditions?

While no singular factor is responsible for a singer winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a glance at the biographies of the five singers who won this year reveals a common denominator: Young Artist Programs and summer festivals.

Classical Singer • March 1, 2011

Anthony Laciura: Small Roles, Big Impressions

"Supporting artists--the house singers--are the Metropolitan Opera. The lead singers are guests," says Anthony Laciura, who knows a thing or two about being a supporting singer.