National Singer Training Forum This October in NYC

Anne Choe, Artistic Services Manager of OPERA America, sends the following open letter about the upcoming National Singer Training Program to be held October 13, 2007 in New York City.

Dear Singer Training Professionals,

As you know, opera is a highly competitive field. Less than 5% of the singers who apply to the Houston Grand Opera, Metropolitan Opera, and San Francisco Opera young artist programs are accepted. While talent and solid vocal technique are foremost requirements, there is an array of other factors that contribute to the success of an opera singer. As experts in the field of vocal pedagogy and singing techniques you are a young singer's best resource for career advice, but how do you find the information to relay about their life beyond the voice studio?

OPERA America recently formed the National Singer Training Forum, an action oriented think-tank which is comprised of stakeholders in the field of opera (including voice teachers, young artist program managers, opera company administrators, and artist managers, among others) who are dedicated to the identification and development of aspiring singers. The Forum meets twice each year for extended facilitated discussion organized around specific topics. The objective is to strengthen mutual understanding, improve practices across the field, and encourage collaboration among the network of professionals who share a devotion to the art form.

We invite you to audit the discussion on October 13, 2007 in New York, NY. There is a $35.00 registration fee to audit the discussion. The registration fee includes a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and a special 6-month trial subscription to Opera Source - OPERA America's comprehensive, online career resource for administrators, singers, technical/production professionals, teachers, and all creative and performing opera artists.

Please contact me via e-mail at AChoe [at] operaamerica dot org or call 212-796-8620 ext. 202 to register. Space is limited, so please register by September 14, 2007.

F. Paul Driscoll wrote about the National Singer Training Forum in a recent issue of Opera News. "A stimulating dialogue on the critical issues surrounding singer training has been inaugurated by Opera America, the national service organization for opera. In response to concerns voiced by academic institutions and by opera companies - and as part of its commendable ongoing mission to foster a sense of community within a highly competitive field - Opera America created the National Singer Training Forum. At Forum meetings in spring and autumn 2006, participants discussed ways in which stakeholder organizations in the opera field - teachers, companies, schools, artist managements - could work together to resolve issues, create change and advance shared goals. The Forum has recommended several action plans, including creating professional development programs to enrich voice teachers' understanding of the challenges facing today's emerging artists. Last month, Des Moines Metro Opera and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) offered a weekend workshop for voice teachers that provided its participants with insights about the demands of the Des Moines young-artist program and other intensive singer-training regimens. The next meeting of the National Singer Training Forum will take place in autumn 2007 in New York. In collaboration with NATS, voice teachers and singers will be invited to audit sections of the NSTF meeting and ask questions about terminology, concepts and partnerships. The discussion is sure to be lively, passionate and partisan - as any discussion about opera should be. "

I look forward to seeing you this fall.