I just got an email from the Bayerische Staatsoper – that’s Munich / München – announcing their upcoming season. They’re by no means alone and theaters big and small will be making their plans public. It’s called the Spielplan and it’s worth keeping an eye on who’s planning what. While the big theaters have mostly …
We’ll soon post an interview with a tenor who made a life and career in Germany NOT singing Manrico, Nemorino, Siegfried and the like. No, he sang roles where you don’t have to be concerned with looking pretty, or heroic. He was someone who is in almost every opera and who theaters always need, yet …
It’s important to know a theater’s rating, if only to have realistic expectations about where an agent is sending you in order to asses salary expectations. Aspiring singers should not confuse ranking with desirability. Many singers will want to sing good major roles in a B, C, or even D theater…rather than minor roles for …
It’s really great that the Theater Union-GDBA-has adapted to the reality of theater today and the prevalence of Freelancers. They have dedicated it’s most recent Toi Toi Toi magazine issue to the rights of Freelancers and even included English translations of some of the articles, so check it out! Here is a link . The …
Know Thyself. Know Thy Agent. Know German Theaters! When it comes to finding an agent and doing your research about them, you’ll learn not just about the agents, but about the German theater system. It comes down to this: when surveying and “googling” agents’ website we suggest you follow these simple steps. Visit the agent’s …
Singers going to audition in Germany in the spring need to be aware that the time around Easter is very slow because it is the second most important holiday period, lasting anywhere from two to three weeks, depending where people live, and many casting directors, Intendants (General Directors) and GMD’s (General Music Directors) may not …
Spring Auditions 2024: Watch Out for the Easter Bunny & Spring Vacations! Read More »
That’s Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you! Rutsch means ‘slide’ so it’s really: have a good slide into the New Year. It’s winter after all and ice can make things slippery! Germans are more friendly around Christmas time and there are many traditions, not to mention much entertainment and merriment to be …
If you are fortunate enough to negotiate a contract with a theater, be aware of the obligations as well as the protections this contract gives you. It is the standard contract, called an NV Solo, and has evolved over decades of conflict and compromise. The first thing to know is: Don’t be afraid to ask …
Audition slots remain tight: I’ve just heard from a ZAV agent that there are still many singers from Ukraine and Russia and even a backlog of Musikhochschule graduates from the Covid era who are asking for auditions. This means first and foremost that your videos and online materials have to be really good and high …
When I first came to Germany in the 1980’s you couldn’t take a shower after 10 PM because the noise of the water pipes would disturb your neighbors. They also had working toilets on each landing of the stairwell and many folks still remembered having to go outside. That was the tail end of an …