It’s the 21st century. If you do not have your materials (resume, biography, videos, photos, etc.) online, you are only holding yourself back. Before you plan an audition tour, get your materials online. Opera administrators & casting directors will grant auditions (and sometimes cast roles!) from online materials. Therefore, make sure you represent yourself honestly, succinctly and in a “good-light” on the internet.

Below are some of our tips when it comes to publishing your materials on the World Wide Web. 

Digital Materials: Top Tips & Recommendations

Lebenslauf (Resume): Make sure the digital copy of your resume is IN GERMAN, is no more than two pages, and can be sent as .pdf file (not all German administrators use Microsoft Word or Apple’s Pages so sending them your resume as a .pdf will likely be accessible to all whom you might email it to. You can find a sample “lebenslauf” or German resume from the ZAV with the best possible format by clicking here.

Your Own Website: Having a “one-stop-shop” or “store-front” for your small business will only be an asset to you and your career. It will greatly aid in your visibility when administrators are searching for you online. It doesn’t have to be overly fancy. It only needs to  include the basics…

  • A short biography (in English and German)
  • A Resume (in English & German)
  • Portrait Photos: Include up close and full body photos that are an accurate display or what you really look like…hint: don’t use photoshop!)
  • Production Photos
  • Video Recordings: Make sure your primary videos are to the point, pack a punch and show what you do best IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. If an intendant is casting from a recording, they likely don’t have time to sit through an entire piano introduction. Upload video recordings that are between 1 and 3 minutes. Also, don’t bother wasting time with audio only recordings anymore, they aren’t really used anymore as casting directors want to SEE and hear you. YouTube is the best and most frequently visited site for listening to singers. Link your videos to your website from YouTube.
  • Contact: Make sure you list your email. If you are already working an agent, be sure to list their email and professional phone number.

Don’t spend your hard earned money paying someone to build you a website. There are many affordable and user-friendly website building and hosting sites. Our favorites are listed below. 

  • Wix.com
  • Sqaurespace.com
  • WordPress.com
  • Operabase.com – This site isn’t a tool to build a separate fully independent website, however it is a wonderful tool that you can create a profile landing page of your own materials. It also has many other resources as far as agent lists, opera companies and season announcements. 

YouTube: If you’re not already on YouTube, create a YouTube channel and upload quality videos that show you in your best light IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine after Google. Having your own YouTube channel will make it easier for casting directors to find you and watch you perform online. 

Social Media: Social media channels are best for building your own audience base and directly connecting with fans and followers. However, casting directors and administrators are on social media and often get to know singers by what you may post publicity. Therefore, be wise with what you post. We recommend having separate professional social media channels that are PUBLIC apart from your personal social media channels that are PRIVATE. That way, you are not blurring the professional and personal lines.