The End of an Era...

As we prepare for our departure here at Wolf Trap I have many different feelings. I can remember the first time that I auditioned for Kim. I sang for her in Chicago when I was a graduate student at Indiana University. I believe that was the fall of '99. I remember singing 3 arias for her. I started with the Count's aria, then she asked for Pierrot's tanzlied, and then she asked to hear Avant de quitter ces lieux. I remember thinking, "wow!" -- she must really like me. I even made the finals that year. But, alas, I was eventually passed over. The next year they even sent me the application...so, I'm thinking that I'm a shoe-in! This time I sang for Kim in Cincinnati. I dont remember much from that audition other than that I was rejected in the initial round.

I guess its these hardships that we as singers go through over the years, whether it be in the young artist phase, the education phase, or in the real world that make us who we are. I think that singers pretty much have to have skins that are as thick as my fake pleather / snake-skin looking jacket for act iii of Le nozze! But seriously, rejection is part of this business and makes us stronger for having been rejected! That being said, when I finally did get the golden ticket as it were, it made it all the sweeter! I'll never forget having lunch with the CEO of Wolf Trap last summer and having him tell us that there is something like a 2% acceptance rate for The Wolf Trap Opera Company. I think he said that Harvard University's is 9%! Its quite a special place, the trap.

So, as we wrap up our final performances at the Filene Center tonight and tomorrow night it will be an end of an era for me. Although many of the young artists at Wolf Trap this summer have participated in various other young artist type training programs, for many of us, this will be our last.

I began my young artist training more than 10 years ago. My first program was Opera in the Ozarks during the summer of '95. It was the first time that I had ever sung an opera with an orchestra! It was also the first time I had been around other singers that loved this as much as I did! For 3 months I was an opera singer. I was hooked! The next summer was Des Moines Metro Opera...I was actually getting PAID to be a singer! (granted it was like $125 every 2 weeks) LOL!~ The next year I spent an entire season as a resident artist with The National Opera Company singing leading and supporting roles in a touring company. Tres kuhl! Following summers included 2 seasons with The Santa Fe Opera, and then finally 2 seasons with The Wolf Trap Opera Company. I'm proud of my training and the work that I have been able to accomplish during these years. But, as of tomorrow night at 12am when the curtain closes (well, there really isnt a curtain) but...when we have sung our last "corriam tutti" it will be the close of what has been a significant chapter in my career.

There's nothing like making swift transitions...I start rehearsals for my New York City Opera debut on Monday!