OPERA/THEATRE TRAINING

[I <3 NY]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 2:48pm

Which colleges allow have closely intertwined muical theatre/classical voice schools? Im extremely interested in theatre but am also enchanted by real operatic singing.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 2:52pm

I strongly suggest Indiana University-Bloomington. I went to school there--as a theater major, not a voice major, but many of my friends were voice majors so I know a fair amount about the program. You can very easily blend both musical theater and operatic training there, and appear onstage in both genres (if you can beat the very heavy competition at the auditions). It's rated as one of the best music schools in the world, and for good reason. PM me if you have any questions.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 3:18pm

Steinhardt at NYU and OCU are probably the two best known programs which combine the two.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 4:14pm

Oh are they now? lol...just kidding.

But seriously, my recommendation is to pick your top five or six choices of music schools, and audition for ALL of them, because some of these programs are very hard to get into. Indiana U probably has the largest program (I think the undergrad program takes like, ten people per voice type a year), but still, that's ten sopranos out of probably several hundred that audition. I hope you end up in a great place though!

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 4:23pm

For classical singing, a lot of people choose a school because of a particular teacher they want to study with, not because of the whole program. There are some great teachers at schools you wouldn't necessary think are great (Renee Fleming says terrific things about her undergrad teacher at SUNY Potsdam), and some great schools aren't great in all of their departments. Talk to a voice teacher who knows people, and who knows who would be a good teacher for you. Also, keep in mind that classical voices develop later than musical theater ones, so classical singers usually do a lot of additional studying and developing after they've graduated from college. Good luck!

Updated On: 10/29/05 at 04:23 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:08pm

This is very true. Who you study with is the most important thing, and there are great teachers at less "prestigious" schools. However, if you go to a school with a large, highly-rated program like some of those mentioned, you will not only have more performance opportunities, but will have both the social and educational benefits of being in a solid performing arts community.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 5:22pm

Kansas University has a solid Theatre/Voice program and a great reputation. My own experience there was years ago, but I hear they're still good. You get formal, classical training on both sides. My own voice teacher was from the NYC Opera.

Lots of well-known folks have come out of that program and are thriving in the business.

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 10/29/05 at 6:03pm

If you can get into Juilliard, I don't think you'll have a problem breaking into either genre.

For musical theatre, I think the next best choice by far is CCM. For opera, Curtis, San Francisco Conservatory, Yale.