The OperaVision Podcast

OperaVision next generation podcast series charts the journeys of singers on four young artist programmes across Europe – Oper Frankfurt, Palau de les Arts, the Rossini Opera Festival and Opera for Peace. Every month, stage director and podcaster Nina Brazier, brings you privileged backstage access to masterclasses, rehearsal rooms and dressing rooms. We’ll be throwing open the doors to these programmes to find out first-hand about the application process - what was that audition experience like? And how do the singers negotiate the physical and emotional highs and lows as they explore their unique operatic voice? We’ll also meet experts and coaches such as tenor Larry Brownlee, accompanist Kamal Khan and artistic director Rosetta Cucchi, to hear how they guide young singers and build their confidence – alongside teaching that all-important technique.

Subscribe now, and find out how the opera world is developing and nurturing the next generation of talent. OperaVision: Next Generation series launches on Friday 16 September 2022;  wherever you get your podcasts, come and join us. You can also listen to the OperaVision podcast below.

EPISODE 13

OperaVision heads to the Palau de les Arts and their Centre de Perfeccionament in Valencia, where two of our young artists talk about the challenge of balancing outside opportunities with in-house commitments, the realisation that insecurities as an artist happen at every level, and the difference between being treated like a young artist and a young professional.

EPISODE 12

This month, OperaVision takes you to the Rossini Opera Festival’s Accademia Rossiniana’s ‘Alberto Zedda’ in Pesaro. Young artists navigate auditions, develop their Rossini style, and find unique ways to make roles their own. Discover what they learned from Rosetta Cucchi's Masterclass, including Stanislavski techniques for character development and avoiding generic performances. Gain insights that will shape their approach to all future operatic roles.

EPISODE 11

This month, OperaVision takes you from the Studio at Oper Frankfurt to backstage at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Nombulelo Yende shares her hopes and fears about performing in front of experts and an international audience, while Clara Hyoyoung Kim is honest about the challenges of clashing schedules and saying ‘no’ when it is necessary. Meanwhile the visiting expert Matthias Rexroth sets the bar extremely high for young singers.

Episode 10

One of the leading tenors of his generation, Brian Jagde joins us after his Opera for Peace Masterclass in Paris.  He opens up about vocal technique and mental health. Through his work with tenors Raúl Gutiérrez and Matteo Ivan Rašić, we hear sound advice on vocal interpretation. We learn more about his work ethic, his transition from baritone to tenor and what this has meant for his career.

Episode 9

This month, OperaVision is back with the Rossini Opera Festival’s Accademia Rossiniana ‘Alberto Zedda’ where we hear about alumnus Stefan Astakov’s opera journey and how he has learnt to let go of technique when performing in front of a judging panel. Coach and tenor Luca Canonici shares what he thinks young singers should avoid at all costs. We hear words of wisdom for singers about giving one’s soul to the public, and how it’s important to be kind to yourself and not to get trapped in an ‘emotional cage’.

Episode 8

This month we return to the Palau de les Arts and their Centre de Perfeccionament, where the young Soprano Iria Goti finds her feet in a brand new production of Cendrillon. We discover how she reacts when self-criticism and nerves take hold during a performance. Meanwhile, alumna of the programme soprano Angel Blue gives us an insight into her relationship with comparison and competition, and shares how performances can be affected by something much more serious than the stress of day-to-day life events.

Episode 7

What goes through the mind of the award-winning young soprano Nombulelo Yende as she steps onto the stage at Oper Frankfurt for a major role debut with just a few rehearsals? Nina Brazier chats to her before rehearsals begin. Meanwhile, internationally acclaimed alumna of the Oper Frankfurt Studio, mezzo soprano Paula Murrihy shares her journey as one of the first participants of the Studio programme, and reveals the pivotal moment in her operatic career.

Episode 6

On track to becoming a doctor in Mexico and finding opera as something ‘for old people’, Leonardo Sánchez made an unexpected career pivot and discovered that singing opera really could be a viable career choice. So how have the first steps in opera been for this emerging tenor? How has he squared reality and against his own high expectations?

Episode 5

Join us in Spain to discover the unusual journeys of three young artists at the Centre de Perfeccionament, Palau de les Arts in Valencia. We have conversations on how to perform your best under pressure, ways of getting through feeling deeply overwhelmed and hear about the importance of using the tools at your fingertips and making the most of every single opportunity.

Episode 4

Four young artists from Oper Frankfurt’s Opera Studio share their stories – from their first auditions in front of the Intendant Bernd Loebe, and on to negotiating their way through the early months of the programme and taking on major roles in mainstage productions. Along the way they explore how to filter the very best advice from experts, discover the necessity of dealing with the inner critic, and learn to listen to and trust their own unique voice.

Episode 3

We head to the Rossini Opera Festival to join the Accademia Rossiniana “Alberto Zedda” Young Artist Programme, where we follow the journeys of four singers as they dedicate themselves to the portrayal of Rossini’s works, and fully-stage a production of Il Viaggio a Reims. We hear about their early goals, the challenges they face, and the lessons they are taking with them into their future careers. The singers are joined by the renowned Director, Pianist and Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi, who shares her insight and expertise on how to best nurture the next generation of operatic talent.

Episode 2

OperaVision continues its next generation podcast series, heading to Rome for the inaugural academy of Opera for Peace. This emerging artist programme aims to level the playing field for emerging opera singers from all countries, backgrounds and circumstances. We meet four young artists and hear insights from experts Thomas Hampson, Jenna Wolf and Kamal Khan on the challenges of the programme and how they nurture the next generation of operatic talent.

Episode 1

From one young soprano making audition videos in a shelter in Kyiv while the war swept through Ukraine, to another using an international singing competition to showcase her talent, we meet emerging artists from four leading young artist programmes across Europe.  In this episode, we dip into each programme, from Opera for Peace in Rome, to the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, on to Palau de les Arts in Valencia and Oper Frankfurt.  As well as hearing from the artists about their expectations, we feature insights from experts such as Lawrence Brownlee, and learn how the programmes are nurturing and developing the next generation of talent.