Audition Weekend - Day 1
Well, this is the major weekend here in the Bay Area to do opera auditions. Saturday morning, I got up bright and early to get ready to head off to Martinez, CA from Sacramento. It is a perfect drive, just about an hour. Oh, but first gotta gas up the vehicle....but it's steaming. Thank goodness I am such a nerd about getting going early! I still had plenty of time to switch cars and continue to head off to Martinez. It was a perfect day, too.
I arrived at the church nice and early and all were on a lunch break. I had plenty of time to change my clothes and warm up just a bit before they would be ready. I also had a chance to chat with the man that was checking everyone in at the front door. i love making those connections at auditions rather than just walking in like a robot and doing the audition. I know at cattle call auditions, sometimes it has to be that way, but I prefer this! He happened to be born in the Midwest as well, so we had a nice conversation and I was good and relaxed. I was able to go in a bit early, as the people before my slotted time had not arrived. I was able to sing for Artistic Director Cesar Curzi. He was lovely and it was a lovely space in which to sing. That doesn't always happen, so it was a treat. I sang "Donde Lieta Usci" from La Boheme, and then I was off! They were very good about keeping things moving and really only giving 5 minutes slots to each person. As I walked out, Maria Billingsley was nice enough to stop me and tell me she really liked my singing. I really think that it went pretty well, but it always a sigh of relief to get a nugget of feedback.
Then it was off to San Francisco. I had a great rehearsal with a conducting/composition student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. I have had the great privilege to be working on a couple of settings of Alexander Pushkin poems he has written for Soprano and Orchestra. They are stunning! I have really loved working on new music again, it's been too long. I had forgotten how incredibly freeing to work on pieces with the composer right there and having it be a living, breathing piece of work. At the same time, it can be frightening to have ideas of your own about interpretation with the composer right there. It's so important in a collaboration like this to know the creator's intention, and to listen. I mean really listen to the way the music and the poetry live together and feed on each other. It truly is a living organism. Quite an honor ....I am really looking forward to the performance in May at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Hi Carrie -- your vivid, conversational writing makes me feel like I'm reading "travels with Carrie!" I've noticed you change clothes before your audition -- forgive my ignorance -- do you change into the outfit for the character? Or just into something unrumpled by the car ride?
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Hi!
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Hennessey?? Is that you? I'm on one of my daily trips to the library and for some reason your name popped in my head and I thought... hmmm... she's gotta have some sort of web page. and sure enough here you are! Well i wont write too much but I just had to say hi and it sounds like you are still rockin those vocals out in CA. Of course, you're Carrie Hennessey, so why wouldnt you. I hope all is well!
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