Life as an Opera Singer is incredibly rewarding, diverse and stimulating in a countless number of ways. On a day to day basis, an opera singer has the opportunity to make love to a beautiful woman, kill a treacherous enemy, do a little casual cross dressing (living the dream) or to simply sing about how good it is to be alive.

But behind every captivating performance and every beautifully sung aria there are years of dedication that allow the singer to take advantage of their gifts and express themselves on the grandest of stages.

Studying to become a singer is a incredibly long process, as vast amounts of the operatic repertoire are not appropriate for young voices, due to the hormonal and physical development of the individual, and so heavier voices can continue to study, work and develop into their early thirties.

However this time allows singers to study at music colleges, such as the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, for up to eight years completing numerous degrees and rounding out their craft. And it is the skills leant in these institutions, as well as with private teachers and language coaches, that will allow the singers to perform on stages around the world.

In any given week, a professional opera singer will be called on to utilize the skills learned over these years, such as the ability to sing in several European languages and musical styles whilst also using acting, stagecraft and movement techniques to enhance the attributes of the specific character they are portraying.

When working on a six-week production for an opera company, the standard working week is extremely structured to allow for all the technical support and musical staff to be coordinated in an efficient manner. A fulltime contract consists of a maximum 11 calls, consisting of three hours each, spread over a six- day period with no more than two calls per day without going into overtime. The rehearsals could consist of music calls, where you sing through the arias and ensembles with the conductor and make sure you are on the same page, production calls, where you explore the work in the rehearsal space, build a track for the character to travel along and find the characters form and how that fits with the production. Also there can be dance calls where you get to throw a leg over and have a bit of fun with whatever the show requires and your operatic counter parts.

Whilst these rehearsals are the “work” within a singer’s week, there are also several other elements that make up a singers working week. A singer must think of themselves as athletes, always warming up and warming down both physically and vocally, and doing daily vocal exercises and practice sessions outside of the rehearsal room to maintain vocal agility and strength. As well as these practice sessions, a singer will be expected to be working with music coaches, language coaches and teachers throughout this time in order to continue to grow the role that they are rehearsing and to maintain and build