Featured

Latest Posts

Nate Douglas: "Writing songs is fun."

Nate Douglas: "Writing songs is fun."

"I know a lot of people that like to sing and play, but they don't really like it the way I like it," admits Douglas. "If you really like something you'll just keep doing it. I didn't know how much I like it until really recently."

Jenna Simeonov
Don't miss: Anthropologies imaginaires

Don't miss: Anthropologies imaginaires

"The experts on screen comment on invented vocal traditions demonstrated by the singer-performer. Various odd or isolated vocal expressions from around the world are woven together and revisited through imaginary folklore and experimental voice techniques, showcasing the virtuosity, versatility, and strangeness of the human voice."

Jenna Simeonov
Tales from the Kammeroper at Rheinsberg Castle

Tales from the Kammeroper at Rheinsberg Castle

"I think the most important thing I've learned working in Germany over the summer is patience and flexibility during the rehearsal process. With so many people coming from various backgrounds and with so much interpreting and so many languages, you have to be patient with both yourself and everyone else as we all slowly but surely figure out the story we want to tell."

Jenna Simeonov Jessica Lane
Spotlight on: Will Liverman

Spotlight on: Will Liverman

"I enjoy singing because of the rush I get every time I'm onstage. There's absolutely nothing like it and there's nothing better than having that chance to move someone to tears or laughter through the power of music and performance."

Jenna Simeonov
What else are singers great at?

What else are singers great at?

When singers travel for work, they're not just choosing to spend time alone; for weeks or months at a time, singers are on their own in a new city, often without friends or family to keep them company. Loneliness can set in, or even boredom, both dangerous things when your job depends on your physical and mental health.

Jenna Simeonov
Great ideas: Portland Opera à la Cart

Great ideas: Portland Opera à la Cart

A Portland Opera-style cart is a brilliant way of showcasing opera presented by one or several companies; in the same way that a picture is worth a thousand words, offering up short bites of opera to listeners is the perfect marketing campaign to lure audiences to future full-length productions.

Jenna Simeonov
Spotlight on: Diego Silva

Spotlight on: Diego Silva

"I make a living from doing what I love to do, and my schedule is always changing and includes lots of travel. I never get bored because I have to study a lot of different music in different languages and there is always room for improvement."

Jenna Simeonov
Young singing done right: Aksel Rykkvin

Young singing done right: Aksel Rykkvin

It's entirely refreshing to hear 13-year old Aksel Rykkvin, Norwegian boy soprano. With early classical training, Rykkvin has already appeared with Norwegian National Opera; now, he has released an album of arias by Mozart, Handel and Bach, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under conductor Nigel Short.

Jenna Simeonov
Operalia & advertising

Operalia & advertising

Promoting Domingo, in between the well-honed performances of the Operalia finalists, felt in opposition to the competition's mission. The business of advertising seemed to take over the air time between competitors. Perhaps it was the perfect opportunity for Domingo to promote his work, since the Operalia audience is the right demographic to purchase a documentary like "My Greatest Roles".

Jenna Simeonov
Pavarotti's "Nessun dorma" & the Trump campaign

Pavarotti's "Nessun dorma" & the Trump campaign

What's likely is that the sweeping sounds of Puccini sounded fancy to the Trump folk, and that Pavarotti's voice sounds heroic (#winning). They're not wrong, but it just screams, "I heard this on YouTube once."

Jenna Simeonov

Unlike other sites, we're keeping Schmopera ad-free. We want to keep our site clean and our opinions our own. Support us for as little as $1.00 per month.