15000 people packed into berlins valbuena and 15 other. T. V. Appearances attracting 1700000 viewers. Most cops monitor all some of the opera Worlds Largest audiences. The german tenor is one of the biggest names in opera today. Oh. What does it take to become an opera star. Only very few artists make the leap on to the worlds best stages why are some singers successful and others not with that question in mind i spent half a year meeting up with some of the worlds most exciting operatic singers. For. Your next cough monster were only really took off relatively late when he was in his mid thirtys in london he tells me about the doubts he had early on. The hit maternity show a musical i met of us also of course i thought more than once about quitting and despite all my love of music and theater i couldnt imagine sticking with a profession long term where the only certain thing is uncertainty. To hide forecast. 90 percent of Opera Singers never manage to land a fixed contract at an opera house. The risk of burnell and vocal problems is acute as young as confidant realized early in his career. 2 2 2 says a feat of optimism i sang many roles in the 1st 2 years but it almost cost me my Mental Health or certainly my voice i was overstretched well thought out of all. The pressures are considerable. Especially on young performers. 28 year old devices has a promising career ahead of her here at the zurich opera house the french danish soprano is performing her 1st title role model. Well. Theres a dress rehearsal today. Her costar is one of the worlds top 10 people to picture. The. The he previously sang the chevalier a degree year in june last names opera in 2012 at new yorks metropolitan opera together with anna netrebko. 8 was. This i think its a gift to sing alongside a civil you like this you to sing and i love you i did im talking about you across all in the morning very important. You are so sweet. Im. See i said. Shes been rehearsing for 6 long weeks. As a special and its been very exhausting. Id say the rehearsal saw the hardest part because he was singing almost every day. And had. A dance for its very demanding i think i hope the performances are easier because right now ive almost run out of energy ive pretty much reached my limit. The cast of its. The premiere is in 2 days time. Knows what its like to return limit. Of i have to from i mean when i went on stage i was totally not prepared i did and didnt have any single idea how to pick. The lithuanian singer finds time between looking after her children doctors visits and rehearsals to meet up with me in her hometown of vilnius. In 2006 she cofounded the private initiative the vilnius city opera it doesnt have its own venue and its productions are hosted by the citys Congress Concert Hall but its all still rather improvised. There are no dressing rooms and the stars do their own makeup. But the performances are top notch. The venue city opera is fostering a new generation of talent. We want 8 young people and i think in those 12 areas we did kind of big revolution in this country about really about the young people. These days the bill new city opera attracts world class performers who also sing at the bolshoi in moscow and the met in new york. On the way home from the rehearsal gregorian tells me that she was almost destroyed by war. I started with big roles i never saw any tiny roles or something and of course i heard of myself when i was 13 i was that already and i was always doing too much too big roles. The breakthrough she was hoping for didnt come. Instead she started all over again and completely rely on her vocal technique she also learned to stop overtaxing her voice a mistake many Opera Singers make just as so often i was to be taught as the fact that it sometimes hurts is a painful realisation because you love doing it it also hurts your bank balance especially when youre young. And thats actually quite an important point you are often forced to do certain things to survive financially. And so couldnt. Once they finished their studies which can take as long as 6 years an opera singer with a fixed contract in germany makes around 2000 euros a month before taxes thats less than a stage technician earns. Getting fassbender is an opera legend who has sung on stages all over the world now shes directing and despite a case of bronchitis shes rehearsing Defoe Shotton the woman without a shadow by the couch towels. Combo house. Sad or not for. I could never say no youre always afraid youll drop off the map and never be asked again. Its just not. This grandaunt of german opera knows the industry inside and out shes been a singer a teacher and a managing director now she mainly directs operas. All cant you do it like this. He. Says she wouldnt im climbing between a young mans legs. And again dont be a prude. Now you approach the woman. Past all snatch out that you dont make too many of these usual thing or gestures who want oh yeah how did you get the gesture small focus on what you bring to the role playing but its not like this so yeah when most is all you need to truly inhabit your role also as an actor. This is me thats always been a priority of mine and you need charisma. When you go on stage everyone should look at you thats what you have to aim for. In zurich people for a big show is about to go on stage. In 2 days time the curtain will go up on my snes opera man on. The polish tenor is preparing for his entrance in the 3rd act. So i think in october todays the dress rehearsal a lot is going well but theres also some room for improvement coming up and a lot can still go wrong its going to have to machine. How well can he judge his own performance of the famous aria. This is the also. The schools of one of the biggest problems for oprah saying is that we never hear ourselves i dont know how my voice. It sounds in reality right. This week and thats why its important to have someone you really trust in the audience such as your wife. I know his voice is very well i had up here im it all his performances i listen to his voice i take notes of what his teacher sass. Us or for what he wants and how to find the optimal resonance and i hear if it was good to see. His wife gave up her own career as an opera singer to support his shes undoubtedly one of the secrets of piotr a big success. Was. Still. The rehearsal is over his advice to him piotr a big job i have been on stage for 4 hours. Station so its ok to be asleep the bush to us and it has to do shelf the steps of my life that was the 1st time ive sung the whole part from beginning to end but as you can see i havent lost my voice and thats the main thing but i feel completely drained the more over the next 2 days ill try not to talk too much ill do some cooking some exercise ill try to relax a bit go over my role and work on 3 or 4 bits. I really need to take a break. As it comes to a steakhouse. When she takes a break the young singer likes to enjoy a good cup of coffee like in this Coffee Roaster eat in berlin this is they need to. Fix. Things. Is that in my mind wants. I always wanted to join an ensemble in germany because i think thats where you really wish that job. Was. As a device he has been a member of the berlin state operas ensemble since 2017 when it reopened after years of refurbishment. She sang the role of gretchen and Robert Schumann scenes from good to fast the production they kicked off the 1st new season 1. Its not only important how an artist sings but where they sing. As an ensemble member in a prestigious opera house she was soon noticed by major orchestras. When the berlin philharmonic got in such on short notice she was on vacation with her boyfriend. The question i have is that we were eating breakfast and i told him and he said what why and chew you have to answer them you have to fly there. And then things went very fast. I went on ricky pedia and i only saw the 1st pass easy i thought i can learn that. I didnt even notice that theres a 2nd and a 3rd. So i said yes because i thought it would only be those 4 numbers. Yes. Until then shed never sung haydns oratorial the creation and the concert was 2 days away. From noon to midnight i practiced nonstop with the music in my is my piano my phone and the schoolroom my tablet and by midnight i knew all the music that contest against the best. Performance moved members of the berlin philharmonic to tears. But also devices to rear had kicked off 2 years earlier when she won the International Singing competition noirish demand for new voices. So i vocal that not 2 weeks later they example Dance Festival in france a very important festival called me to ask if i wanted to sing like a lion carmen come and sing it for me there was no question i was sure this would be the trampoline that would help catapult me into my career and tumbling so in my make up you have a string it. Was a a. Thats what ive been this man essam those moments i also believe that was actually my 1st engagement apart from berlin so little by little like a spider you build up your network of relationships and different opera houses in fashion. Competitions are one way that singers can make a name for themselves. Ozma gregorian says that shes never taken part in one in her life. I just could not do that. Because i always had this huge fear of stage and i was just so afraid and i could not show even 20 percent of real me years ago i really thought that i can come on stage and because it was like it was so big and its really physical its not just of here you know you stop to feel your arms or you know your face is thinking and of course you know it you know the heart beats or with disturbs your grieving and everything. Even mal backstage at the frankfurt opera shes palpably nervous shes performing the title role in tchaikovskys lyric one act opera the old on time. The 1st part of the program has just ended now its her turn but 1st a brief exchange with the conductor sebastiaan. This is. What helps me is like really be talking to us and in the role then its easy. There to live a managing director of the frankfurt opera discovered her 5 years ago as the show is 1st time this year. I always love. It so. You know. Those. Are for you very very serious. If this is so i wish you want to thank you very much thank you michel in the 1st and yet shes always fascinated me is even so not only her singing but also her simplicity and talked through on the way she can command attention by holding back great emotions of some cut at c a i know its maria callas was similar. But in vienna in the news in the little footage that exists of maria callas what you see is a woman whos singing commands attention because she has presence even when doing very little comes out a nice tool. That commits you to excess and thats something that as mick picks up on. I wish more singers had the sophistication and intelligence in key moments to do less rather than more on stage so. I think you may get there i list that in when the voice gives everything like the singer themself is still and has only the voice in that atmosphere that creates an atmosphere that takes the audiences breath away from art and put out this that is the power of the voice not. I nashton or. Less is more its a phrase i often hear while making this film. Along with talk of pacing oneself and being in the moment. At the Royal Opera House in london music director and tony opera pano regularly works with stars like you want to cough man and a new track called i asked him why so many Opera Singers end up ruining their voices. I know 1st the ding a zinger is one of the Biggest Challenges for Opera Singers is knowing how to calibrate their intensity and then im out there and also in terms of their volume see itself. Far too many singers are too loud. The atmospheric singing piano creates a much more interesting atmosphere sing and if see the sound if you sing too loudly always loudly youre going to get tired out in the lot. Was swore you were restored. Want to run. The current holder 1st was was. Was was throwing. The. Ball. In the. World. Really the voice is very possible i know. A voice can be ugly its very theatrical and seductive and. For fear of age i know. A voice can be very beautiful and totally boring. The personality whats inside has to come out through the voice thus most. Common. But these days an extraordinary voice will only get you so far Opera Singers cant afford to ignore social media. Posting is now part of the job even the stars are doing often sharing glimpses into their private lives. Thats also true of celebrities like and in the truck oh here shes posted a rehearsal with maestro on instagram. It was a beautiful kid. To keep going to. See a. Bunch opens. I see some Opera Singers who are almost like movie stars and thats ok. By your job but that job demands a certain respect and concentration spect. Consent its your own thats the most important thing in the media cant make a career when you have to get up on stage and prove yourself a new every single time. Think im unfairly here and this and i feel that the job is losing some of its magic because people can see that we just know why. This is so i see it in myself. When i go to the opera and theres a singer i like. I go straight to instagram or facebook to find out who they are who he is and she is he would have it is if you or i go to youtube and. Think but i think you can also lose yourself in social media and can see sworn in does a medium failure then you can end up think i mean youre a good singer just because you have 30000 followers. 1000 followers. These days the industry is teeming with people who are talented singers but more importantly look good. Or to nowadays you have to look like a model at least on your record covers. Sometimes when you see someone on stage you wonder how they managed to look the way they do on their record cover cover you cant blame the singers its the fault of people who know nothing about singing and base everything on looks and who only cast certain types. Of naming naming me me almost on the committee. Not me and not me or not. Naming me also who also she wont name in the yeah. I think it always has to be about authenticity on stage otherwise we can forget the stage the stage is and will continue to be a mirror of our lives and our humanity and in humanity on non stage nothing is impossible in a new person just like in life. But the trend towards glamour and perfection is very aggravating complicates our work. But how in the. You see my. God this maya has sung in our houses all over the world and she has experienced that trend and im one of you know what is it what would totally talking about this this guy. Yes the roles do go to a certain time you have to be thin you have to be young you have to be affordable its getting worse and worse emotionally much. Im going to. Be im god theres began her career in 1903 as a lyric soprano receiving an award in a competition in which you also took part. And sometimes we were together in a competition in the mice to sing a competition in nuremberg and he received an advancement award i won the 2nd prize and evelyn lucy is came in 1st thats pretty funny. So. For me warming up is about warming all the muscles. I dont see the voice is coming from just the 2 vocal chords but from the whole body. Just as athletes have to train daily singers carry out exercises like these to build up and develop the voice. Im here my voice is getting deeper i never felt comfortable singing soprano they say to me anyone who says good morning the way you do cant be a soprano can surprise. Oh yea prospect actually spent always said you know really a soprano you dont find joy you operate just. And i would say yes im always glad when im allowed to go deeper than that was a clue and now finally i found that really feels right to me. She isnt the only opera singer who spent years singing in the wrong or vocal classification. In germany in particular operatic Training Needs improving it seems the country is home to one 3rd of the worlds opera houses. But germany is failing to properly nurture young talent. The soloists performing in germanys many opera houses tend to come from the u. S. Russia and increasingly from south korea and china. Here and kill him got his smile is something of an exception. I salute the singh is from of his sees a much better than us so why is that mundane to its down to training. There are 24 state conservatories in germany but their graduates often cant get work. From sponsorship on the icon and the mia fours if 20 Young Americans audition for me i could hire 19 of them just like that. But if i had visions students in german conservatories 19 of them are unemployable. I dont hire maybe one so obviously theres something wrong with our system perhaps we can learn from those other systems that are doing something right was my last option. I always thought that germanys conservatories were world class but it seems that the standard of teaching lets students down. Flush the not if theres no its possible that the best voice teachers arent here theyre overseas because they were unhappy with the conditions here. And just skipped. I think there are very few teachers who have actually experienced the stage 1st hand. The skips if they know the theory but they dont know the practice. This is a very precarious tendency. But i also know some excellent singing teachers at the conservatory. I have full not necessarily more there is a handful of good teachers but of course thats not enough. In there ill spin. It been there. Long the people who end up teaching are people who failed to make it in the music world. Frustrated seeing is who didnt have a career for various reasons who never really sang themselves but who have studied vocal instruction is wrong. This is. Its absurd. Is the instruction is being carried out by people who want passing on technique but rather their own complexes and problems. Going to complex and probably met. Moreover singers from russia the u. S. China and south korea are more disciplined than their german colleagues thats the conclusion reached by a recent study commissioned by the better man foundation. But regardless of where they come from all Opera Singers have to learn to resist the opera worlds many temptations. Including agents promising big bucks. Again agents have always been dangerous because obviously they make their money from singers. But. There are respectable agents who really help singers develop. Voices because they have a vested interest. But if a singer goes in ruins their voice never mind theres always another one waiting in the wings pretty negative in this respect. Their next question was my Musical Discussion Group