PODCAST · arts
Opera Offstage
by Opera Offstage
Opera Offstage explores the grey area between music school and a professional career. We’re here to discuss those important skills and topics that leave you wondering, “Wait, how the heck did I not learn about this earlier?” From audition season and recitals to fitness and finances, join us as we talk, joke, and complain about everything it takes to be a classical musician in a modern world.
Episodes
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103: Summer 2.0
Summer is quickly flying by which means its time to get together and figure out how to make the most of it! Today we're talking about how to set effective goals, find opportunity at home, and have a summer that is as fulfilling as it is relaxing. Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: Instagram...
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102: July News Round Up
The world of classical music is many things but it is certainly never dull! We have several delightful, frustrating, and bizarrely funny bits of news to dive into today so join us as we dive in as well as share some exciting news for the Opera Offstage family! Dudamel Photos: New York Times Photo...
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101: Happy Pride!
What do a famous jazz composer, a west coast ultramodernist percussionist, and a British film composer and arranger have in common? They're here, they're queer, and they're the musicians we're highlighting this Pride month. We're continuing our favorite tradition of sharing the stories of LGBTQ+...
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The 100th Episode
The 100th Episode of Opera Offstage has finally arrived! Join us as we celebrate three years of fantastic community, unhinged instagram comments, crazy mistakes, and lessons learned. Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle
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99: What Does It Mean to be an Artist?
We spend a lot of time talking about all the various business and practical parts of being a musician, but what does it really mean to be an artist? How does someone transition from the technical focus of school into the much more ambiguous realm of artistry? Today we discuss what we believe it...
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98: February News Roundup
February flew by, which means it's time to take a second to cover some of the crazy news that came with it, and MAN do we have things to talk about. We've got some surprising season announcements, another (unsurprising) YAP problem, a frightening Broadway update, and Michelle's personal conductor...
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97: Historical Figures Who Should Have their own Operas
We loved our writer Preston Hereford's blog post on historical figures who need their own operas, so we decided we wanted to play along too! Today we're telling the stories of some crazy historical figures and how we would adapt their tales for the operatic stage. Join us as we pit our operatic...
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96: Secret (And Not So Secret) Lovers
The most captivating parts of music history often have less to do with music and more to do with what inspires it: LOVE! Love letters, affairs, and failed marriage proposals are just the tip of the iceberg in today's Valentines' Day episode, so join as we dive into deeply romantic and frequently...
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95: Black History in the Making
Black History Month is an amazing time to talk about the incredible Black musicians who have formed and changed the genre of classical music, but sometimes it feels like we always see the same names highlighted each time February rolls around. So this year, we wanted to celebrate just a few of…
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94: Fundraising
It's time to once again dig into everyone's favorite touchy subject: MONEY. Every artistic project, training program, and school has one critical thing in common: They all require money. So we're breaking different ways to get the cash and ditch the shame around fundraising for you artistic…
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93: The Gossip Episode
Listen, we couldn't head into 2023 without dissecting the GOSSIP from 2022. Jonas Kauffman's never-ending Christmas Album, a Yoga sex-crime ring, and a certain leaked email chain that gives us the ICK-- 2022 was a year of weird music news. So come laugh, commiserate, and cringe at all the crazy...
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92: Preparing for the New Year with Tiffany Soricelli
As we wrap up the Messiah Season™, we enter the classical period of reflection that is the short week leading us into 2023. We've gathered a couple pieces of advice as you set out on your new goals and adventures next year, but we can't do it alone so we've brought on friend of the pod Tiffany...
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91: Being a Good Colleague
The holidays are a time for thankfulness, so today we are exploring something we can all be grateful for: Good Colleagues! In the world of classical performance we are in a state of constant competition and judgement which can leave friendliness, camaraderie, and support by the wayside. So today...
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90: Artist Website 101 with Taylor Rossi
Today we're excited to speak with flutist, photographer, web designer, and friend of the pod Taylor Rossi. Taylor shares her journey from student musician to the many hats she wears today, the importance of the artist's website, and finding passion and balance in your work. In the episode, Taylor...
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89: Halloween 3: What Are You Going to Do, Scare Me in French?
Opera Offstage has risen from the dead to share more spooky classical tales filled with haunted opera houses, ghostly composers, and spirits writing music from beyond the grave! Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle Music: Echoes of Time v2 Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)...
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88: Art & Politics
Art and politics have always been intertwined, but these past few years have opened up the conversation about what exactly that means for performers and theaters. It is not simply about political art onstage but also about the political affiliations and ideologies that artists hold offstage. This...
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86: Imposter Syndrome
Every musician has at some point dealt with Imposter syndrome. In a subjective field with intense scrutiny, how could you not??? So today we're diving into exactly what causes musicians to be so susceptible to it and how we can reclaim our sense of purpose in our field. Follow Us: Instagram…
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85: Toys, Taxis, and Animal Instruments
Classical Music has always been a little crazy, but there are some pretty strange moments that get left out of even the most detailed music history books, and that's what we're jumping into today. You sent in your weird stories and we picked a few of our own to share how truly wild music history...
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84: Valentine’s Day: The Boyfriend Episode
Today we're bringing in our most loveable guests yet: our Boyfriends! We talk all about how Jessie found a boyfriend via the podcast, what really is the difference between a Daddy and a Zaddy, and which instrument has wronged most of our audience. Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts…
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83: Offstage Chat: John Brancy
We are very excited to have John Brancy on the podcast! Grammy Award-Winning Baritone John Brancy‘s intense musicality and communicative power place him among the finest of baritones of his generation. Brancy skillfully switches between leading opera roles, and award-winning art song...
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82: Vocal Myths
Does Milk Thicken Mucus? Will Caffeine Dry You Out? Is Vaping Safe For Vocalists? Join us as we dive into all the many faceted myths, lies, and half-truths that we've all heard more than once around the practice rooms! Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle
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81: Fat Pig with Victory Hall Opera
We are so excited for the amazing guests we have on the podcast today! We're discussing the world premiere of Fat Pig with Soprano and Fat Activist Tracy Cox, Director and Librettist Miriam Gordon-Stewart, and Bass and Composer Matt Boehler. We talk about the intricacies of bringing a new and in...
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80: Music History Potpourri with Alexander Papandrea
We're back with another set of stories from music history and our good friend Alex Papandrea. Today we talk about the curse of La forza del destino, why you should never double text (or send 700 letters) like Janáček, and how Russian opera composers faked it til they made it. If you've got a…
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79: Age on Stage: The Dear Evan Hansen Problem
Can a 26 year-old pull off playing a 16 year-old in a movie? Or better yet, should they? And how many shows can really pull of the "13 Going on 30" aesthetic (We're looking at you Grease) Today we're talking about the Dear Evan Hansen debacle and comparing it's issues to the very obvious age gaps...
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78: Only Murders in the Opera House
Murder at the Met, a cult leader who performed at Houston Grand Opera, and a murderous soprano, today's episode is packed with all things spooky. Buckle up and join us as we explore some of the most haunting events from major opera houses and musicians with murderous intent. Today's episode...
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77: Offstage Chat: Laura Brooks Rice
We’re excited to welcome Laura Brooks Rice to the podcast! Mezzo-soprano Laura Brooks Rice has won acclaim on the opera and concert stage for her rich, warm voice, musicality, charm and sensitive acting ability. A sought after voice teacher and masterclass instructor, Laura Brooks Rice’s private...
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76: Searching for a Musician‘s Apartment
Looking for apartment can be wildly stressful, and it only gets harder if you're a musician, and no one knows that more than we do right now, just weeks after our most recent moves. From budgeting to finding musician-friendly roommates to avoiding scams, it can be a lot to handle, so we put...
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75: Prepping for Audition Season
Audition season can be hectic, stressful, and confusing. With all the mixed up deadlines, lack of guidance, and the joy that is trying to navigate YAP tracker, it's easy to see why. Today's episode is all about how to make Audition Season a little bit easier and a little less stressful. We'll…
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74: Protecting your Mental Health
Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle
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Minisode: 1-Star Opera House Reviews
We're back with another minisode! This week we have way too much fun reading 1 star reviews of famous opera houses from around the globe. The audacity and stupidity is baffling, but makes for some great laughs! If you enjoyed this episode, you can unlock access to our full vault of minisodes on…
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73: Budgeting + Saving with Tiffany Soricelli
Tiffany Soricelli is back, this time addressing all your budgeting and saving questions! Working in the gig economy means you're not getting a paycheck on a regular basis, and when you do get paid it's in a lump sum, which makes it tempting to go spend all that freshly earned money! Tiffany knows...
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72: Back to School
It's Back to School season!! New school supplies, class schedules, and a million upcoming auditions makes for an exciting yet hectic time! If you're headed into another year of music school, we've rounded up our best tips for setting goals, organizing your schedule, brushing up your audition...
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71: Finding Yourself As A Musician
Being a classical musician is hard. In an industry that stresses performance practice, tradition, and an academic hierarchy that often creates conformity, it's easy to lose your sense of self as an artist. It's so important, especially as we head back into auditions and school, to take a step…
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70: Happy Birthday Florence Foster Jenkins!
Happy Birthday Florence Foster Jenkins! Today we are celebrating one of the most notorious sopranos in classical music. This week, we discuss the highlights of her unorthodox career and how she pursued her love of music to the fullest. How does a woman who lacked any sense of pitch or rhythm go...
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68: Why is American Opera so Unpopular?
If you ask a classical musician where the best operas are made, almost no one would say the US. The US is a major power house of entertainment in film, music, and theater, so why is American opera so unpopular, not only abroad but also in the US itself? Today we're diving into the how history and...
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67: One Year Later - Issues in Opera: Racism
On June 9th, 2020, we released our first Issues In Opera episode covering the ugly truths of opera's long (and current) history with racism. Now over a year later, we're checking back in on the progress we've made, and all of the up's and down's we've had along the way. In this episode we circle...
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66: Offstage Chat: Spencer Britten
Today we are so excited to get to interview Spencer Britten! Chinese Canadian triple threat Spencer Britten is a multi-talented performer with the resume and sparkling personality to match. Spencer is currently a member of the International Opera Studio at Staatsoper Unter den Linden and has...
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65: Travel Better + Cheaper
Now that things are opening up again and we're looking at a season of possible live auditions in other cities, we've got an important question to answer: How can I travel better and cheaper? Luckily, we have some tips and tricks to make your next audition trip cheaper and a whole lot less...
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64: Happy Pride!
Happy Pride! The LGBTQ+ community has always been an integral part of the classical music community, and today we're celebrating by sharing some queer music history and figures you may not know yet! We also talk about an exciting new documentary celebrating the first transgender singer to sing a...
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63: Performance Disasters
We've all had good and bad days on stage, but some performances are truly and memorably horrendous. Today, you shared your best performance horror stories and that honestly put us on an emotional rollercoaster. From voice cracks and forgotten words to faulty music stands and broken noses, clearly...
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62: Learning to Love your Voice
People often assume singers must like the sound of their own voice. After all we spend hours every week hearing ourselves sing, listening to recordings of ourselves, and have committed to hearing our own voice over and over again as a career. But the reality is that most singers have a lot of...
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61: Jobs, Gigs, and Side Hustles
Between the travel, audition fees, clothing, music, and ongoing education, music can be a very expensive career to pursue, which is why almost every musician has a second job that helps finance the first. But finding jobs that pair well with pursuing music can be super tricky. You have to find a...
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Minisode: They Performed with Who?!
The history of classical music is filled with some pretty crazy collaborations, but what about some of the more modern ones? How about a Bel Canto soprano and one of Rock and Roll's most famous front men? Or an opera composer an indie singer-songwriter? Or one of film's most famous composers...
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60: Taking a Gap Year
Oh, gap years. We love you and love to hate you. The world of academia tells us silly myths about gap years like “Taking a gap year means you don’t take your career seriously” or “Taking a gap year is just one step away from quitting music.” But is taking a gap year really as career-shattering as...
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59: Ya Like Jazz?
April 30th is International Jazz Day, so today we're celebrating Jazz and all the ways it's contributed to classical music! We talk about some of our favorite artists, how being a jazz musician is different from being a classical musician, some wild moments from jazz history, and even a few jazz...
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58: Breaking the Mold
Usually when you say the word artist, people picture someone free-spirited and intensely individualistic and for good reason, a lot of great art is based on innovation and freedom from convention. So why do we as classical musicians face such constant pressure to conform to standards that no…
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57: Tales of Quarantine Performance
From watching operas in pajamas, to practicing in our cars, to virtual audition catastrophes— making music during quarantine is WILD. This week we’re reading your quarantine performance stories and you guys DELIVERED. These stories are hilarious, unfortunate, and everything in between! If…
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56: Taxes for Musicians with Tiffany Soricelli
It's officially tax season! As musicians we receive tons of training and education, but unfortunately very little of it is usually in personal finance, so along with tax season usually come tons of questions for musicians. What should I do during the year to prepare for tax season? How do you…
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55: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Finding the Right Teacher
Behind every great musician are a lot of really incredible teachers, but how do you find a good teacher? And what do you do if you realize your teacher just isn't the right teacher for you, because the only thing harder than finding the right teacher can be figuring out how to leave the wrong…
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54: Opera Scandals
Everyone knows that classical music is filled with drama, but most of it is actually happening offstage. Today we're talking all about some of wildest unknown scandals in opera and orchestra. From the sugar baby who couldn't sing to fruit throwing audiences to the slap heard round the concert…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Opera Offstage explores the grey area between music school and a professional career. We’re here to discuss those important skills and topics that leave you wondering, “Wait, how the heck did I not learn about this earlier?” From audition season and recitals to fitness and finances, join us as we talk, joke, and complain about everything it takes to be a classical musician in a modern world.
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Opera Offstage
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Opera Offstage have?
Opera Offstage currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Opera Offstage about?
Opera Offstage explores the grey area between music school and a professional career. We’re here to discuss those important skills and topics that leave you wondering, “Wait, how the heck did I not learn about this earlier?” From audition season and recitals to fitness and finances, join us as we...
How often does Opera Offstage release new episodes?
Opera Offstage has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Opera Offstage?
You can listen to Opera Offstage on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Opera Offstage?
Opera Offstage is created and hosted by Opera Offstage.
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