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For Australians aspiring to a career in opera – and in many other performing arts – a place in Europe remains an aspiration.
But a new Churchill Fellowship report from David Barnard, the former Head of Music, State Opera of South Australia reveals how difficult it is for Australians to find a place and how frustrated those who do feel about the Australian environment.
Barnard asked Myriam Mazouzi, Director of the Academy of the Paris Opera, what chance an Australian has of gaining a place at the prestigious academy. He reported her reply:
‘None – there are so few places and the standard is so high across Europe, why would we even consider looking to Australia? In Europe, Australia is not regarded as a country for opera and we would most likely spend the whole time bringing the Australian artist up to standard in the basics of style and language first – we don’t have time for this.’
[Editor’s note: Ms Mazouzi has since claimed her words were mistranslated. Her full response is published below.]
Similar Michele D’Elia, a freelance vocal coach who works closely with the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala in Milan said people regarded Australia as a place for sport, wildlife and sunshine and it was simply not on the radar for opera.
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‘When Australians have auditioned for academia in that past, the biggest let down is the lack of style understanding and refinement of musicality. Therefore, they are not regarded as possible candidates and usually dismissed before the audition stage,’ writes Barnard.
In Australia, for some peculiar reason, this position seems to warrant the remit of promoting your own discipline and to give yourself opportunities you would never otherwise get outside of your small pond or ability.
There are exceptions. Australian-based soprano Jessica Pratt has succeeded in Italy but D’Elia cited how hard she had worked in Europe.
Barnard found that Australians working in Europe were extremely critical of the opportunities back home.
‘Every single Australian singer I met was disheartened by the opera industry in Australia and the lack of opportunity. They all shared the same passion – to make Australia an opera industry respected worldwide and to increase the level of contact with the general public through education, touring and regional seasons. Those who had been working overseas for a while were able to share their concerns over the limited individuals who are in charge of the state and national opera companies, having experienced real quality in artistic leadership, planning and vision of so many different opera houses and orchestras across Europe. This sentiment resonated strongly with me, but I was devastated to learn that it was shared by every expat I met.’
Barnard said the lack of a high level competitive environment in Australia made it difficult for Australians to reach the standards expected in Europe and allowed a few artistic directors to self-promote and sometimes reward themselves financially to do so.
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‘In Germany, if you are stood down from a Ring Cycle because you didn’t really ‘prepare it’ or it was out of your capabilities as a musician and conductor, you are not likely to be engaged for other opportunities in the future. In Australia, we continue to let the same individual run an opera company and conduct in their own season each year. In Germany, if you become an artistic director, you are content with that and your job is simply to explore other opera companies and discover talent or productions, forming the best teams possible for your opera house for maximum enjoyment for your audience. You create the most interesting season, lead the artistic vision and above all, inspire your colleagues. You maintain distance and ensure that the team you have assembled is going to make your company blossom first and foremost.
‘Meanwhile in Australia, for some peculiar reason, this position seems to warrant the remit of promoting your own discipline and to give yourself opportunities you would never otherwise get outside of your small pond or ability. In some cases, these self-promoters, even pay themselves a ‘fee’ in addition to their CEO or artistic director salary to do such a thing. ‘I’d love to know how this is ethical business practice or the best use of our public money. It does not happen in Germany, so why do we have to put up with it in Australia – why should these much needed opportunities be snapped up and our opera companies be held back artistically while these individuals promote their own careers and take home a healthy monthly salary for an output of maybe 2-3 operas a year.’
Barnard also identified the problems for Australians were in part a result of the lack of cultural integration. In Berlin he observed that the the culture of attending the opera is the same as attending the football. ‘It was an accepted part of everyday life and something we should all be striving for as Australians, to help balance out our sport obsession and balance us culturally.’
Update: The Paris Opera responds
‘The world of music and the performing arts in Europe have, for much longer than the last hundred years, been immeasurably enriched by the personalities and talents of artists from all five continents, from prestigious and renowned practitioners to beginners. It has sometimes been the case that the education of such artists has been completed in Europe, just as academic institutions and theatres across the world have completed the education of artists from Europe and elsewhere, thanks to teachers from elsewhere and from Europe. The Academy of the Paris National Opera and its director Myriam Mazouzi celebrates and benefits from this international potential. Trainees and teachers and visiting artists currently originate from five continents, and this is not a new state of affairs.
‘At the Academy there are twelve positions for singers and four for pianist repetiteurs every year, besides a directing position and positions for orchestral musicians and young choreographers, in the latter instance artists usually drawn from the Paris opera’s one hundred and fifty plus young dancers. There has always been a small quorum of French soloists, which is normal given that Paris is the capital of France, and many candidates audition from France. (The pianists from France have sometimes been as many as two or three of the foursome, and French singers have usually made up one or two of the twelve soloists.) It is sometimes a natural advantage for an opera singer to sing in his or her own language and the Academy naturally but not exclusively emphasises music in French, Italian, German and Russian. Paradoxically there have been fewer German trainees than Polish ones, and fewer Italians than Ukrainians, perhaps because of institutions providing opportunities in Germany, Italy and elsewhere. Other soloists have come from as far afield as the United States, and Canada, South Korea, Cameroon, Argentina, Guatemala, China, Armenia, Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Romania.
‘It is not, and has never been the policy of the Paris National Opera to limit its notion of performing and perfecting the interpretation of the operatic repertoire to European styles and traditions. Concerts have regularly included American music for example, a production of Kurt Weill’s American musical ‘Street scene’ has been staged, as well as music from Latin America, China and Australia. In terms of English language work, the Academy will stage a new production next year of Britten’s ‘Owen Wingrave’, after twice successfully staging the same composers’ ‘Rape of Lucretia’ in previous years, besides other music from Purcell onwards. Both the previous Britten production and the Kurt Weill featured an Australian Bass-baritone, Damien pass, who was a member of the Atelier Lyrique for three years, and has since been invited back to Academy productions and to the main stages of the Paris Opera repeatedly, and is currently performing Monteverdi in the latest Academy new production. He has performed regularly in French, German and Italian, besides English, like the majority of modern opera professionals.
‘It would appear that the comments of Myriam Mazouzi to Mr Barnard have suffered some considerable mistranslation. Ms Mazouzi explained that for budgetary reasons it is impossible for the Paris Opera to organise auditions elsewhere than in Paris (except for very occasional arrangements in other European cities or in New York when its management is travelling for other reasons). It is however its usual practice to welcome and audition artists from all over the world, with no discrimination, at its annual selection process in Paris. It goes without saying that candidates are encouraged from all origins, even if the high standard and the concentration on French, Italian and German repertoire makes it necessary for candidates to have some experience of the said repertoire, and they are expected to bring something in at least two of those languages to the audition.
The world of European music is glad to be immeasurably indebted to composers, performers, writers, singers and innumerable professionals from Asia, Australasia, the Americas and even Africa, in spite of the considerable difference of musical disciplines in the different continents. There is a long-standing international cross-fertilisation in the arts which makes the ideas expressed in the article on Artshub regrettable misinformation, which the Paris Opera can only hope to counter in its practice. The Paris Opera would appreciate it if ArtsHub were willing to publish this statement in full.’ – Myriam Mazouzi, Director of the Academie de l’Opera de Paris.
Update: David Barnard clarifies
After many years abroad in the UK, Australian Pianist, David Barnard returned to Australia after the pull of the people, his close Australian opera colleagues, the wonderful lifestyle opportunities and of course to top up 13 years of missing vitamin D.
He was honoured to be the recipient of a 50th Anniversary Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship for professional development which took him to Paris, Berlin, Milan and Venice in early 2016. Upon his return to Melbourne, David wrote an extensive report which summarised his learning experiences, as well as highlighting the areas which need change in the Australian Opera Industry. Notably, the governance of the state opera companies. David felt the need for change in certain aspects of the opera industry in Australia, based on his 13 busy years in the UK and the extensive and varied experiences he has undertaken in his career to date.
David’s 14,000-word report talks about the greater need for this change in Australia, as well as many useful technical and pedagogical aspects he discovered along his journey for singers and pianists alike. It also highlights the inspiring and cutting-edge young artist programs of both the Paris Opera and Florence Opera houses and that David’s desire is to breathe elements of this high quality training into the opera industry nationwide here in Australia and his strong wish to bring those teachers and mentors closer to our precious talent and to create many more opportunities for singers to refine their artistry in Australia first and foremost.
It is clear that David loves Australia and holds a great respect for all of his colleagues in the opera industry and those who work with him closely, will verify this very fact. David feels he is so lucky to work with so many highly skilled people and prides himself on listening closely to those with far greater experience and knowledge than he has and is always acquiring knowledge to draw on the past so that he may refine the future for himself and those he encounters. Whilst there are controversial elements to his report, including the honest questioning of existing authority structures within the Australian Opera Industry, David’s interest clearly lies in solutions, in connections and in investing in the quality of Australian education and opportunity.
Applications for Churchill Fellowships close on 15 May 2016. Visit www.churchilltrust.com.au for details. David Barnard’s full report can be downloaded from the Churchill Trust here.
