Opera Scotland

Stephanie Corley on learning as a singer

Posted 29 Dec

Stephanie talked about learning and development as a singer

OperaScotland When you're working on a role, have you ever said well, that doesn't suit my voice?

I've had experiences of doing a role more than once, and from that you learn it takes time to get a role to settle, to get to know all about it the first time you do it is too much - you are always learning.   I think it's quite important to stretch yourself and sometimes for me I can be quite cautious about taking risks. Quite often when I'm taking on a role I didn't do a few years ago but I think. now I'm ready for that. It's a very important learning process. People can get stuck in one way of thinking; we have emotions and sometimes we learn from a role and move on.

OperaScotland Directors such as Graham Vick (with whom you've worked) can take on a production and make it seem quite different?

Some are more musical than others, yes.  Obviously I think every director I  worked with you can help you learn something from the process, even if how to manage these experiences.

I did a really interesting project with ten directors are had no experience of opera whatsoever and I was asked to go through a scene with them in turn (Tatiana's letter scene).  Actually, some of them had no idea and they were some of the most challenging and interesting. One said to me, 'can you make sound not so posh?'  One director said 'I just want you to sit there and write a letter, I don't want to stage it'. It was great for me. He wasn't pandering to any sort of conventions.

OperaScotland Fascinating - thanks!

Thanks, too to our AV adviser, Douglas Kerr.

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