So what does a Met Opera Chorister do when the Met isn’t in season? Let’s take a look at how three choristers spent their summers away from New York.
All in Spotlights
A Day In The Life Of A Met Chorus Parent
Meet two married members of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Christina and Brian Anderson, who give us an enlightening glimpse of what it’s like to raise a family while working one of the most difficult jobs in the opera business!
Saying Goodbye To Aida: A Chorister’s Perspective
It's always bittersweet when a beloved production closes after many successful years. Mezzo-soprano Annette Spann-Lewis, a member of the Met Chorus for over 25 years, was present for all 247 performances of Frisell’s Aida, and was asked by the Met to give a chorister’s perspective on the evening of the production’s closing night.
Outreach Corner: The Met Chorus Artists Head Upstate!
Most opera fans vividly remember their first encounter with opera. It’s not something one easily forgets. So you can imagine how excited the Met Chorus Artists were to introduce a sold-out audience of kids and adults to the inspiring, electrifying world of opera!
Put On Your Sunday Best: Met Choristers With Church Jobs
Being a full-time member of the Met Chorus is exactly how it sounds: a FULL TIME job. So it may surprise you that, after singing Monday through Saturday, many members of the Met Chorus wake up early on Sundays to sing again!
Love Grows in the Corn Belt
Enjoy a sweet article from the Des Moines Metro Opera blog about our very own Met chorus tenor Greg Warren and his wife, extremely talented freelance stage manager Hester Warren-Steijn, and how they navigate the opera performance world as a team (even if it means not seeing each other for months at a time!).
Outreach Corner: Laura Fries Fosters KITTENS!
In these fraught days of political upheaval and polarization, it’s nice to know there’s something in this world that most people can agree on, and that is the fact that kittens are undeniably cute. Met chorus soprano Laura Fries gives us the skinny on her favorite pastime (other than singing at the Met), which is fostering needy kittens and cats.
Staff Performer Spotlight: Frank Colardo's Illustrious Met Career
Frank Colardo has been a staff performer at the Met since the 1990s, so you've most likely seen him in many of your favorite operas. He's famously known for playing the cowboy in Fanciulla del West who takes a tumble off the balcony during a bar brawl, and is playing the challenging role of Buoso Donati (yes, the dead guy) in Gianni Schicchi. Get an even closer look at one of the Met’s most accomplished staff performers!
Where Are They Now, Volume 2: From Children's Chorus to Queen of the Night
In this edition of “Where Are They Now?”, tenor Daniel Clark Smith sits down with Melanie Spector, a former Met children's chorister, who took her experience on the greatest stage in the world and brought it to the Manhattan School of Music!
A Day In The Life: Anne Dyas, Staff Performer and Superheroine
Check out a day in the life of Anne Dyas, a beloved member of the full-time Staff Performer roster, and you'll find out why the Met Chorus isn't the only group of performers with a claim to the craziest schedule in the opera house!
Outreach Corner: ArtSmart, Run By Met Artists!
When Met Extra Choristers Megan Pachecano & Tom Mulder aren’t performing on the Met stage, they’re molding young minds with an organization called ArtSmart, which was founded by Met Opera favorite Michael Fabiano. Read on to hear about all the wonderful work they’re doing to provide private vocal instruction (and much more) to kids in the metro area!
Remembering Roger Andrews
Saturday night, the Met Opera Chorus lost one of its own. Roger Andrews, who sang in the chorus for over 2,000 performances and performed solo roles 152 times at The Metropolitan Opera before retiring 4 years ago, passed away suddenly at the age of 67 of an apparent heart attack. Fellow chorister Rebecca Carvin shares her fond memories of Roger.
The Met Opera Chorus Goes Back to School!
The Metropolitan Opera Chorus may be one of the hardest working groups of people in the business, but giving back to the community is still a priority! Chorus members participated in two educational outreach opportunities this month, both with fabulous groups of attentive kiddos in Manhattan, our own backyard!
Why Dancer Bradley Shelver Wrote A Book
Extraordinarily talented dancer Bradley Shelver (who has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet for 10 years) shares with us his amazing journey from Johannesburg, South Africa to the vibrant cultural mecca of New York City, and what brought him to write a book about dance technique.
Meet Dan Hoy, Chorus Administrator
The Met Chorus's schedule is, unsurprisingly, a nightmare for administrators. You might wonder how we keep it all together? Well, meet Dan Hoy, who performs the unsung role of Chorus Administrator with aplomb (thanks, in part, to his experience in the extra chorus!).
Staff Performer Spotlight: Mike Gomborone the Globe-Trotter
Staff performers, the non-singing actors of the Met stage, are essential to the success of all our operas. This month, we meet Mike Gomborone, whose performing life prior to the Met was so rich and varied, he had to write a whole book about it!
Outreach Spotlight: Patricia Steiner's Global Mission
Being a Met chorister often means lots of time spent rehearsing and performing, with not a lot of time left to give back. Thankfully, the company takes a break over the summer. While many of her colleagues were taking well-deserved vacations, Pat Steiner decided to use some of her time off to travel to South Africa to work with a group of incredible kids in Johannesburg...
Chorister Spotlight: Liz Brooks Wentworth, Spreading Joy One Pomeranian at a Time
Learn how mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Brooks spends her time outside of the Met. (Spoiler: it has to do with outreach and extremely cute dogs.)
Spotlight on Chorister Marc Persing
Marc Persing grew up in the little town of Lewisburg, PA, right on the Susquehanna River. His childhood was spent as a boy soprano with the Lewisburg Men and Boys Choir. He loved playing Atari and Pac-Man in his spare time, and watching reruns of The Brady Bunch. Although he started as a pre-med major in college, his first voice teacher encouraged him to pursue his vocal studies - which he did, initiating a transfer to The Hartt School of Music to major in opera.
From Physics Lab to Opera House to Bookstore Near You
A profile of the Metropolitan Opera’s own C. A. Higgins, production assistant and author of the Lightless trilogy.