FROM COACH TO CONDUCTOR: THE WHY AND THE HOW OF CONTINUOUS COLLABORATION

After many years of being deeply involved in the opera world, accompanying and coaching singers and working with conductors and directors all over the world, I’ve reflected on all the great experiences and opportunities I was lucky to have and all the talented people I’ve worked with, both students and professionals, and on how that influenced who I am as a musician, a colleague, a professional. I think about what kind of a conductor I would like to be and the answer is very clear to me: I would like to be everything I am and have been as a coach and transfer all my passion, knowledge and experience from the piano bench to the podium. 

When performing opera, one has to remember that there’s no music without text and no text without a novel, a poem or a historical event that preceded everything. What’s in a musical score is the culmination and the putting together of all these elements. As performers, I feel it’s our duty to serve the music that was given to us. We are interpreters of the compositions we are performing and therefore, it’s our responsibility to respect and serve the composer’s creations while still giving space for the crucial element of our own performing interpretation. In order for us to do right by that piece of music and really understand the roadmap before us, we must thoroughly investigate the source materials, whatever they may be. We must find out what inspired the story that led to the text and finally, the music. 

When studying or coaching a piece of music, I try to stay loyal to what’s written on the page while using the tools of expression (such as ornamentations, appoggiaturas, portamenti, and rubati) appropriate to each specific style. I try to get into the mind of the composer by asking important questions, such as: why these dynamics? why this tempo? why this breath? why this musical structure? etc. I enjoy this fantastic journey of “interpreting” music and delivering the “word” of the composer by attempting to present what the composer created. The more we understand why the composer chose to write something in a certain way, the more we are able to make it personal and to connect to the music we’re performing. This is how the creation of the composer speaks through our individual voice.

The human voice is the only instrument that uses text and is the instrument most capable of expressing emotions as it lives inside our body and isn’t external. This is what drew me to working with singers. The necessity for collaboration among many artists and elements is what drew me to opera.

As a coach, I always prepare the singers for someone else, which allows for a lot of give and take, discussion and bouncing around of ideas. I rarely tell singers they have to do things a certain way, except if they aren’t singing what’s written on the page, don’t follow the diction rules, etc. I love exploring options together. I rejoice when a singer comes to me with a different, sometimes opposite interpretation. As long as their choices derive from

research of the material, background and text, they just need to be convincing in their portrayal. At the end, they’re the ones who need to convince an audience and therefore must make every piece their own. It needs to be genuine and personal.

As a conductor, the roles change a bit, as I’m no longer preparing the singers for someone else. We are all performers. As before, my job is to support the singers to give the best performance they’re capable of, but I’m also responsible for the orchestra doing the same with all of us supporting what’s happening on stage. I enjoy discovering the delicate balance between how much a conductor needs to dictate versus how much of it is discussion and true collaboration. I believe that the spirit of collaboration and the joy of "creating something together" don't have to stop when transitioning from a behind-the-scenes supporter to a leadership role as a conductor and performer. Yes, it is not the same and some or many times a conductor must take charge, but it is not an either/or situation. It is a balance that is explored and re-examined constantly in every bar and every moment during rehearsals and performances, and of course it can change over time as performers themselves change. This balancing act should never lose sight of the need and joy of working together, respecting the people you work with and the piece you’re working on. Opera is a collaborative art form, the success of which depends on each person being a willing and enthusiastic team player.