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Making it to the Met

By Kari VanDerVeen
February 2, 2010

Laura Wilde ’08 is one step closer to her dream of someday singing with the Metropolitan Opera.
Laura Wilde '08 performs in Indiana University's production of L'Italiana in Algeri by Gioachino Rossini.

The St. Olaf alumna and Indiana University graduate student recently took top honors at the district and regional competitions for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, which earned her an all-expense paid trip to New York City next month to compete in the national semifinals. That competition will be held on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, and approximately 10 of the semifinalists will advance to a final contest that will be broadcast nationwide on the Metropolitan Opera Radio Network.

One of the goals of the competition is to discover new talent for the Metropolitan Opera and the Met’s Young Artist Development Program. Annually, approximately 100 former auditioners appear in Metropolitan Opera productions.

Wilde, a vocal performance major at St. Olaf who is working to earn her master's degree in vocal/opera performance, shares how she’s preparing for the national contest, the one thing that makes her nervous for competitions, and how St. Olaf prepared her for a vocal career.

What pieces have you performed during this competition?
I brought five arias, but only sang three at the districts and two at the regional level. At regionals, I opened with "Things Change, Jo" from Mark Adamo's Little Women. I was then asked to sing "The Composer's Aria" from Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. The other three in my aria package are "Dopo Notte" from Handel's Ariodante, "Pensa alla Patria" from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri, and "Va! Laisse couler mes larmes" from Massenet's Werther.

How did you prepare for this event?
The first step was choosing the arias to bring, which is always challenging. It’s important to feel confident about all of your pieces. Each one should be a "winner." After that, it was a lot of technical lessons with my teacher, Constanza Cuccaro, practicing on my own and with my accompanist, researching the different operas my arias are from, and connecting with the character each aria is sung by. After that, there is really nothing to do but go out there and sing.

What do you anticipate will be the most challenging aspect of the national finals in New York City?
Remembering that it’s out of my hands. All we can do as singers is be as prepared as possible, then just sing and try to show the judges why we love what we do.

Have you done competitions like this previously?
Not really. I did a few small ones while at St. Olaf, but have been spending my time at graduate school working on my technique and performing in the Indiana University operas.

Do you get nervous before competitions?
I've never really struggled with singing nerves. It's something that has always felt very natural to me. The only time I feel nervous is when I am unprepared. As long as I do everything I can to be ready, I can just go out and enjoy singing. I am finding, however, that as the stakes get higher, my ability to stay calm is getting more and more difficult to maintain. I'm hoping I can just enjoy this whole experience for what it is.

What kind of music do you listen to in your free time?
I don't actually listen to much opera in my free time, unless it’s one of my recent obsessions; I can get very excited about amazing operas that are new to me. I've recently been listening to more indie pop/rock. I could list them all, but I would be typing for hours.

What activities or ensembles were you involved in at St. Olaf?
As I singer, I was in Cantorei for three years. As a trumpet player, I was a member of the Norseman Band, the St. Olaf Band, and Philharmonia. I was also very involved in the St. Olaf Lyric Opera program.

How did St. Olaf prepare you for a vocal career?
All of the conductors I sang with or played under were very supportive. I had a wonderful voice teacher, Janis Hardy, who really got my voice and technique ready to move on to the next level. And getting to perform with the St. Olaf Orchestra and working with conductor Steven Amundson during the senior soloist concert gave me enough experience to feel comfortable diving into singing with orchestras in the Indiana University operas.

Apart from the general voice and academic preparation, St. Olaf was an amazing community that allowed me to develop as a whole performer, colleague, student, and well-rounded human being. You have to have a strong sense of self-worth to be in this business, and St. Olaf was an integral part of that development.

What kind of work would you like to be doing in five years?
By that point, I hope to have my master's degree, have gained experience at an opera apprenticeship program for a few years, and be working enough in American opera companies to pay the rent. I know it won't be an easy career, by any means, but I can't wait to see where God takes me.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.