Photography courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Damon Bristo, OTSL's new director of artistic administration
This month, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis will set out across the country—from Ohio to New England to Texas to St. Louis—to host auditions for its Gerdine Young Artist Program. Two new additions to OTSL will be part of that search, looking to identify and cultivate up-and-coming talent through onstage experience, coaching, and master classes.
“My entire career, I’ve been interested in young artists," says Damon Bristo, who recently became OTSL's director of artistic administration, after serving as vice president of NYC-based Columbia Artists and attending the festival seasons for the past decade. "The one thing that Opera Theatre does better than most places is promote and discover new talent.”
Photography by Kate Russell, courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Patricia Racette, OTSL's new artistic director of young artist programs.
His new colleague Patricia Racette can attest to that. After first performing with OTSL in the early 1990s and making her directorial debut last season with Verdi’s La Traviata, the acclaimed soprano recently joined the company as the artistic director of young artist programs.
“You know when you walk into a company or a job, and you just get a feeling?" she says. "I immediately had that feeling when I was running the rehearsals last year... Everyone works so beautifully with one another.”
She too plans to help young singers find their voice and give them the tools and techniques to continue developing as artists. “There’s so much training that happens for young singers on musical training and vocal instruction, and there’s a lot of correction and necessary criticism that goes with that," says Rachette, who will direct Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, debuting next June. One oft-overlooked area that she hopes to explore with upcoming artists: "the interpretive prowess necessary for being an artist.”
As Bristo puts it, “Singers are like athletes: They have to train, they have to be developed, and they need places to develop their skills. I think Opera Theatre can provide that better than most.”
The St. Louis auditions for the Gerdine Young Artists Program will be September 27. (The application deadline has passed.) Then look for the fresh faces during Opera Theatre of Saint Louis' Center Stage performance, June 23, 2020.
