Opera Offstage

Summer is quickly flying by which means its time to get together and figure out how to make the most of it! Today we're talking about how to set effective goals, find opportunity at home, and have a summer that is as fulfilling as it is relaxing. Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

The world of classical music is many things but it is certainly never dull! We have several delightful, frustrating, and bizarrely funny bits of news to dive into today so join us as we dive in as well as share some exciting news for the Opera Offstage family! Dudamel Photos: New York Times Photo Essay Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

What do a famous jazz composer, a west coast ultramodernist percussionist, and a British film composer and arranger have in common? They're here, they're queer, and they're the musicians we're highlighting this Pride month. We're continuing our favorite tradition of sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ musicians you should (or maybe don't even realize you already do) know. Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Fa...

The 100th Episode of Opera Offstage has finally arrived! Join us as we celebrate three years of fantastic community, unhinged instagram comments, crazy mistakes, and lessons learned.  Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

We spend a lot of time talking about all the various business and practical parts of being a musician, but what does it really mean to be an artist? How does someone transition from the technical focus of school into the much more ambiguous realm of artistry? Today we discuss what we believe it means to be an artist and how we can retrain the artistic muscles that make us strong and competent crea...

February flew by, which means it's time to take a second to cover some of the crazy news that came with it, and MAN do we have things to talk about. We've got some surprising season announcements, another (unsurprising) YAP problem, a frightening Broadway update, and Michelle's personal conductor heartbreak. Join us as we unpack a very eventful month in the world of music. Join Our Discord: Discor...

We loved our writer Preston Hereford's blog post on historical figures who need their own operas, so we decided we wanted to play along too! Today we're telling the stories of some crazy historical figures and how we would adapt their tales for the operatic stage. Join us as we pit our operatic pitches against each other to see which figure comes out on top. Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: In...

The most captivating parts of music history often have less to do with music and more to do with what inspires it: LOVE! Love letters, affairs, and failed marriage proposals are just the tip of the iceberg in today's Valentines' Day episode, so join as we dive into deeply romantic and frequently cringy classical lovers. Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie...

Black History Month is an amazing time to talk about the incredible Black musicians who have formed and changed the genre of classical music, but sometimes it feels like we always see the same names highlighted each time February rolls around. So this year, we wanted to celebrate just a few of the many living Black musicians who are currently making history in our industry, changing the way we thi...

It's time to once again dig into everyone's favorite touchy subject: MONEY. Every artistic project, training program, and school has one critical thing in common: They all require money. So we're breaking different ways to get the cash and ditch the shame around fundraising for you artistic dreams. Join Our Discord: Discord Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

Listen, we couldn't head into 2023 without dissecting the GOSSIP from 2022. Jonas Kauffman's never-ending Christmas Album, a Yoga sex-crime ring, and a certain leaked email chain that gives us the ICK-- 2022 was a year of weird music news. So come laugh, commiserate, and cringe at all the crazy last year brought us. Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

As we wrap up the Messiah Season™, we enter the classical period of reflection that is the short week leading us into 2023.  We've gathered a couple pieces of advice as you set out on your new goals and adventures next year, but we can't do it alone so we've brought on friend of the pod Tiffany Soricelli to help us learn how to set better financial goals and tell us a little about a great new reso...

The holidays are a time for thankfulness, so today we are exploring something we can all be grateful for: Good Colleagues! In the world of classical performance we are in a state of constant competition and judgement which can leave friendliness, camaraderie, and support by the wayside. So today we're jumping into all the ways we can be better to each other as musicians and a few of the ways we ca...

Today we're excited to speak with flutist, photographer, web designer, and friend of the pod Taylor Rossi. Taylor shares her journey from student musician to the many hats she wears today, the importance of the artist's website, and finding passion and balance in your work. In the episode, Taylor shares her best tips and advice for musicians looking to have a website that feels authentic and conve...

Opera Offstage has risen from the dead to share more spooky classical tales filled with haunted opera houses, ghostly composers, and spirits writing music from beyond the grave! Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle   Music: Echoes of Time v2 Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0...

Art and politics have always been intertwined, but these past few years have opened up the conversation about what exactly that means for performers and theaters. It is not simply about political art onstage but also about the political affiliations and ideologies that artists hold offstage. This has led some to question where the line between art and politics lies and what exactly do artists owe...

Every musician has at some point dealt with Imposter syndrome. In a subjective field with intense scrutiny, how could you not??? So today we're diving into exactly what causes musicians to be so susceptible to it and how we can reclaim our sense of purpose in our field. Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

Classical Music has always been a little crazy, but there are some pretty strange moments that get left out of even the most detailed music history books, and that's what we're jumping into today. You sent in your weird stories and we picked a few of our own to share how truly wild music history can be. Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle  

Today we're bringing in our most loveable guests yet: our Boyfriends! We talk all about how Jessie found a boyfriend via the podcast, what really is the difference between a Daddy and a Zaddy, and which instrument has wronged most of our audience. Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

We are very excited to have John Brancy on the podcast!    Grammy Award-Winning Baritone John Brancy‘s intense musicality and communicative power place him among the finest of baritones of his generation. Brancy skillfully switches between leading opera roles, and award-winning art song interpretation. In an article of Opera News, legendary baritone Gerald Finely says, “I look at John Brancy, a yo...

Does Milk Thicken Mucus? Will Caffeine Dry You Out? Is Vaping Safe For Vocalists? Join us as we dive into all the many faceted myths, lies, and half-truths that we've all heard more than once around the practice rooms! Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

We are so excited for the amazing guests we have on the podcast today! We're discussing the world premiere of Fat Pig with Soprano and Fat Activist Tracy Cox, Director and Librettist Miriam Gordon-Stewart, and Bass and Composer Matt Boehler. We talk about the intricacies of bringing a new and in someways controversial work to the stage as well as the many changes and compromises that happen along...

We're back with another set of stories from music history and our good friend Alex Papandrea. Today we talk about the curse of La forza del destino, why you should never double text (or send 700 letters) like Janáček, and how Russian opera composers faked it til they made it. If you've got a great music history story make sure to send to us and we may cover it in our next episode! Follow Us: Insta...

Can a 26 year-old pull off playing a 16 year-old in a movie? Or better yet, should they? And how many shows can really pull of the "13 Going on 30" aesthetic (We're looking at you Grease) Today we're talking about the Dear Evan Hansen debacle and comparing it's issues to the very obvious age gaps in musical theater and especially opera.  Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosts: Jessie Michelle

Murder at the Met, a cult leader who performed at Houston Grand Opera, and a murderous soprano, today's episode is packed with all things spooky. Buckle up and join us as we explore some of the most haunting events from major opera houses and musicians with murderous intent.   Today's episode contains some dark topics, so listed below are the time stamps for each story along with appropriate trigg...