Christine: Congratulations, Brett! You got hired at the Theater Erfurt in Germany! 
This must be very exciting for you. You received your first Festcontract at a theater in Germany.
 
Brett: THANK YOU! I am very excited for this opportunity!
 
Christine: Many singers dream about getting a Fest contract at a German theater. What was your first reaction when you learned that you got the job?

​American tenor Brett Sprague who recently won first prize of the Seattle Opera Guild Singer's Awards just came back from Germany where he sang for theater auditions. GVAI’s Director Christine conducted this interview with him. Learn and enjoy!
 
GVAI: Thank you Brett, for being willing to share your insights about your tour and your experiences with GVAI's young singers!
 
Brett: It is absolutely my pleasure to share what I learned on my audition tour; it is information I wish I had from someone who recently had the experience. I hope my insights, however limited, can help!

​If you are a young professional singer, you may be headed off to a summer program or two to learn more about singing. OR you might be taking the summer off and planning to apply next year. Either way, it pays to do your research on summer programs before you pick the right one. If you are wanting to attend a summer opera program that has a focus in a specific language, you especially want to make sure it’s a good fit for your needs. For our purposes, we are going to consider German summer programs.

As we head closer to spring, it’s about time young professionals begin to receive their acceptances to young artist programs, opera workshops, and schools. After the initial excitement begins to settle, it’s not uncommon to go into sticker shock. Whether it be fees for a $3,000 month-long pay-to-sing or for a $50,000 a year conservatory, the fees are a tough pill to swallow. If you find yourself in a place where scholarships and grants are not enough to cover the costs and you can’t afford the remainder of the cost yourself, you don’t necessarily have to let go of that dream opportunity. Fundraising can be your answer! ​

If you've been following Susan's German Audition Tour blog, you know that she is well into her journey! This week, Susan tries all the bratwursts in lieu of Thanksgiving, visits Christ Kindl Markets on Black Friday, and muses on how this audition tour has allowed her to work even harder on her music career. It's amazing the progress you make when the only thing you have to focus on is music. All that practicing will come in handy at Susan's upcoming auditions!