Do you need to go to school to be an opera singer?

Finding your way in the world of opera is often daunting! There are so many paths but which one to choose? In this video I will discuss some of my background in music and how I found my passion for Opera as well as some insight into how to find your path in the industry.

[@Timothy97x]

You can't imagine how important this is for a young tenor like me! Thank you! 🙏❤

[@alfech786]

Proud of you, Michael!! Glad we have been shared the time together in WYC 99, Slovenia. Greetings from Indonesia. 😊❤

[@realguitarjayde]

Michael, watching your performances online completely redefined my goals of a great singing technique. Watching this and your other content has been some of the best education i’ve ever had - all for free - and i’ve been fortunate enough to study with some wonderful sought-after teachers and schools. I want to personally thank you for your work and legacy you’ve been building. If I get where i want to go, you will have been a massive part of that success. Can’t wait to see what you keep putting out!

[@richardmccowenclark2412]

Mr. Spyres!!!! Listening to this post sounds VERY FAMILIAR because I did almost the same thing. I studied with several good teacher, also came to Europe with a one way ticket. And just like in your story I had friends who thank goodness took me in and helped out as much as they could. I studied in Berlin, Rome, and Boston. Went back to Germany to become a chorus member in Bremen, all the while still studing to become a soloist, also went from Baritone to Tenor!!! It all was coming together quit well till I myself became rather unsatisfied with the way Opera was developing, meaning the weird and crazy stagings. So I got side tracked into Musical theater which I'm still doing to this day. Hopefully you will be coming to Vienna soon because I would really love to finally here you live Sir. Your recording a just amazing and these wonderful videos here on KZbin. 😀

[@kjake1]

I appreciate your thoughts on this. I have been singing my whole life and chose to get married young and raise a family. With six kids, it has been a challenge to consistently learn and practice, but KZbin is a great tool. I will never have a famous teacher or go to Julliard, but I continue to learn and grow, as I know if I stop I'll lose it, and that would be truly devastating for me. I am able and bring joy to the small circle of those that hear me, and I am grateful for that. I am glad you are grounded by a strong family. It is one of the things in decline in the world. You seem to have a pretty healthy perspective and I think that is rare.

[@johnblasiak2499]

Amazing man for sure I am amazed at his talent and ability to make it sound like it’s a breeze and it’s not at the same time

[@Oberon90]

Thank you for sharing this! This is so important for all the singers that struggle on the way to become an operatic artist.

[@daipod3148]

i just attended Semele in Munich... you and everyone else was amazing! It is inspiring to see you do so well ! im on a similar path still trying to figure out where it leads me. I would love to see you sing some Gustav Mahler. especially die Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. have a great time , much Love Simon

[@boristemkin]

Great. This video become an inspiration for me. The hope to have a career is stil alive.

[@QueenCityHistory]

Fellow Springfieldian!! I studied opera at MSU for 3 years.. my sister did ballet and I did opera. It wasn’t necessary but omg I learned so much from others. Such an amazing experience

[@annabelmorimoto1917]

Wow, thank you so much Michael for sharing. Your message here really means a lot to me. Thank you.

[@heidisegelke6243]

I appreciate this so much. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@michaeledwardnapier6815]

What an extraordinarily humble, humane, generous-spirited, brilliant artist is Michael Spyres! And have you heard this dude sing Handel ?!? Most of my artistic life has been spent as a writer - couple of Off Broadway productions - tons of Off Off, a little Hollywood work. Writing is hard, so I was always trying to quit singing, quit music even though I'd done it since childhood - it's such a jealous muse, and it has always robbed me of so much time. When I moved back from NY from LA, my then playwriting agent and I could not get any real movement on my then new play - lots of - almost sweet - rejection letters from very important theatres in both NY and London. So I thought, what can I offer - what is unique to me as a writer - about my voice - that is specific to me ... that I could share? With the world? Then it dawned on me, my voice! So I wrote a play called, Music Lessons, and my dear friend, the late Robert LuPone, Artistic Director of MCC Theatre in NY developed it with me during the pandemic while he was dying of cancer. And I performed it in every C - circuit theatre in the Hudson River Valley and Connecticut - well, not every one but several. Doing my play required me to go back and study voice with Jane Olian who's been teacher off and on since I've been 21 - I mean, I was playing a music teacher after all. But the more I studied; the hungrier I got to just make music. One day she tole me as we were working on "Cujus Animan" from Rossini's, Stabat Mater, "you know, Ed, there's something you can do about this." And she encouraged me to apply to graduate vocal programs, so I applied to Juilliard, Manhattan, Mannes, Yale, and Hartt. I was rejected everywhere except for Hartt. And they gave me money. So now, I am the only 60 year old I have ever known in a graduate vocal program - ever. (I just finished my first year, too. Yoo-hoo)! I've gotten a couple little jobs at local opera companies in Connecticut, and this summer, I'm attending a program in Germany. I finally surrendered the Siren's call. I was riddled with self-doubt before auditioning to these various schools: I told my dear friend, mentor, acting coach, and producer, Bob, " I dunno. I can't do it. I feel like a fucking idiot. I'm at home teaching myself basic theory. Stuff so many of these kids will have learned when they were in like junior high school. And I'm so old...My French is terrible. My German is worse" - blah, blah, blah... And Bobby said, "Fuck it! Apply. Apply to 'em all! Even if you don't get in anywhere. All of that preparation will lead you to a somewhere else." And he was right. I am living that somewhere else. But truth is, I don't know where on earth this journey will take me. So far, Hartford. And Berlin. But hey, for a guy from Kenova, West Virginia, that 's a pretty far piece. Maybe someday, I'll make it down to the Ozark Mountains and work with that opera company down there. I've always loved the Daredevils, too! So really and truly, Bob and Michael are both right - just do it! Throw down. Dive in! There are no guarantees about anything, but if you work, you will go somewhere....Blessings....

[@ira-art]

Вы вдохновляете! Спасибо. Я начала учиться вокалу в 40. Мой учитель тоже сказал,что мне стоит попытаться. Я контральто. Расскажите о ваших успехах!

[@jenspflug7473]

Good to hear you're a self- taught to a greater part which is in line with some greats from the past (Corelli etc.) And thank you for the reality check and providing aspiring people from outside with deep insight knowledge. Unfortunately, the "this school and that teacher" dogma seems to be still in existence and difficult to overcome as too many people are benefitting from it. What it takes beyond skills is luck to meet the right decision makers who believe in you and give you chances. Another, highly interesting question for me is, how you ever could have thought you're a baritone when high notes are coming out with ease and the tenor timbre was there. Did you yourself never notice that in younger days?

[@raynardi2326]

Penso che tu abbia perfettamente ragione in tutto. Naturalmente quando ti metti in gioco avrai dapprezzamenti ma anche molte critiche. Io personalmente ti apprezzo di più nella musica antica. Apprezzo infinitamente la tua UMILTÀ ',che, detto tra noi, non è propria dei tenori 🤣. Complimenti e Buon lavoro!

[@bakeman2]

What were the most helpful books/tools/methods that helped you learn to sing as a tenor? Would you be able to share some specific techniques to practice and things that worked for you?

[@tabuuforte8546]

Bro you're amazing. I myself wish to be an opera, and opera crossover, singer and composer! I'm glad that, in case I can't afford classical training, I can still sing it!

[@zafreenqureshi1759]

Hi Michael. I've been really inspired by your talk. Just to tell you a little bit about myself I'm from London originally and I had singing lessons many many years ago then I came to Italy and went to Baritone. But in fact I'm a Tenor. Unfortunately the technique he taught me made me push my voice so I gave up. I gave up for 15/16 years and I restarted a year ago. I found a teacher who's very good And we've been working on my voice with results that I couldn't have possibly imagined a year ago. Really working on singing in the mask, which was practically non- existent. The only thing is I'm 54! I look good for ma age, which helps. But in any case I need to choose my vocabulary carefully.I want to sing seriously. here in Italy there are some opportunities on a smaller scale we're not talking about the metropolitan but there are some smaller opera houses and theatres etc. so maybe there will be a happy ending at the end of this story. I would like to be able to send you a message after another year telling you how I've been able to finally do something!!

[@florian7485]

Greetings from Vienna 🇦🇹✨🎵

[@ira-art]

Как ваши успехи?

[@FranciscoFernandezD]

I think is a very beautiful testimony and I appreciate your sharing, Maestro Spyres. And I think you definitely earned your position out of the extraordinary talent you have. On the other hand, and If I may share, I am the example of what people fear if they don’t go to school. Though I did study music and singing in a conservatory I also had to study privately to fix some major flaws in my vocal education. But I get often overlooked by the fact that I am not 100% full time artist (I work mostly as a software engineer), when I go to an audition people question sometimes the fact I don’t have credentials of a voice major of something. Finally, I would also say is matter of talent, after so many experiences with my own voice and even having solved many issues of vocal technique, I have the feeling that I don’t have the talent or that my talent isn’t enough to impress people. Don’t know if I am over sharing haha, but definitely I think is still a game of luck being able to reach a good position in the music world.

[@crazysingingasian4654]

i love to listen your story about struggle back then, somehow it related to me aswell

[@fredericgaufichon7373]

Thank you so much for sharing such inspiring story.

[@bakeman2]

Thank you so much Michael! A breath of fresh air

[@birgirstefansson5398]

Thank you so much, this is just what I needed to hear right now!

[@Organic_Organist]

Wish the camera's focus could have been better but the wisdom being shared is priceless. Thank you. I am so very happy that you have found success in your operatic career. I didn't know I could admire you more, but here we are!

[@edsonsotomarquez5027]

It's inspiring everything you said on this video, thanks for sharing a part of all of your experience!

[@kartikayysola]

Damn, I REALLY needed to hear this right now. Thank you.

[@marciaandreiaazevedo]

I really identify with what you say. thanks for sharing.

[@emmaklima5826]

Ich danke Ihnen für die Informationen. Ich habe Sie einmal life erlebt und bin einfach nur begeistert und freue mich, Sie wieder einmal life zu hören

[@donquijote9058]

Gracias Michael!!!!

[@Sacha_Kudli]

Amazing!!

[@dashi-tumen]

Thank you!

[@LilosTheDecimator]

Can't fake a voice that carry through/over the orcestra :P

[@gillianomotoso328]

It’s not faking a voice. It’s building a voice.

[@ngatihine6072]

You are a cool guy

[@kalijr.1299]

I have just discovered opera. I am going all in for a career. This means a lot. You have no idea.

[@yuriii21]

Hello, please can you tell me where i can learn signing opera

[@kalijr.1299]

​@@yuriii21härnösands folkhögskola in northern sweden. Great teachers here

[@edraith]

To be fair you always had a one of a kind voice, your great technique and research notwithstanding. From what I remember you are a baritone with a lirico-leggero disposition but then you also had AN INCREDIBLE vocal range and great ability to sing in completely different tessituras and also the ability to sing consistently while sustaining the most different vocal qualities (from light to extremely dark and strong, you could fake a true bass voice better than other bass-baritones out there): that's technique of course but, come on, how many low tenors or high baritones do you know possessing both a CounterLow C and an F Sovracuto as you do? Or how many low tenors or even low baritones do you know having a true baritonal Low A as easy and strong and projected as yours? That's not just technique. Anyway back then (I was in a choir and we worked together in 2007) I remember coming back home and trying to explain "I've found the absolute rossinian baritenor! Guys it's unbelievable, he can sing tenore lirico-leggero rossiniano but has the low notes some so called bass-baritones lack!" and no-one would believe me :D Saluti dall'Italia ^_^

[@KajiVocals]

These low notes are not that unheard of for a tenor. If you ask around in singer circles you’ll see plenty of them.

[@edraith]

​@@KajiVocals thank you for your kind input, of course I'll try asking around in circles where I've academically studied some twenty years long.

[@KajiVocals]

@@edraith I know pure sopranos with low notes not far from these. People don’t see this type of stuff or act all in disbelief as they have a very rigid view of voice’s capabilities. I myself am a mezzo-soprano with a fairly reliable bottom G below the bass clef and access to the coloratura soprano range. This isn’t uncommon. I have met many people with these kind of ranges.

[@edraith]

@@KajiVocals yes, I think I understand what you mean. But I'm thinking more about the quality and expressivity and easiness of the voice over certain tessituras and extreme notes: Michael seemed extremely at ease expressing the desired kind of sound where you would rather expect a real baritone sounding like that and a tenor you'd imagine would either struggle or not sound as natural, especially on the dynamics and on the low end. Me too I'm a bass-baritone and I can go pretty low in respect to certain GREAT Opera Basses from the XX century I dare not to be compared with but who where BASSES and yet struggled on low notes: that could be due to many different reasons, very complex to analyse, and I totally second what you said that most people (even in the field of singing and teaching...) are too close minded and guided by schematisations that cannot always work for every single person.

[@KajiVocals]

@@edraith I would have agreed had Michael been able to sing in that low tessitura on a big stage without amplification and even after descending from the upper range - but he can’t. He attempts this sometimes but the difference in brilliance, strength, projection and everything else is like night and day. In truth he is likely to be a darker-voiced version of Chris Merritt. But absolutely a natural tenor, that much is clear by the natural density of the voice (audible even when singing the baritone repertoire) and the zona di passaggio. If you were to look at his voice on a spectrogram you would be able to see some of his harmonics being very distinctly tenor actually. Even in the clip where he imitates the basso-cantante Cesare Siepi. If anything, this right here is a low tenor with an extended range - on both ends. For a more natural and I suppose the right word would be ‘neutral’ example of his voice, check out the concert he did this January where he sings several pop songs. It is called Opera Rocks 2023. I see more similarities than not between Michael and the tenore drammatico Sergio Franchi. Similar range, similar low notes, similar facility in coloratura and timbral manipulation. The difference however is Sergio’s voice was almost incomprehensibly larger live in terms of sheer volume. I have read of a tenor who saw both Franchi and Caruso live in his lifetime. It was a book entry. And he spoke of Franchi being the biggest voice he has ever heard live. If someone is bigger than Caruso and Del Monaco or Baum (who was loud often just for the sake of being loud but it still applies), it is truly shocking to me.

[@feifei5455]

Damnn Michael, what a life

[@johnhoie1]

You don’t sound like a baritone to me. You are very much a tenor, and a wonderful one at that. The comments I’ve read below some of your KZbin videos express concern that you will ruin your voice singing heavier roles, but I don’t think so. Your excellent technique should prevent that. Besides, if it were going to happen, there would be signs already, but your voice is still fresh and clear. Here’s hoping you have many more years delighting us.

[@gillianomotoso328]

There are literally people on here who think he is a bass-baritone actually XD

[@dangillingwater6710]

I like this guy. Of course I admire his singing. But I like him as a man as well.

[@Tagoreapoet]

“many roads lead to Rome”

[@gregorschuster206]

The question is, how would you be a fake tenor? The high tones are either good, bad or just not there and if theyre good youre a tenor lol

[@KajiVocals]

What makes one’s voice type a tenor is not high notes but the timbre and tessitura. That being said Spyres is most likely a dramatic tenor.

[@kartikayysola]

It's not just about being good, you gotta be able to maintain that tessitura over multiple performances of a tenor role. This also applies to other voice types too. George London made his debut as a baritone singing Valentin in Faust, but soon moved down to bass-bari rep, as singing such a high baritone role taught him that sustaining that would've been costly for him.

[@gillianomotoso328]

@@kartikayysola Unless he devoted his time to the tenorial vocalities over the baritonal ones… but in which case, what worth would it be to sacrifice baritone for tenor when it was already working so well for him

[@gillianomotoso328]

@@kartikayysola And even then. You can always broaden your voice to some degree to sing beyond your present or overall Fach. If you so wish.

[@gillianomotoso328]

@@KajiVocals And even those can be manipulated and moved… A dramatic tenor is often not so different from a baritone effectively pushed upward. But that type likely would fit him well, or at very least a wide-ranging lyric baritone

[@user-yd1gf2jj8m]

Short answer: Nah

[@toothlesstitan]

Dude you talk too much.