Yes I do! See you out there!

      ‘This blog, which I aim to make weekly, will record and discuss my year in the Opera Studio’

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                        Thomas Elwin, 12.09.14

Well here it is, folks, the finish line. The 44^th blog on the 45^th, and last, Friday of my season.  The final day of my time in the Oper Stuttgart Opera Studio, the final Friday living in Germany and the final blog from me, Thomas Elwin.

I think, having written over 60’000 words about my time here, I have fulfilled my little brief, missing just the one Friday which was over the Christmas holidays. I have also fulfilled the brief I gave myself when I moved here, that being to try and make the most of the opportunity, always seek to improve and end the year closer to fulfilling my ultimate goal, that of being a fully-fledged Opera Singer.

How?

I wanted experience, I wanted opportunities, and this is what I got. Straight away I was thrown into the thick of it with roles in Der Freischutz, Ariadne auf Naxos and Kovanshchina. Around the same time as those three I covered the Junge Seeman in Tristan und Isolde and sang in the 5^th anniversary concert for the Opera Studio. Now at the other end of the season, I have just jumped into a performance as Borsa in Rigoletto, my 8^th production of the season having, just a week earlier, stepped up to sing two nights as Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte, a major role in major house debut.

In between all that I have been involved in masterclasses, had many auditions and watched more operas than ever before.

The last 45 weeks have included:

- 47 nights on the Opera stage

 -Singing in 8 different productions: Der Freischutz, Tristan und Isolde, Kovanshchina, Ariadne auf  Naxos, Nabucco, Il Vologeso, Cosi Fan Tutte and Rigoletto.

·          -12 concerts, both in the UK and Germany

·          - 10+ auditions

·          -Visits to numerous central European cities including: Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt, Zurich      and Salzburg

·         -3 Masterclasses

·         -Attending 12 operas, many for the first time, including: La Sonnambula, Jakob Lenz, Platee, La  Boheme, Luisa Miller and Die Fledermaus

·         -Some bier

·         -Some local food

Not a bad Opera studio year I’d say.

Highlights

Hard not to look past Cosi Fan Tutte, just two weeks ago, as my year highlight. 

Getting to perform so much on stage has been great.

Starting to get to grips, slowly, with a new language has been great and I have enjoyed the experience of living in a New country. 

What will I miss?

There are many aspects of this year that I have enjoyed a lot, not least being part of a ;arge community. I was struck by how many people came up to me to wish me best wishes (or just toi toi toi) for my Cosi Fan Tutte performances. When I jumped in as Borsa in Rigoletto last week (which went well thanks)  I was, once again, struck by how many people are in the Opera company, always there to help if needed and ultimately make the job for me to go on stage and sing as easy as possible.  This includes the Wardrobe guys, in particular Cort (as pictured with me in Freischutz and Borsa costumes) without whom I would have constantly been wearing the wrong things on stage and with whom I can even have semi-coherent German conversations with.

A great example of this community was last Saturday when the yearly ‘Solistentreff’ event occurred just outside the centre of Stuttgart. This is an event put on for soloists, and others, from the opera house community to meet, eat, drink and play games. There were more than 25 of us there including Jossi Wieler, the Intendant, so our Boss, who proved a mean goalkeeper. There were many singers and other people from the house, past and present. It was great to feel part of this community.  

I will miss the convenience of Stuttgart. I am a Londoner at heart, but it didn’t take me too long to get used to leaving 20 mins to get anywhere instead of an hour like in London.

I will miss the friends I have made, the ease at which I can just send a text and be in a Brauhaus half an hour later sharing a local bier.

I will miss the supportive staff in Stuttgart, the artists buro who seem to be there to help whenever I need, the head of the Studio whose door is always open for advice, discussions or just answering questions about living in Germany.

Challenges

This blog was never intended to be a warts-and-all account of the goings on inside an Opera house. Much more a warts and all account of being a young singer trying to make it. I would be lying if I said there weren’t things I didn’t enjoy, people I didn’t get on with, things I didn’t want to do. At least one of the 8 productions was a struggle to justify in terms of what I felt I have to offer and what I was being made to do. That’s opera studio for you.

I have felt fortunate with most people, but there are people who will always look down on an opera studio singer, not necessarily treating them with the respect they afford other singers. Then again there are always power games in every walk of life and I will always have respect for those who treat colleagues correctly. As I said, I have been mostly lucky with this and Stuttgart as an Opera house is lucky in this respect. We have one of the nicest and most supportive management teams I could hope to experience.

Living away from my wife has been difficult. Despite the difficulties in my career during 2013/14, it was a year in which I got to see Mrs Elwin a lot and I was happy with that. Making such a big decision as living away from her for a year put a pressure on me to get as much from the year as I could and really showcase my talents.

It has been a challenge to live on very little income. I am very much penniless now and I wouldn’t have been able to get through the year without the support I raised last summer. I am hugely grateful to those who have supported me.

What am I looking forward to?

I am very much looking forward to being home again. To getting back to living with my wife and having some sort of ‘normal’ life, seeing  family, UK friends, being able to go to the cinema without needing to check if it is ‘Original Version’ or not.

I’m looking forward to stepping up to the next stage of my career. To not being ‘opera studio’ anymore but instead a working opera singer with whatever challenges that may bring.

I am excited to get back working with my singing teacher and coaches to continue striving to 

improve.

Stuttgart has made me much more confident with my identity as an artist, where my voice is, what I can offer. As a result, I look forward to returning to England as a much more complete vocal artist and package.

Thanks

There are many people I would like to thank ,not least Bettina Giese, head of the Opera Studio, who has believed in me and championed my cause throughout the year. She is the mother of the opera studio and it would not be what it is without her.

The list of those I would thank at the Opera house is too long to write on here, but all of you that I have had any dealings with, thank you very much for making this year one to remember.

Thank you to my supporters, in particular Glenn, for the support, financial and otherwise.

Thank you of course to my wife and family, for their never ending love and support.

AND thank you to you all for reading. For commenting on posts, sharing them, retweeting them, emailing/messaging me with questions or support. I had no idea what to expect when I first posted this blog and to have had over 55’000 site hits is far beyond what I could imagine.

Bye bye

In my first post, back on 12^th of September 2014, I spoke honestly about the ups and significant downs I had faced in the 18 months before I came to Stuttgart and about my hopes and goals. Over the following 43 posts I have tried to be honest and insightful about whatever the year has thrown at me. I hope you have enjoyed the journey, I have.

See you out there!!

Tom

PS. As a thanks to all my London based social media buddies I would like to invite you, this Tuesday night, at 7pm on 21^st of July, to have a drink with me at the BFI Riverside bar on the Southbank, London. I would be delighted if any of you, my readers, Facebook likers and Twitter followers would like to join me in an event I have called #TomsMeetnTweet. Social Media is, of course, much better when it is truly social. Hope to see you there.

PPS. Drinks are not on me…..

PPPS. Today (17th of July) is my Birthday! Good timing....

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