Audition Lists: A Voice Teacher’s Perspective

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working closely with several students preparing for upcoming auditions with apprentice programs. Ah, the infamous list of five arias—that perennial source of stress and scrutiny. Everyone in the industry has an opinion on it, and the tricky part? Each opinion is different. I’ve spoken with singer colleagues and opera administrators alike, presenting various iterations of aria lists to gather feedback. One question I asked repeatedly was this: Can you look at an audition list and withhold judgment until you’ve heard the singer?

It’s a loaded question, and if we’re being honest, the answer is usually no. Even the most open-minded of us bring assumptions to the table when we see repertoire on the page. But voices are not templates—they’re individual instruments, evolving works of art. And yet, pigeonholing persists. It’s reductive, and frankly, it’s boring.

Take a combination like “Caro Nome,” “Mi Tradi,” and “Marietta’s Lied.” Is that a contradiction in terms? For some, yes. For me? Absolutely not. I see possibility. I hear the singer behind the choices. As a teacher, I work with these voices week after week. I hear their growth, their technical refinement, their interpretive deepening. I don’t just see a list—I see the artist behind it. I would never send a student into the world with repertoire that isn’t vocally, technically, or emotionally convincing.

And yet, we know this happens all too often: a list is dismissed before the first note is sung, simply because it doesn’t conform to someone’s idea of what “makes sense.” That’s a disservice to young singers and to the art form itself. Apprentice auditions should be about hearing the voice, not confirming a bias.

The truth is, singers today must navigate an industry that too often values predictability over potential. As I continue to mentor and write about the operatic landscape, I hope we can collectively shift the lens—one audition list at a time.

It’s a work in progress. But hey, it’s a start.

—DD