Peter's Opera Career

Hi Friends, Family and Peeps. This past November 18th, 2104, I had an opportunity to try and do something that very few people get the chance to do, namely to restart my operatic singing career after a break of just under two years, during which I've been battling vocal problems and health challenges, as well as doing lots of non-singing work that has taught me exactly what it means to be a fish out of water. For a few years prior to my last work at Milan's Teatro alla Scala, I had been in vocal distress, brought on by singing through a series of bronchial infections and exacerbated, I believe by the loss of thyroid function through an auto-immune disease. Now that I have been able to get that issue under control, I am singing again, better and stronger every day, and on Tuesday, the 18th of November, I sang a really strong audition for the full-time chorus at the Metropolitan Opera, a dream I thought I'd never realize. Although I won't know the results of that audition until mid to late Spring, I feel that I sang a very credible and beautiful audition.

Now, as I wait for that news, I have learned that there may be some good work available to me at my "home" theater, my old friend Teatro alla Scala, of Milan. I would need to make a trip to Milan in January to sing an auditon there for a return engagement.

The reason I'm coming to you all is to try and put together in very short order, enough money to pay for more lessons as well as an airline ticket and a couple of weeks rent in Italy, so I can devote my time to preparing for this trip.

What will you get out of this? Well, in addition to the perks listed by the donation levels, you'll get the knowledge that you helped at least one artist, and a friend, at that, to have a chance to finish his career in happiness. In America, the government doesn't really support artists or the arts, so we rely on you apportioning, voluntarily, a part of your leisure budget to help support and sustain art and music which is important to you, as well as necessary for the well-being and harmony of the planet.  Plus, if I get the Met gig, I'll give away any complimentary tickets I get on a rotating basis to all of my friends, with special emhasis on those who've so generously donated! I'll do the same at any opera company for which I work, your travel expenses to get to where I am, be it Italy, Switzerland, Germany or Austria, etc., NOT included...

So here's the bottom line on the costs I'm facing: voice lessons cost $100 to $200; time with a pianist to work the music, $65 to $85 per hour, plus all of my regular monthly expenses, which will average $1,500 to $2,000.

If I put all of that together for the 7 weeks remaining between now and New Year, averaging the costs,  it comes to this: 10 voice lessons at $150 = $1,500; 10 coachings at $75 = $750; bills and other expenses = $3,000, for a total of $5,250 to be as ready as I can be. If you can help, I would be so grateful. If you can't or won't, I get it. Times are tough, I love you anyway, and if you'll pass the word about my campaign, that's very helpful, too!

Thank you. I am grateful for your time and your love. Peter