We Asked Opera Singers About Their Audition Experiences

After 50 anonymous submissions, early themes point to concerns about communication, professionalism, and basic working conditions in opera auditions, alongside reports of more serious experiences described by contributors.

Why we started this

Auditioning is an unavoidable part of an opera singer's career. Singers accept rejection as part of the profession. What many find difficult is how auditions are conducted: lack of feedback, unclear communication, poor preparation conditions, and, in some cases, treatment they experience as inappropriate or distressing.

Opera is a small and highly networked industry. Several contributors told us they felt unable to speak openly about negative experiences, fearing reputational consequences or future loss of work. Some described having been discouraged from raising concerns in the past.

We created an anonymous audition review platform to give singers a safer way to share their experiences and to gather evidence about audition practices across the industry. Our aim is to document patterns, publish aggregated findings, and encourage higher professional standards.

Who responded

We received 50 anonymous submissions, covering auditions with approximately 41 opera companies and artist agencies.

55% were general auditions, 25% role-specific, with the remainder covering chorus auditions, young artist programmes, and other categories.

88% of auditions reviewed took place within the last two years. Respondents included singers currently in training as well as experienced professionals with recent and upcoming engagements.

The overall picture

Across all submissions, the average overall audition experience was rated 2.6 out of 5.

While some organisations received consistently high ratings, many reviews described recurring issues that appeared across different countries, institutions, and audition types.

Communication: a persistent problem

The most frequently raised concern related to what happened after the audition.

Several singers described discovering casting decisions through social media rather than direct communication.

Another singer reported waiting three and a half months for a response despite repeated follow-ups from their agent.

Audition facilities and preparation

Many submissions highlighted gaps in basic audition infrastructure:

Singers described waiting in kitchens, corridors, or cramped spaces with little privacy.

Some respondents also described inadequate changing facilities or situations where they felt their privacy was compromised.

Panel conduct and feedback

Professional conduct of panels or agents averaged 3.1 out of 5.

Experiences varied widely. Some singers described panels as welcoming and attentive; others described panels who did not introduce themselves, appeared disengaged, or focused on laptops throughout performances.

More than half of respondents (53%) reported receiving no feedback at all. Among those who did receive feedback, only half found it constructive, with others finding it unhelpful or unclear.

Fees, costs, and fairness

One in five respondents reported paying a fee to audition, with 10% paying €100 or more.

Some singers described fees advertised as refundable that were not returned, undisclosed charges, or cancelled auditions without refunds. Others reported significant travel costs for auditions that changed after arrangements had been made.

Serious concerns raised in submissions

In addition to issues around communication and logistics, a number of submissions described experiences that raise more serious concerns about professional conduct.

Because of the potential legal and safeguarding implications, and to protect contributor anonymity, we are not publishing verbatim quotes or detailed descriptions of these incidents at this stage. However, it is important to acknowledge what was reported.

Across multiple independent submissions, singers described experiences including:

Several respondents described feeling distressed, unsafe, or professionally undermined by these experiences. We cannot independently verify individual accounts and are not making determinations about specific organisations or individuals. However, the recurrence and seriousness of these themes across multiple submissions suggest they warrant further attention and reflection within the sector.

When auditions work well

Importantly, not all experiences were negative. A number of submissions described positive, professional audition experiences, often highlighting similar features.

Singers consistently valued:

Several singers also highlighted the benefit of being allowed to work briefly in the audition space:

These experiences show that respectful auditions are achievable and already taking place in parts of the industry.

Ideas singers shared for improvement

Several singers offered constructive suggestions alongside their critiques.

Some questioned whether the standard short audition format allows panels to see singers at their best:

Others suggested that small changes - such as clearer communication, brief introductions, or transparency about timelines - would significantly improve the experience without requiring major resources.

One singer praised an alternative audition structure:

What happens next

With around 50 submissions, we can start to see common themes, but this is not yet enough to draw strong conclusions or safely publish most individual comments.

We need many more reviews, ideally hundreds, to distinguish isolated experiences from wider patterns, reduce the risk of identifying individuals, and build findings that are robust enough to support change.

For now, we will continue collecting anonymous submissions and publishing aggregated findings and star ratings. Written comments will be released only when the dataset, and legal advice, makes this appropriate - and will not be linked to data from individual reviews.

As more reviews come in, we will work with professional bodies and advocacy groups to document recurring issues, highlight good practice, and encourage improvement across the industry.

You can help by submitting your own experiences, and by sharing this work with colleagues. The more people contribute, the clearer and more useful the picture becomes.

Finally, we want to sincerely thank the singers who have trusted us with their experiences. Speaking honestly in this industry is not easy, and we take that responsibility seriously.