Date
8-6-2025
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Music Education (DME)
Chair
Dan Hodges
Keywords
opera education, opera careers, entrepreneurialism in the arts, psychological well-being, workforce-ready graduates, arts education, universities preparing graduates
Disciplines
Music
Recommended Citation
Beckham-Turner, Sarah, "Real-World Opera Education and the Business of Performance: Perspectives from Young Professionals" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7317.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7317
Abstract
Despite the traditional practice of operatic vocal training in universities, many young operatic singers found that their education needed to be improved regarding the current demands of the business of being an operatic performer. Understanding the essential skills for operatic training in universities was crucial for preparing singers to handle the demands of a professional career. This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of professional operatic singers, university opera training educators, and professional opera companies to discover possible gaps in operatic training in universities. Through interviews with five professional opera singers, five trained singers who chose a different career, six current opera students, five opera company administrators, and five opera educators, the instruction of opera business, marketing, and career guidance emerged as topics warranting further exploration in university opera training programs. This dissertation offers a comprehensive plan of study based on information gleaned from interviews and juxtaposes the proposed curriculum with the realities of current university opera training programs. Aiming to inform opera training educators and universities on how to better prepare their students for the professional world better, this study analyzes the expectations of a professional opera singer and what universities need to do to better prepare their students for the changed world of professional singing. This dissertation could serve as an example to other artistic disciplines such as drama, instrumental performance, and musical theater, encouraging them to seek out the demands of a professional in their respective fields and adapt instruction to fulfill their needs.
