Keith Miller & Team Offer Top-Tier Training

When it comes to the number of places at the top, the singing business is more competitive than ever.

The business of classical singing has changed dramatically. A singer is no longer judged solely on the basis of his or her voice. In our high-definition entertainment culture, audiences expect opera singers to look and act like Hollywood, television, and Broadway stars, and many opera companies are creating productions to meet these expectations on both the stage and screen. The days of fat ladies and "park and bark" have given way to today's contemporary opera singers who are expected to sound amazing and look fabulous while acting expertly, often in complicated fight or dance scenes.

And as those demands have increased, the number of singers who can keep up is decreasing. Puissance Training, founded by Keith Miller in conjunction with the young artist program at the Crested Butte Music Festival, recognizes that performing is an extraordinarily physical task. That's why the training is uniquely designed to address the major parameters of opera performance in every session.

With fitness becoming a non-negotiable requirement within today's classical singing business, Puissance Training helps to develop the right look, the needed stamina and the necessary strength for success. The team is particularly interested in helping young singers lay that critical foundation for physical fitness at the beginning of their careers.

We tell each of our clients the same thing: You need to think about becoming competitive and staying competitive. Whether or not you choose to train your body to meet the demands of this ever more challenging business, someone of your voice type and category will. And when both of you audition for the same role, who do you think will have an advantage? Moreover, you can't afford to ignore the long-term toll that poor health and fitness will take on the quality, production and overall strength of your instrument.

Audiences and opera companies are not the only ones redefining the load on opera singers. Management agencies have ratcheted up the standard workload for their artists. No longer can singers expect to be in one place for a three-month period preparing for one or two opera roles. Now they must plan to give several concert, oratorio, or recital performances during the same period. Concert performances pay much better--many operatic singers admit that's how they really make their living—but the prerequisite is an international opera career, which is why managers try to book their artists for as much of both as possible.

So it's no wonder cancellations are on the rise, leading to last-minute replacements. And although the opportunity for rising new talent to be discovered remains, most of those same young singers lack the physical ability to keep up with the fast-paced world they have been thrust into. The instant buzz that may surround a young performer who steps in for an ailing star can be short lived. As the whirlwind starts to set in, it becomes clear that the singer has not prepared his body to physically handle the demands of his career. The singer cancels engagements, creating an opportunity for the next new star to be born. Indeed, it is a vicious cycle.

The percentage of singers qualified to perform in the major opera houses around the world has always been limited, and historically, competition for the choicest roles has been determined by a singer's excellence in two primary categories: vocal quality and interpretation. Now, there's added responsibilities, including stage combat training, knowledge of dance, acting skill, physical appearance, height, and of course, weight.

On the one hand, this has opened the field of competition to singers who may not have top vocal and interpretative marks but possess other physical skills and attributes. But on the other, those few singers who excel in every category have catapulted into superstardom, setting the bar by which all other performers are judged

When it comes to the number of places at the top, the singing business is more competitive than ever. At Puissance, we are ready to take on these challenges

To learn more, please visit: http://www.puissancetraining.com.