Nadine Livingston

Nadine Livingston is part of the Scottish Opera Emerging Artist programme 2009 -2010. She will be working with the national opera company throughout the year, taking lead roles in their performances including the opera Katya Kabanova as well as continuing her training in music and languages. She is 24 and grew up in Glasgow.

How did you first get into opera?

I had a fantastic music teacher at school and she said to my parents that I had a good voice and should get some music lessons. My singing teacher then said that she wanted to train me classically and that’s how it all started - I absolutely loved it. My great uncle took me to see Tosca when I was about fourteen and I just thought “that is the job for me.”

A lot of young people who enjoy singing seem to aim for a pop or rock career. What attracted you about opera?

I like the drama and taking on a character. The whole performance aspect is very different becoming someone else and putting on a new character for a while is something that I really enjoy. Opera is not for everyone because nothing is but there’s this common misconception that it’s a bit stuffy and maybe a bit boring but it’s not like that at all. My younger sister has never been into classical music but she came to support me and when I came out of my dressing room she was in floods of tears because she had just been blown away by it.

Was it difficult to get involved in?

Not really. As a young person there are loads of opportunities through singing in choirs and at music festivals and that’s the best way to start. You just have to get involved and see how you like performing. I then went to a conservatoire which is a university specifically for music. I did a four year degree in music and then three years studying a postgraduate diploma in opera. It’s a long process because you are constantly training, learning languages and being in operas. It’s a real training just like an athlete would have to train for years and years before getting to the top.

What do you love about it?

There are two buzzes. Singing creates a lot of different physical sensations, it creates these vibrations in your head and it’s a real rush for me. Being on stage, performing and seeing people’s response is a real adrenaline rush too!

What’s hard about being an opera singer?

Singing is a very subjective thing. I could get up and sing and one person could really like it and the other person could decide it wasn’t their thing so you really have to understand that what one person likes another might not and not take it personally. Because it’s something that’s coming out of you it’s actually very hard to not think “what if someone doesn’t like it.” You also have to spend weeks and weeks learning the entire role before the first music call which takes a lot of work and a lot of discipline because no one is making you do it – you just know you’ve got a deadline.

What’s a typical working day like?

There’s not as much routine as a normal 9 to 5 job. You have a four week rehearsal period when you have rehearsals from 10.30am till 1.30pm and maybe 2.30pm till 5.30pm- and that’s your standard day unless your character is not needed for a bit and then you are released for a while - you get a schedule every week. Once you get into performances you have maybe three performances a week and your days are then free unless you are starting rehearsals for a different opera. You could also end up with a month when you have nothing on. It’s either all crazy or you have nothing on because everything tends to happen at once.

Is this what you imagined you would be doing as a job?

This is what I’ve been dreaming about since I was about 11 so it’s very surreal and I keep catching myself and thinking wow I’m really doing it.

What would you say to other young people considering a career in Opera?

I would say go for it If you love it. You do have to love it and have the drive to do it because the highs are really high and the lows really low but if you love it you can take the knocks. If you want to do it you just have to go for it - join a choir, have drama lessons, have singing lessons, there’s so much out there to explore. When I was younger I did everything I could to just sing all the time and that’s what you have to do.