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Opera Singer

Performs vocal music in operatic productions — combining powerful singing with dramatic acting.

Did you know?

Opera singers fill theatres without microphones, and on a top F some soprano roles demand, the vocal folds vibrate about 1,400 times per second.

How subjects help

Music: Learn long, difficult pieces and sing perfectly in tune with a full orchestra.
Languages: Sing in Italian, German or French and understand every word you are singing.
Anatomy: Control breathing muscles and vocal cords to fill a theatre without a microphone.
Drama: Act a character's love, anger or grief while holding powerful notes on stage.

A famous name

Maria Callas: Greek-American soprano, one of the most famous opera singers of the 20th century.

Try it yourself: Warm up your voice like an opera singer

Stand or sit tall. Breathe in slowly and let your tummy muscles relax fully, so the breath drops low. Do this five times, with normal breaths in between.
Make long buzzing sounds on V, Z and the J sound, one breath each, and feel the air flowing steadily the whole time.
Add a vowel to each buzz, "vvvah", "zzzoo", and keep the flow smooth.
Glide your voice gently from low to high and back like a siren, on a hum or through a straw. Stay soft and never strain; stop if your throat feels sore or you feel dizzy.
Say one sentence, like a news headline or a line from a song, before and after the warm-up. What changed?

Opera singers, voice actors and broadcasters warm up their breathing and voice before every rehearsal, recording or show, so they can be heard clearly without hurting their voice.

Adapted from Scottish Opera: Breath Cycle: learn and practise.

Also try: Make a soundscape with kitchen sounds.

Known for it in

Italy, Germany, Austria, USA, UK