High Notes

During the past thirty years, the place of opera in the American musical landscape has evolved dramatically. No one knows this better than Robert Grayson, who has served as head of the voice and opera divisions at the LSU School of Music since 1987. During those years, Grayson has not only built the LSU Opera Program into a nationally renowned institution known for producing scores of outstanding professional singers, he has also extended opera’s presence and reach to Louisiana audiences, expanding the capacity of LSU’s own performances and playing a fundamental role in establishing Baton Rouge-based company, Opéra Louisiane. On April 29, Grayson will officially retire from his position as head of the LSU Opera Program—a milestone to be marked with a gala tribute featuring the LSU Symphony Orchestra and the vocal talents of faculty, students, and some of Grayson’s most famous alumni. All are welcome to attend. As Grayson’s time at LSU comes to an end, he talked about the past, present, and future of the art form he loves and the enduring power of the human voice.

(The conversation below has been edited for length and continuity.)

CR: You’ve spent thirty years training LSU students in voice and opera. What are the qualities that make a good singer?

RG: After talent, intellect is very important. From my own experience in professional singing, most good singers are very smart. The school does actively recruit promising voice students. When recruiting as well as auditioning them, we also schedule a brief lesson to see how well they can respond to new information. So it’s just like recruiting a football team, although in Louisiana we produce many good homegrown singers, too.

CR: How would you say the place of opera in the American performing arts landscape has changed during your career?

RG: The audience has aged out over the years. I don’t see them being replaced. So all the opera houses are trying to do things that are more relevant to our culture as it is now, so there has been a trend to do traditional productions in non-traditional ways. I have seen some that I have liked …

Another encouraging trend in opera is the fact that new works are being created by American composers and that opera companies are brave enough to produce them! Interesting new works are appearing, and that brings new audiences.

CR: How has the evolving place of technology in entertainment impacted opera?

RG: Tremendously! Universal, on-demand entertainment means that no more is there any truly popular music, because everything is so individualized. So people select what they want, when they want it, because that’s easy to do. When I began singing professionally in 1971—with the exception of New York, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco—all the regional opera houses would do their operas in English. Then, in 1983 or 1984, supertitles (captions projected above the stage, translating the text being sung) were introduced, and all of a sudden people were laughing in the right places! Over the next five to eight years all the regional companies went the same way.

CR: How about the phenomenon of the great opera houses beaming their productions into movie theatres around the world?

RG: It’s a mixed blessing. A huge audience gets to see a spectacular production. But then when they go to a regional production (with a regional budget to match), it’s hard to measure up. So the people that are involved at a regional level: they feel that this has had a negative effect on attendance.

CR: What has the high-profile success of artists like Paul Groves and Lisette Oropesa meant to LSU’s program?

RG: It certainly draws attention. Paul has just joined us in a continuing position as an artist-in-residence. Last week he worked with twenty-two students on an individual basis, instructing them in vocal pedagogy and leading seminars on career building. What’s so cool about Paul: what credential does he not have?! He has sung everywhere; he’s worked with everyone. And he’s a Louisiana guy! On Tuesday he called me and he’d been out in his boat in the Gulf, catching trout and redfish. So the students can identify.

CR: Looking to the future, what does opera have to do to remain relevant and attract new audiences?

RG: There are a lot of different answers. We need to have stronger music programs in our schools, to acquaint kids with what makes the sound happen. It doesn’t necessarily need to be opera, but just the kind of education that allows them to enjoy music more because they understand it better. I still remember the itinerant music teacher, Mrs. Cabell, who came to my little elementary school once each week when I was in the fourth grade. We all loved the music time, and she encouraged my musical development. But music programs in schools now are the exception rather than the rule.

CR: Are you still singing? And will you be singing during the farewell gala on April 29?

RG: Well, I’m 66 ½. And I think I’m actually still singing quite well, considering. To close the program, I’ll be singing Nessun Dorma (the aria from the final act of Puccini’s Turandot). We’ll also be joined by (LSU School of Music) Dean Todd Queen, who holds a DMA in voice from the Eastman School of Music, and Matt Morgan, my former student, who was a leading tenor at New York City Opera before the company closed. A few of my recent tenors will join me for the finale too.

But then, I’m also a pianist. And the great thing about being a pianist is you can continue to get better into your eighties. As a singer, at this age you’re holding on by your fingernails.

---

Prior to his tenure at LSU, Robert Grayson enjoyed a long professional career with the New York City Opera, singing over one hundred performances as leading tenor in such operas as La Bohème, La Traviata, and Carmen. For tickets and information to the Gala Tribute to Robert Grayson on April 29, visit this link.