Wendy Silvester
Staff Writer
Wendy Silvester is a classical mezzo-soprano, singing teacher, and freelance writer based in the UK.
Her operatic repertoire includes Zita / La Principessa (Gianni Schicchi / Suor Angelica), Erda (Das Rheingold), Ulrica (Un ballo in maschera), Olga Olsen (Street Scene), Filipyevna (Eugene Onegin), Signora Guidotti (I due timidi), Fidalma (Il matrimonio segreto), and Florence (Albert Herring).
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.
Learning Modules by Wendy Silvester
African-American Opera
African-American opera developed alongside mainstream American opera in the late 19th and 20th century.
Cantonese Opera
Explore the history of Cantonese Opera, its structure and style, and the musical differences from Western styles of opera.
Inigo Jones
British
Inigo Jones as an architect and theatre designer, responsible for bringing the Renaissance into England.
Late Baroque Opera: The Development of Form
Explore the development of baroque opera in the eighteenth century, the influence of George Frederic Handel, and the popular styles favored during this period.
Nineteenth-Century Opera
Explore the biggest growth in the production and creation of new operas, and the expansion away from Italy and France, and into Russia and other territories.
Opera Coach/Répétiteur
The roles of an opera coach and a répétiteur are different, but they overlap considerably. Read more to learn about the differences and skills they each need.
Opera in the Classical Period
Explore the flurry of operatic productions in the final years of the eighteenth century and the influence of Gluck, Mozart, and Joseph Bologne.
Opera Singer / Classical Singer
An opera or classical singer must keep their voice in good condition through daily practice, study, and more. Learn about other skills needed in this career.
Peter Brook
English
Peter Brook was a pioneering English theatre and film director. Based in France from the 1970s, he founded the International Centre for Theatre Research.
Richard D’Oyly Carte
English
Richard D’Oyly Carte had a huge impact on early musical theatre through his collaboration with Gilbert & Sullivan and the D'Oyley Carte Opera company.
Singing an Aria
Learning an aria presents several different challenges to learning a musical theatre song, and requires a different style and level of preparation.
Singing an Art Song
An art song is a piece of classical music which involves a solo singer and, normally, a pianist. An art song usually stands alone, or is part of a song cycle.