Hailing from Hawke’s Bay, Carleen Ebbs is an opera singer based in London.  She completed her Masters degree at Victoria University, and then went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice under Denis O’Neill. She has worked as a freelance singer in Europe since completing her conservatoire training in 2010.  She talks to The Big Idea about her opera singing career.

The move to the UK is a well-trodden path for emerging kiwi opera singers.  Carleen said leaving New Zealand was key for her because of the volume and variety of opportunities in Europe from which to make a career from singing. “Opera singing is an accepted and understood profession here in a way that is different to New Zealand.”

As well as freelance singing roles in France, the UK, Italy, and New Zealand, Carleen has been chorus singing and understudying roles with the English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, and soon the Royal Opera.

For generations, performing as part of a chorus has been a credible career choice for professional singers to take.  Full time jobs in companies are hard to come by as they are jobs for life (rare sustainability in the music profession), so when positions arise they are highly contended, with two rounds of auditions required for fixed term or maternity positions as well as full time positions. 

“You’re performing five nights a week, often while rehearsing other operas for the next season, working with top conductors and directors. These companies are well-oiled machines that carry a great sense of theatrical history and you’re working in beautiful theatres singing for a job – I felt like I was having this unique London experience and was wholly immersed in music. Learning solo roles can be quite a solitary experience and I enjoyed the great sense of comradery that comes with working as part of a professional full time ensemble. You’re valued as everyone has their part to play dramatically and vocally, and are exposed to all of the inner workings of an opera company.”

“Those types of jobs are available on a freelance basis in NZ, but not full time and this means singers need to want to be teaching in order to sustain a full time career in music, or find other jobs perhaps not in music and undertake professional engagements on the side. There are definitely performance opportunities available in NZ, and there has been a recent flurry of fantastic performers returning to NZ (the UK Tory government hasn’t been amazing for The Arts) with amazing international experience so many creative projects are emerging.  But no-one (or very few people) is just a singer these days though – which actually makes for quite a complete, diverse career experience.”

Carleen has recently started teaching at a private girls school as well as gigging with a vocal trio – Alaudiae. Both roles she said she enjoys because they allow her to be more autonomous and both are purely about a fundamental enjoyment of music and singing.  She also said “a bit more of me goes into it.”

Funding an opera singing career can be very challenging. Most singers are faced with fundraising for audition tours and visas. Then there are the financial realities of living in London once you have been accepted into a school and the associated international fees. Recent visa changes have also made it harder to stay in Europe as a performer. If you have been in the UK for more than five years, you need to be earning over a certain threshold, which as a freelancer, Carleen says can be quite difficult. To be exempt from this though you can apply for a temporary creative worker visa, but one of the requirements is that you be “internationally renowned or required for continuity.” Having an Irish passport though, Carleen says made her journey to Europe much easier, being able to pick up part time work to support herself in between gigs and around her study.

Learning how to deal with rejection Carleen says has been one of her biggest challenges as an opera singer. “Auditions are opportunities, you have to be prepared and believe that you’re presenting something great. If singing for a panel of five, know that you can’t please everyone. It’s so subjective. Accept that rejection is just one person’s opinion.” Dealing with rejection in a positive way took time but she says has become a useful tool for life.

Carleen has recently been home to perform in Carmen in Napier with Festival Opera. When asked about returning to New Zealand permanently, Carleen said she is still on the fence. The pull of family and friends and the lifestyle back home is very strong for her, but she is still enjoying the musical variety of her current lifestyle in London.

Carleen’s next project is the lead role in Lucia di Lammermoor in France this July, joining the Royal Opera House for their production of Turandot, and working with Welsh National Opera on Khovanshchina, various solo concerts and oratorios, as well as auditions, which she says never go away! 

“For anyone wanting to get into a career in classical music, I would say you have to be 100% okay with knowing that your career will comprise various elements in order to be sustainable, be adaptable and invest in them all to make the great opportunities possible. Be comfortable with travelling and time away from home. You need to be resilient and self-sufficient."