I have written so much about the short-sightedness and ignorance of age discrimination in the performing arts, and everywhere, so three cheers to this well-respected blogger (which I apparently am not) for posting this.
http://kashu-do.blogspot.cz/2016/05/the-aging-operatic-voice-baseless.html
The video of the "amateur" soprano singing "La Vergine degli'Angeli" is beyond amazing. So yes, this is possible. There is no reason to throw in the towel if you're over 50 or over 60. There's no reason why I should assume (or other people should assume) that how I sounded at 57 must be the best I'm ever going to sound and that after that it will be downhill all the way. There's no reason to assume that someone over 55 is "not a future investment". I can understand people worrying when it comes to playing a character, or doing certain kinds of staging, but why does the Oratorio Society of New York have an age limit of 40 for their solo competition? Does it matter what you look like if you're singing with a chorus and an orchestra? Does it matter if you have mobility challenges that make it hard for you to look graceful running down a flight of stairs if you can sing Bach glorioiusly?
But this does underscore the need for people to have people in their lives who know what to do with a video camera. If the elderly soprano hadn't had someone to make that Youtube video, no one would know about her. So who did that, I wonder?
If nothing else, it gives me hope. I am my own future investment.
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