Brenden Gunnell (Opera ’06)
Interviewed by Ali King
Director, Marketing and Business Development
Curtis Institute of Music
January 14, 2021
AK: You’re the first American expat I’ve interviewed! Do you miss us?
BG: Ha! I do miss my family. I used to miss certain brands of food but that’s improving with globalization. I miss American bars. I moved to Europe right after I graduated from Curtis in 2006 and never looked back. During my time as a student at Curtis, I spent summers doing a program in Amsterdam. I knew that I wanted to work full-time when I finished my studies, and that Europe supports its young artists, especially singers, much better than the U.S. does in terms of benefits, etc.
AK: How did Curtis help you make that transition?
BG: I always felt like a bit of a rebel at Curtis. The bachelor’s degree required singers to take conducting, ear training, composition, advanced music theory and sight reading — these were all new to me. My high school had a strong choral program, but I had no formal music training beyond basic theory. I was thrown into the deep end with instrumentalist classmates who were much better prepared. In my junior year, the director of the department at that time, Mikael Eliasen, and I decided to focus my efforts on professional studies rather than pursue my bachelor’s degree — which, by the way, no one has ever asked to see. It was the right decision for me because I was so hungry to work, and within eighteen months of graduating I had my first house jobs in Amsterdam and Austria.
AK: You’re based in the United Kingdom now?
BG: Yes, I moved here in 2016 and got my residence permit in 2017.
AK: You’re described as a “young Heldentenor”; what does that mean?
BG: A Heldentenor is a heroic tenor, requiring a certain vocal stamina, that encompasses about six different roles from German repertoire. I’ve got one of those roles under my belt and am working toward the rest. My rep is starting to shrink because I have more control over what I say yes to and focus on in the future.
AK: How do you think Curtis could better support its graduates who are interested in beginning their careers outside the United States?
BG: I wish the school would have connected me with alumni who were living the career I envisioned for myself. Opera in the United States isn’t state-funded or tax-funded; it’s a luxury product, not an integral part of American culture. To have that perspective from someone who’s made a living learning to adapt to other languages and cultures — it’s required education, in my mind.
AK: Having performed for American and European audiences, do you notice a difference?
BG: There are fewer audience members in American venues, for one. People seem less interested generally unless the programs have star power.
AK: What are your thoughts on opera accessibility to audiences through digital broadcast?
BG: I’d be curious to know if the audiences who are tuning in digitally have interest in supporting their local opera organizations. I don’t think this industry is fit for digital consumption. People come to the theatre to see something they can’t see or experience anywhere else. The 360-degree sound of live music will never be the same at home. I think we do our audience a disservice assuming that digital translation is a suitable substitute.
AK: If you see digital delivery as inferior, how do you propose growing opera audiences in the 21st century?
BG: I think outreach is key. The Birmingham Opera Company is a standard that I think community opera organizations around the world should seek to model. It welcomes people with no classical experience in theatre and singing — who can’t even read music — on to the stage with professional performers. It’s been some of the most rewarding work — quite literally opera for the masses — that I’ve ever done, and I’ll be participating in their production of Wagner’s RhineGold this summer. I’ll always say yes to Graham Vick, the artistic director; he opened my eyes to a better way of audience engagement.
AK: What are you musically looking forward to in 2021?
BG: Getting back into a theatre with a full audience! Even partial capacity this fall with Glyndebourne felt exciting. I miss the energy of a full house and orchestra.
AK: What does your future relationship with Curtis look like?
BG: When your bills are paid for by your throat, it changes things. I’d love to help students anticipate some of the professional obstacles that arise outside of audition preparation. There’s so much more to this business than just that. Ralph Batman, the former managing director of vocal studies and Curtis Opera Theatre was such a sad and unexpected loss for Curtis. After he died, many of us alumni started talking again, recalling how much he did for us. He helped us think about really making a life in opera, whether it was budgeting or taxes, and made sure we all left Curtis better than we came. I’d like to offer mentorship in a similar way.
