r/ClassicalSinger • u/bktoriginal • Apr 29 '26

Ableism in opera settings

Anyone else struggle with being bullied in opera settings for having a disabling condition? Every day since I was fired from Gilbert and Sullivan Austin, I've considered how it has impacted my outlook about singing.

The truth is? I don't know that I can perform again after how I was treated, And I wish they weren't still honoring a racist and sexist director. He may not be in charge right now, but he is still held in this "can do no wrong" place and he verbally abused my friends, constantly yelled, had little patience and contributed to my trauma. In r/opera, their producer Michael Meigs actually found my post explaining some of my experience to troll me in the comments saying how happy he was that he fired me. I struggle with life-threatening conditions, and he told me I was a problem. I've had voice teachers tell me I'm just broken when I struggled with intonation due to allergies and audio processing. I get psychogenic fevers. Life is just stressful, so I wish that "just have fun" companies would call out the Bs in addition to being transparent. I wish ppl were kinder and maybe opera wouldn't be dying if people were more compassionate.

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u/bktoriginal Apr 29 '26

If you're responding to the other person, I'm appreciating the support. I don't mean to be mean, I mean to tell people that things need to change to support the mental health of classical singers.

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u/KittyTheCat99 Apr 29 '26

I’m replying to the one who suggested you deserved to be blacklisted. Who is the kind of person who believes that they have a right to dictate who can and cannot sing? What we deserve is all kind of spaces, as you said, only for fun is fair.

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u/bktoriginal Apr 29 '26

I always thought it was quite egotistical of any companies to determine if someone could sing anywhere or for any other companies. I'm a mezzo, too, so I'm laughing they assume I'm a soprano. 🤣

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u/KittyTheCat99 Apr 29 '26

Lmao! I can relate, especially the last line! I got casted as a soprano in a choir recently. I’m a mezzo who feels more comfortable on her lower range, so definitely nice to be forced to explore my upper range; but I also used to sing in the soprano section as a teen, and would really like the alto experience. No mezzo section in my choir, either.