Meet Catherine Miller | Artistic Director for the Pasadena Vocal Competition

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
As the pianist for the Los Angeles District Metropolitan Opera Vocal Competition for decades, I often sat at the piano and thought about how nice it would be to lead ‘my own’ vocal competition. The (now renamed) Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition is the premier classical singer vocal competition in the United States, serving a national cast of thousands of young singers. It’s good fortune that during my tenure as a pianist for this prestigious competition, I’ve been able to learn so much about the singer’s perspective on auditioning as well as putting together an organized day of singing! I’ve been the Artistic Director for the Pasadena Vocal Competition for just 3 years, and am incredibly grateful that I am the pianist for the Zachary Vocal Competition, The Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition and that I’ve been able to discover the challenges of fund raising, advertising and running a successful competition. I’ve also always had a burning desire to help people; the purpose of the Pasadena Vocal Competition is to promote community interest in Opera and financially support aspiring professional opera singers. Because of the generosity of the Barbera Foundation and the Pasadena Area Opera Trust, we are able to offer a free public performance and generously help these talented young singers to further their careers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Accompanist. That’s a word that is maybe becoming out-dated…I have 2 degrees in Piano Accompanying, one from the University of Southern California, and the other from the Juilliard School. Now a-days the degree is called Collaborative Piano. But I still think of myself as an accompanist when I am playing an aria from an opera for a talented young singer…..it’s really not about me, it’s about how I can play the right tempi, listen to their fermati and cadenzas, follow their breathing and just make them sound the best that they can with correct notes, phrasing and artistic sensitivity! I just love and admire all opera singers….they all sing with out a microphone… no partying the night before a performance or audition… all the study and preparation…being able to stand on the stage and be a singing actor! It’s not easy! I decided at the age of 19 that working with singers would be my career path. I was fortunate to be granted a Fulbright to the Liszt Academy in Budapest in ’89 and get into the Juilliard School where I was exposed to incredible talent in every building at Lincoln Center.. I would say that my education was obtained by simply working really hard and never giving up. There were a few summer programs I didn’t get into and a few gigs that slipped away ….BUT I kept my perseverance and the belief that I could make it to the opera house and concert stage no matter what. The number one thing I’ve learned in this career is that the music and serving the art comes first; politics will always be there, and any business is what it is….at the end of the day, it’s the love of studying, preparing and dedicating one’s self to the score that really matters.

I am thrilled to be a rehearsal pianist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and music staff at San Diego Opera.  There is nothing I love more than sitting in the rehearsal room, playing an opera score for a fabulous Maestro like Gustavo Dudamel or Yves Abel.  Last summer I was in heaven playing for the Philharmoic’s Walküre Act 3 which was a multi-media production staged by Yuval Sharon and performed at the Hollywood Bowl.  Complete with introduction by Sigourney Weaver, this innovative night out, watching opera singers on the big screen, under the stars, was nothing short of breathtaking.  It’s quite an accomplishment for the Philharmonic to bring this iconic standard to the public in such a fun and accessible way.  It is also heart warming to be able to work for San Diego opera, especially during the pandemic!  SDO put on 2 productions (La Boheme and The Barber of Seville) in the parking lot of the Pechanga Arena!  The sound was piped into the cars of the audience, the singers were visible on the big screen, and again, what imagination to be able to bring this art form to Southern California audiences!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I also love the Lady of Our Angels Cathedral; I’ve performed and heard many a wonderful classical concert there. And the architecture is stunning. For a drink, the revolving restaurant at the Westin Bonaventure…what a view! Nothing like a glance at the iconic Hollywood sign from Lake Hollywood Park….then on to Gladstones for Fish…a visit to the Getty Museum and then a stroll on the beach in Malibu.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first credit of thanks goes to my Mom, Freda Ravizza, who is a fabulous pianist, multilingual European! She inspired me to be the best pianist I could be, learn foreign languages and travel the world. But I could not be the Artistic Director of the Pasadena Vocal Competition, without the generosity of Mr. Robert Barbera and the Pasadena Area Opera Trust. The Barbera Foundation supports the operational expenses of the Competition; advertising, staff salaries, renting of a Church or Concert Hall…the list goes on! As a proud Italian American, Mr. Barbera just LOVES Opera! Without his support, the PVC would not exist. A special thanks goes to the PVC Board of Directors: tenor Nathan Granner, soprano Gloria Ahn, soprano Wendy Pylko and Pasadena Area Opera Trust Chairman, Rafael Calvo. These good folks generously give their time, expertise and enthusiasm for supporting the success of the PVC. We also could not have an organized day of auditions without our Applications Director, pianist Mona Lands and our Charming Mistress of Ceremonies and Artistic Advisor, soprano Jamie Chamberlin.

Credit is also due to our award funding which comes from the Pasadena Area Opera Trust. Founded by the Pasadena Opera Guild in 1969, it’s sole purpose is to support young aspiring opera singers and the education of opera in the city of Pasadena.

Website: https://pasadenavocalcompetition.org

Facebook: Pasadena Vocal Competition

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MUuwjkNXF0&t=569s

Other: https://www.metopera.org/about/auditions/competition/ https://palmspringsoperaguild.org http://www.zacharysociety.org

Image Credits
tenor Xavier Prado