BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Last year, we took you backstage with opera stars in our interview series Behind the Curtain.
This year, we’re going to take you inside the minds of these performers.
Our new series Blood, Sweat, Opera exposes the inner workings of the opera singer, from performance anxiety to memories; sources of passion to the thoughts that race as they perform.
The West Australian Opera states that, for us all, “blood is life-force, symbol, power, and passion”. So we’re teaming up to bring you exclusive and personal conversations with world-renowned artists.
And they each have opera in their blood.
Meet Nathan Stark
Sydney-born tenor Nathan Stark graduated in Music Theatre from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and has since forged a career as a cross-over artist. Nathan sings with the West Australian Opera Chorus, and has performed in its productions of La Traviata, Don Giovanni, The Cunning Little Vixen, La Bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, and The Merry Widow. He has also toured with its education program Our Opera Our WA.
Nathan recently performed in the ensemble for the world premiere of Mimma! The Musical, and last year made his Black Swan State Theatre Company debut playing Giuseppe Zangara in Assassins. He has appeared alongside Silvie Paladino in Melbourne Art Centre’s Morning Melodies – Christmas Melodies at Hamer Hall. Nathan is also a long serving tutor with the Australian Girls Choir and has regularly conducted at Perth Concert Hall.
In 2019, Nathan makes his principal debut with West Australian Opera as Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd.
Take us back to your earliest memories of wanting to sing opera. What were your dreams of the stage?
Opera has been a much later discovery for me, but music has always been my number one companion.
Perhaps it was the bedtime drives as a child with my dad [where we’d listen to] Frank Sinatra, or the discovery of my nan’s Disney VHS collection, that sparked it all and my desire to be a part of it in any way I could.
Opera was first introduced to me towards the end of my time at WAAPA. I started lessons with an opera singer who’d moved to Perth, and I became extremely curious.
Tell us about the memory of the first performance you gave that you felt was a ‘big break’, or made you realise: I can really do this.
Certain I’d study commerce at the University of Sydney, towards the end of high school I was nominated as having one of the top music performances in the state, which finally convinced me how much I wanted and needed to follow this.
I’d watched three of my very talented contemporaries journey to study Music Theatre at WAAPA in Perth. We’d had the same teacher, and performed with the same drama school, and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. So I made the decision to move to Perth! All I had to do then was gain a spot alongside 19 others out of over 800 hopefuls. I was knocked back on my first attempt, and I received that life-changing call a year later.
As you started to build up your career, what sources of passion did you draw from to push you forward?
Opera has only come into my life in the past few years, so I’m very green and a big ‘sponge’. Everything is such a huge discovery, and that’s very exciting.
Immersing myself in classical music, live performance, and watching opera online keeps my heart pumping. What I experience in these swooning moments is what drives me to work towards creating great art to share with audiences.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way, which you thought would set you back or crush your confidence as an artist?
With my formal training in music theatre, stepping into this new arena later has come with its doubts and heightened self-criticism. […] However, despite the discomfort, opera feels like home for me now. There is much to catch up on, but this is a lifelong pursuit, and my drive is even stronger. My passion is what always drives me to overcome any doubts and carry on.
Some books that have been instrumental to my growth are Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (Brené Brown); The Inner Game of Music (Barry Green); Flow (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi); Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck); and Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Angela Duckworth).
What’s been your experience with performance anxiety?
Like many, I find being well prepared is the best antidote to ease any anxieties, especially in the lead-up to a gig and during a production.
I’ve found my approach to practice in these times very important. Getting my mindset into a positive gear really enhances my mindfulness, awareness, concentration, and creativity. This is when the growth can really take place for me!
In moments like these, the discipline to make it to my mat, get amongst nature, read, and eat well so I can approach the work grounded, relaxed, and find the joy is key.
What are the things that are going through your mind while you perform?
Through my time at WAAPA, performance began to feel like a leap of faith. If I allow myself to surrender into that state of flow, that’s where the magic happens. That’s when I’m one with the music, and communicating as the character in the story.
Let’s just say that’s more successful some times than others, and in opera, where the technical demands are much greater, it does make it much more difficult — but that’s the quest!
Opera is in your blood. So how important do you feel it is to achieve a balance between this part of your identity and your ‘self’ off the stage?
Finding a balance is very important for me to feel the best version of myself when approaching my singing. I am getting better at it, but it’s definitely a struggle at times!
I spend a lot of time down at Hyde Park and checking in with friends here and back in Sydney. Having friends in and out of the industry offers a good balance.
I don’t really watch TV, so to take me away from swooning to Puccini, lately I’ve been reading and developing my yoga practice. We have to be more than verbs.
When you’re not singing, how do you physically care for your voice as well as your body?
I practice Mysore Style Ashtanga yoga. It’s a self practice, however I practice at a studio where a teacher leads an opening chant and guides you through any adjustments. Practice is at 5:45am; that’s been a challenge! I’m currently practising around three days and working towards the full six.
It’s been the ideal scaffold to complement my vocal journey and, once you learn the series, it’ll be the same wherever you take class around the world!
To other young singers who also have opera in their blood, what advice would you give to forging a healthy career in this industry?
I learnt quickly there is no defined path as an opera singer. Listen to your inner guru to guide you along your path, and call in your tribe for support when you need them along the way.
Be patient, stay encouraged, and stop to be grateful for how far you’ve come. All the potential lies within us!
See Nathan Stark perform in the West Australian Opera’s Sweeney Todd from 13-20 July.
Stay tuned as we join together with world-class WAO talent to bring you our next interview in Blood, Sweat, Opera!
READ NEXT: Blood, Sweat Opera // Emma Matthews, soprano
Images supplied. Emma captured by Carolyn Mackay-Clark.
