First of all, I want to thank all my friends from all corners of the globe and social media for the warm birthday wishes! I have reached the age of 32. I know it is a real trope for a 30 something year old to wonder where the hell their 20s went, it really was a blur! The whole 'finding yourself' period was certainly not some hipster hyperbole; I have to begrudgingly agree! There has been many lessons learned and life experience to connect to the wisdom many explain to others.
So some of the people who saw that post of me in my sunglasses eating a cheesecake in Carlisle St, Balaclava. Yeah well, it's something that I like to do when the good ole March 21st rolls past and I hadn't planned anything nor have my family around me, before I went to the cake shops on Acland Street, a well known tourist street in St Kilda, to eat a cake during these special occasions. But I got to say, I think some of those cakes in those shops, the freshness of them is up for speculation. So I deviated and went to Balaclava instead. The cafe I was at was Truffles Patisserie on Carlisle street. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/cbU37XNM7GvMZtJN9)
Luckily for all of us, we can all connect. So it was a warm feeling to receive so much love from all the lovely people to whom I have formed connections and friendships over the years. I do apologize that I wasn't prompt in responding, I hope this blog post can make up for that. Some people questioned why I used the word 'lonesome,' I promise that the word was intended to not have a negative connotation to it, it was just a neutral term as I am not really one for organizing parties and all that, so to clarify I am not unhappy if that is something of an implication to those who have asked. In fact I am quite the opposite.
Now look, I have big news. I don't always like to blow my own horn but I think it is worth announcing.
I reckon a career in Opera could be more of a certain possibility for yours truly. I just got accepted into the Berlin Opera Academy in... well Berlin, Germany! For the festival singers program + a scholarship! It was just unbelievable to have this response!
I have received the role of Dr Bartolo in their run of W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro with the option of a role study of Papageno from Die Zauberflöte. So I am honoured to be able to be given this opportunity, and spending time in Berlin last year, I am very excited to return back to that awesome city and to spend some more time in Europe. In the meantime, I will be using the experience and expertise that I have learned from all the teachers and other festival singers that I have had in the last summer program I participated in last year to really learn these roles. Of course Dr Bartolo takes absolute priority, but I am way more confident than I was.
(Berlin)
(Berlin again)
Berlin was certainly a highlight of the trip I had last year after my participation of the Mediterranean Opera Studio and Festival in Caltagirone, Sicily. If you haven't been that city, you should definitely check Berlin out. There is just SO much going on there. A city that invests so much into the arts and culture, it's a real blast.
(This guy...)
(Villa Patti, Caltagirone 2023
(La Traviata)
PS Sicily was also a cool place to go, put it on your travel list Anyway, that's the 'good news' coming from Hunter. Signing off! Please subscribe to my website www.hunterrogersmusic.com for more blog posts and music! -Hunter
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