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Darren Saady

 

Pianist, Vocal Coach, Répétiteur

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A new home in Germany

Darren Saady arrived in Germany in 2015 from Sydney, Australia and worked as Ballett Répétiteur both at Theater Koblenz and Theater im Revier, Gelsenkirchen (in 2016 and 2017 respectively).

Since 2018, he has made Berlin his home and has concentrated on freelance work as Vocal Coach, accompanist, and teacher. He has for several years been the accompanist for the renowned Ernst Senff Chor in Berlin under the direction of Steffen Schubert, with whom he has worked on many of the major works of the choral repertoire.   

He has also taken part in several summer schools and festivals as a coach/ accompanist including the Festival der jungen Stimmen - internationale OpernWerkstatt in Switzerland, under the leadership of Verena Keller and the Berlin Opera Academy under Eilana Lappalainen.

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Studies in Australia and Europe

Studies in Australia and Europe

 In 1998, Darren gained his Bachelor of Music in Piano from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, as well as graduating with degrees in Law and Ancient History from Sydney University. In 2001, he completed a Masters in Piano Performance from the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University where he studied with Natasha Vlassenko and Max Olding.

Following this, in 2003, Darren spent some time in Germany at the Musikhochschule Trossingen, working further on the solo piano and Lieder repertoire.

At around this time his interest in Opera grew and he began to make this his primary area of interest. He completed a Masters in Opera Répétiteur at the Sydney Conservatorium with Stephen Mould, and in 2014, graduated with an Artist's Diploma in Opera Répétiteur from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where he was accepted with a full scholarship and awarded the Leonard Hancock Memorial Prize.

In 2013, Darren attended the Solti-Peretti Accademia Répétiteurs' course in Barcelona, Spain which included Sir Richard Bonynge, Jonathan Papp and Pamela Bullock on its staff. At the end of 2014, Darren was invited to the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School in Brisbane, Australia and worked with, among others, John Fisher (The Met, La Scala), Robert Lloyd and Richard Hetherington (ROH). Darren has also spent a great deal of time working privately with Victor Morris (former Head of Music, English National Opera) in Sydney.

Darren was the recipient of a number of grants and awards from the Australia Council, Guildhall School Trust and the Leverhulme Trust. 

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Professional work before arriving in Berlin

Prior to moving to Berlin, Darren worked in Australia, Great Britain, and Italy.

 Professionally, Darren has played orchestral keyboard for Opera Australia (Peter Grimes, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and The Makropulos case), worked for the Chelsea Opera Group, London (Don Quichotte), as well as Queensland Opera (Così fan tutte).

 

He has also worked on Paul Bunyan with British Youth Opera. Darren was a staff répétiteur at the SydneyConservatorium in 2011-12, and worked on, among other pieces, La finta giardiniera, Trouble in Tahiti and King Arthur. He was also a vocal coach at the Australian Institute of Music.

In 2014, Darren was a staff répétiteur for the Music Academy International Opera Program in Mezzano, Italy, where Renata Scotto was a guest teacher.

 

Recordings

Baritone: Christopher Hillier
Aufnahmen
Puccini: Questo Amor
Verdi: Per me giunto
Giordano: Nemico della Patria
Leoncavallo: Si Può
Referenzen

Testimonials

 

"I found Darren to be a very thoughtful and capable musician and pianist. I was also impressed with his ability to take on new ideas quickly. He is an excellent colleague who has much to offer."

—  Richard Hetherington

Head of Music, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

"Darren was always in touch with the momentum of the rehearsal and followed the conductor expertly. In terms of the musical support a director, conductor and cast of singers need from a repetiteur in order to be able to rehearse fluently and creatively, Darren's contribution was entirely appropriate and professional."

  Dominic Wheeler

Head Of Opera, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London

“Darren has a very useful blend of skills and experience which make him an ideal candidate for a career as a répétiteur/coach in opera houses. He has a strong pianistic ability, impressive analytic skills, good sight reading skills and a wide enthusiasm for ... not only the operatic, but the musical repertoire. As such he is an unusually well-rounded musician.”

—  Dr Stephen Mould,

Senior Lecturer in Conducting and Opera Studies, former Head of Music, Opera Australia

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