Center Stage: From Opera Stage to Printed Page: Alumna Tackles the Auditioning Process

Students in the MSU College of Music graduate not only with the skills necessary to become accomplished performers and educators but also with the ability to think thoughtfully and critically about issues facing the music profession. Some have drawn on their experience as performers to write books that provide advice to the next generation of musicians.

After a highly acclaimed career in opera and classical music in the United States and Europe, during which she performed in just about every major opera venue with conductors like Daniel Barenboim, Sir Neville Marriner, Zubin Mehta, and Michael Tilson Thomas, College of Music alumna Janet M. Williams-Berndt (BM, 1982) of Berlin, Germany, is focusing on music performance education. In her latest book, Nail Your Next Audition: The Ultimate 30-day Guide for Singers, she offers a step-by-step guide intended to help classical singers conquer nerves and win auditions, complete with exercises and worksheets that can be incorporated into a daily practice routine.

“I was invited to present workshops based on the book in Paris, London, and Berlin,” says Williams-Berndt, who has degrees in voice and music education. “I seem to have come full circle and really love the teaching aspect of my career.”

A native of Detroit, Williams-Berndt attended Cass Technical High School and chose MSU for its double major in performance and education. “I loved MSU!” she says. She credits voice teacher Harlan Jennings for helping her to believe in her vocal talent.

It was while she was a student at MSU that she discovered opera. After seeing a performance of Carmen, she recalls, “I was hooked.” Since, she has enjoyed leading roles in North America, Europe, Israel, and Japan and has recorded with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras. In 1990, she made her European debut with L’Opera de Lyon (France) after finishing her Adler Fellowship with the San Francisco Opera. She then auditioned for Daniel Barenboim at the Berlin Staatsoper and won the role of Cleopatra. There she met stage director Fred Berndt, to whom she has been married for 14 years. She also has started a company, Performance Enhancement by Design, and begun work on a second book.

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