it takes a lot of money to pay the rent while you hang around
waiting for any kind of work to come your way. Years can go by and do for
some.
American tenor Chris Merritt was Italy's highest paid Rossini tenor for a
while, after he asked 35,000 a performance for Guglielmo Tell at La Scala
Milan. As part of his group, his wife told me that he didn¹t really know
what fee to ask for, but threw out a figure and they accepted. Somehow the
Italian newspapers got a hold of the fact that he was being paid a lot of
money for his singing up and down Italy and became rather miffed. Now this
was in the mid-eighties. I do know singers suffer from a lot of politics
going on behind the walls of the opera houses, and fees are not paid always
in a straightforward way. Incredible as it may sound but true, a major
Italian opera house, I won¹t mention the name said they did not have the
money at the time to pay their singers!
Clarissa
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Artist Fees
An artist still has to pay an agent, taxes and such on endorsements.
BTW, I'm reading where movie star XXX had to drop the selling price of mansion
$1 Million or athlete was fined $XXX,XXX for a transgression.
None of it amounts to what a musician earns, even the elite.? Relative to the
talent and hard work involved, let's not go there.
Let's not forget that Ms. Fleming goes on stage and is critiqued to the nth
degree by armchair impressario and she braves brickbats of dozens of naysayers
on each and every note she sings.
Best,
Terri
BTW, I'm reading where movie star XXX had to drop the selling price of mansion
$1 Million or athlete was fined $XXX,XXX for a transgression.
None of it amounts to what a musician earns, even the elite.? Relative to the
talent and hard work involved, let's not go there.
Let's not forget that Ms. Fleming goes on stage and is critiqued to the nth
degree by armchair impressario and she braves brickbats of dozens of naysayers
on each and every note she sings.
Best,
Terri
Artist Fees
My understanding is that most singers pay for their own accommodations and
transport. They pay for their coaches, voice lessons, management fees,
agents' fees and probably a lot of other "hidden" fees. My understanding is
that if they cancel a performance, they don't get paid. They also don't get
paid for rehearsals, if I am not mistaken. The big name stars can easily
afford to have personal assistants, secretaries. They can fly first class
and stay in 5 star hotels for a month at a time, during a typical run of
performances. But what about the middle level (for lack of a better term)
singer-One who is very good but is not very famous or hyped? They have many
of these same expenses-certainly hotels and flight expenses-and don't make
anywhere near the fees the handful of media stars earn. Those early years
of every singer's life are filled with uncertainty and huge expenses.
Lessons and coaching require large sums of money. They typically earn very
little for their small roles in major theatres or major roles in regional
theatres-with no guarantee of ever making these huge fees that we hear
about. I think they are entitled to a decent performance fee. I do wonder
if top administrators deserve million dollar salaries + perks.
Seth Welins
transport. They pay for their coaches, voice lessons, management fees,
agents' fees and probably a lot of other "hidden" fees. My understanding is
that if they cancel a performance, they don't get paid. They also don't get
paid for rehearsals, if I am not mistaken. The big name stars can easily
afford to have personal assistants, secretaries. They can fly first class
and stay in 5 star hotels for a month at a time, during a typical run of
performances. But what about the middle level (for lack of a better term)
singer-One who is very good but is not very famous or hyped? They have many
of these same expenses-certainly hotels and flight expenses-and don't make
anywhere near the fees the handful of media stars earn. Those early years
of every singer's life are filled with uncertainty and huge expenses.
Lessons and coaching require large sums of money. They typically earn very
little for their small roles in major theatres or major roles in regional
theatres-with no guarantee of ever making these huge fees that we hear
about. I think they are entitled to a decent performance fee. I do wonder
if top administrators deserve million dollar salaries + perks.
Seth Welins
Artist Fees
Beverly Sills said in an interview that 1968 was the first year she made a million dollars. I don't know how to relate that to today, but it seems that someone on the scale of Sills in 68 (the top) would make a few times that amount today, all things counted (opera fees, concerts, record sales, etc).mike h
Artist Fees
One could easily "net" around 40 percent or less of the contracted fee...so, Fleming's $575,000 could easily have been reduced to $230,000, which,given her considerable talent and even with the fees she gets for otherperformances at other houses, is not so incredible. Add in that there areyears of preparation with no guarantee and then no guarantee that thecareer will continue for any great leangth of time at those fees and whatshe gets doesn't sound so incredible. I wouldn't be surprised if even asuccessful opera singer, when the whole career is considered, doesn'tactually make all that much. They may be well-off and secure, but not rich.Are these valid assumptions, or am a wildly understating what these folksare able to pull in?John Wood
Artist Fees
I don't remember Miss Steber discussing fees. Somehow, I think she paid for Knoxville and the Alice Tully Recitals. Do you have any additional information?
Artist Fees
These fees that sound so large are generally "all-inclusive" which means the artist pays for their accompanist, airfare, and hotel on top of the percentage paid to their manager and costs for publicists and assistants (which some have, some do not.). Then, there are also taxes and Social Security...and self-paid insurance (things most of us have deducted). One could easily "net" around 40 percent or less of the contracted fee...$75,000 is the highest I've heard in the States quoted for a recital recently...anything higher, there would be just about no way to make the numbers work in a "standard" venue...with a generous individual sponsorship, a state arts council grant and a sold-out house at regular pricing (no gala tkts) in an 1100 seat venue, we made a whopping $275 on a $50,000 fee artist in 2003. Others - still big names mentioned/praised/pilloried regularly on this list - range from $10,000 (recital) - $25,000 (recital or orch) - $40,000 (with orch).It would not shock if some fees are now more negotiable than ever given the state of the economy and the classical music business. John
Fees for Singers
I, for one, do not complain about what opera singers make. It's a many arecalled, few are chosen profession. Attaining the level of skill needed toacquit oneself creditably on the opera stage costs lots of money and thesacrifice of a normal life. I don't think they make enough, especially those workingin the rank and file of singers in regional companies.We live in an age of celebrity that is disproportionate to merit. Witnessthe financial success of pop singers vs what they offer in musical merit(spend an hour or so watching MTV - it's about like having a root canal). Thisapplies as well to ersatz opera singers like Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelliwho have been pimped to a gullible public by Public Television. And considerIl Divo, a group peddled by the highly succesful promoter who is a judge on"American Idol" - I can't think of his name, but the upper part of hiswardrobe is limited to gym shirts...Simple Simon something.Paul RicchiBoston
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