Profile

Dean Peterson

Dean Peterson, '75, made his debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera on Oct. 8, 1999, in the Franco Zeffarelli opera Aida.

"The debut went well," Peterson said. "The critics were not unkind and I was proud of the way it turned out."

According to New York Times arts reviewer James R. Oestreich, Aida "[rivaled] the pyramids in grandeur." Oestreich went on to say that few productions have "seemed to overwhelm" the stage at the Met as Aida did.

The Met, for Peterson and most opera singers, represents the pinnacle of an artist's career. For Dean Peterson, who frequently sings for the Met and other opera companies worldwide, the road to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera started in Wisconsin.

Peterson earned his bachelor's degree from Carthage in psychology. He was unsure of exactly what he wanted from an occupation, so he moved to Rockford, Ill., then to Florida to find the right profession. While working as a waiter and debating the future of his career, he ran into the opportunity to audition for a local opera company.

"I sang in the Carthage Choir," Peterson said, "and I really enjoyed it while I was there. I knew I had some talent even though I was rusty, so I decided to give it a try."

After a successful audition, Peterson began performing with the company. The small regional operation allowed him to wet his feet in the opera waters.

"That company really helped me expand my repertoire," said Peterson. "It had been a while since I sang regularly, and it was great practice."

But more importantly, it inspired him to go back to school to study music. He realized through his experiences with that opera company how much he really enjoyed music and missed its presence in his life.

Peterson attended Florida Atlantic University to study music performance, while at the same time continuing to participate in the opera company. His love of performing and of music in general grew and he decided he wanted a career in opera.

After finishing school, Peterson moved to New York City to break into the opera scene. His initial experiences in New York were not positive.

"I can't say I met with no success," he said. "But when you shoot high and hit something lower, it just doesn't fulfill you."

Peterson spent stints in small shows and working on cruise ships traveling the world. He even occasionally traveled back to Florida to sing. He prepared himself, after nearly three years of auditioning without a real breakthrough, to go back to Florida and return to regional opera there.

"The opera business is very difficult to crack," he said. "People say, and it's really true, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. I just wasn't making it like I wanted to. The cruise ships were nice, I got to explore the world, but it wasn't the kind of opera I wanted to be doing."

As he was preparing to leave New York, Peterson got a phone call from a friend who wanted him to sing for his management company.

"I sang for them and they arranged for me to sing for Beverly Sills, the executive director of the City Opera of New York. I sang for Beverly and she hired me on the spot for two lead roles the next season."

Peterson had become an "overnight" success.

Peterson spent a couple years singing for the City Opera honing his skills and widening his repertoire even more.

"It's like that old story about the clay and the potter. Beverly and the City Opera really shaped me, helped me get ready for that next level."

After the City Opera, Peterson's career did move to the next level. Producers from large opera companies around the country contacted him and he began performing nationwide. His appearances at other American opera houses allowed international producers and conductors to see him, and he also began performing in Europe.

Since his City Opera debut, Peterson has performed with opera companies in San Diego, Santa Fe, N. M., Cleveland, Charleston, S. C., Atlanta, and New Orleans; as well as performing in Israel, Germany, Italy, Canada and France, among many other locations.

And now he sings at the Met.

The iconic Metropolitan Opera sits in New York's Lincoln Center, demanding attention from the elite—both performers and patrons. Its quality is acknowledged worldwide, and its prestige is among the highest anywhere. Peterson faces the honor of singing there, with humility.

"Every opera singer dreams about someday singing at the Met, and here I am," he said. "It's a little hard to believe."

The Met holds special significance to Peterson as an American opera singer.

"I have sung in some of the greatest houses in Europe, Italy, France, Germany and others. The Met, to me, is like coming home," he said. "People everywhere recognize the name ‘Metropolitan Opera of New York' on my resume," he said. "They may or may not have an opinion about some of the smaller opera houses I've performed at. This is definitely an aid to marketability."

But the fame doesn't make life, or work, any easier for Peterson. With the recognition of the Met name, come greater expectations.

"The scrutiny is intense for people who have reached this level. I can't let myself sit back and enjoy it too much. I have to stay very much on top of my game," he said.

To combat the danger of complacency, Peterson practices daily. He begins with a 45-minute warmup, to stretch his vocal cords like a runner would his legs. The stretching routine must be done every day to keep in shape. Then he sings.

"Most of the time I sing for three or four hours a day," he said.

But his practice involves much more than that. Since opera usually is not written in English, Peterson must study other languages, Italian, French and German all are common in opera. He says that learning from a textbook only works to an extent.

"The best way to learn is to talk to native speakers of the language. I try to learn the nuances, inflections and common figures of speech in the libretto (text) of the opera.

"Opera is really like a musical decathlon. It involves music, singing, inflection, tone and more. It has to convey everything a conversation does, every nuance of the language, plus all the emotion of the music. That's why a good opera singer will make you understand what's going on in the story, even if you don't speak the language."

Peterson isn't taking his success for granted. He understands how lucky he's been and plans to continue to work hard.

"You hope you survive your bad choices and profit from your good ones. I've been lucky enough to do just that. Sure, I'm enjoying today. This is a giant thrill for me," he said. "But I'm not thinking too much about what will come of it. The ride will take care of itself."