GET YOUR CAREER ADVICE FROM AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL
If you have been training for a career as a professional opera singer, you know you have chosen a difficult path. Success requires guidance from those who have actually engaged singers for their own opera companies.
You need to know exactly what is required and expected—and what will make you stand out from your colleagues.
EXPERIENCE
Ward's career includes a formative decade with Houston Grand Opera, where he rose to the rank of Resident Conductor, leading many performances and productions of his own.
- Short résumé link -
CONSULT / COACH WITH A PERFORMER
Ward Holmquist has spent over 30 years as a fully-employed opera musician—conductor, pianist, coach. For 17 seasons Ward auditioned thousands and hired hundreds of singers while he was Artistic Director of Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
Phone/Text him for a free consultation at
(844) SING WELL
or email him at
SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION
SHORT RÉSUMÉ
Professional
| 2015 - | CEO, Holmquist Consulting LLC - Kansas City, MO · Creation of full spectrum digital presentation and communication media for entrepreneurs and small business, client training · Not-for-profit consultant |
| 1998 – 2015 | Artistic Director, Lyric Opera of Kansas City - Kansas City, MO · Ongoing major innovations in performance quality and national prominence · Steady and stable company growth throughout tenure—doubling of company budget · Fiscal responsibility—no financial loss seasons |
| 1995 – 1998 | Assistant Professor (tenure track), University of Southern California - Los Angeles, CA · Instructed 30-40 graduate and undergraduate students in all aspects of operatic study and training · Music director for at least two full scale opera productions per year |
| 1984 – 1995 | Resident Conductor, Houston Grand Opera - Houston, TX · Rose to position of Resident Conductor through young artist training program, followed by rapid ascent on full time staff. Conducted performances or productions of over 20 operas, including main stage world premiere. Collaborated with numerous living composers. |
Education
| Fulbright Grant
MM BM, MM |
Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst – Vienna, Austria
Music, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign – Champaign, IL Music (Piano, Conducting), Oberlin Conservatory of Music – Oberlin, OH |
Interests
| Active practitioner with wide range of digital tools and skills, including database creation and financial analysis, coding, website creation, social media and marketing, digital photography and video creation and editing |
Personal
| Married to Julie Ungashick Holmquist – one stepdaughter |