High Notes and Anecdotes

Adam Miller

5.0 (1)
PERFORMING ARTS
UPDATED WEEKLY

Meandering conversations about opera, careers in the arts and life as an artist.

10/12/2025

High Notes & Christmas Cheer

Episode 36 - Hey friends! Welcome to our festive season wrap! Helena and Adam get silly, swap stories from a wild year of opera and podcasting and dish on highlights, humiliations and big life moments (think moving house, role debuts and embarrassing gym tales). Grab your seasonal drink of choice and join us for a warm, laugh-out-loud look back at the year. Merry Christmas and we'll see you on the other side!

35 min
03/12/2025

High Notes and Melissa Wegner

Episode 35 - Hi friends! We had the most inspiring chat with Melissa Wegner, Executive Director with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Laffont Competition. She walks us through international outreach, how the Met picks and develops singers and why mentorship, mental health and practical skills all matter, just as much as talent. If you’re an aspiring singer, you’ll love her clear audition checklist (voice, musicianship, interpretation and career potential), plus reality checks about covers, timing and when to jump into the professional world. She also explains the newer, kinder side of industry training: financial coaching, performance psychology, intimacy coordinators and real community support. Tune in for honest, friendly and super-useful advice whether you’re auditioning, considering a young artist program, or just want an insight into how singers can thrive in this wild opera life.

1h 12m
26/11/2025

High Notes & TikTok Triumphs

Episode 34 - Hey friends! Come hang with Helena and Adam as they catch up for a meandering chat: from hilarious Aussie lingo (like the Poddy) to TikTok triumphs and the importance of great repetiteurs. We get the tea on viral videos, strange fan mail, masterclasses with young performers and even nude stage stories. Tune in and laugh along.

36 min
19/11/2025

High Notes & David Hobson

Episode 33 - Hi friends! Jump on in to this thoughtful, laugh-out-loud conversation with David Hobson as he shares tales of writing a rock opera version of Macbeth, swinging metres above a stage without a net and the time a hubcap doubled as a bonnet. It’s full of backstage madness, career pivots and genuine advice for young singers. Expect candid stories about touring, teaching, authenticity in performance and why great artists keep learning. Don't miss this one!

1h 11m
11/11/2025

High Notes and the German Fest Life

Episode 32 - If you’re into behind-the-scenes opera gossip, this episode is for you. We hang out with Gerard Quinn and Chloe Morgan as they unpack life in Germany’s Fest system: the crazy rehearsal hours, costume nightmares, language mishaps and that infamous director who had everyone talking. Expect high notes, wild backstage moments and honest talk about surviving and thriving in the Fest life.

54 min
27/10/2025

High Notes and the Herald Sun Aria - 2025

Episode 31 - Watch out! We jumped in the car, braved the rain and took you straight into the Melbourne Recital Centre for the Herald Sun Aria final. Expect backstage vibes, on-road banter and honest takes on six incredible young singers. There’s talk about conductor magic, judging pressure and how repertoire and orchestra placement can change everything. Grab some road trip snacks and join us!

38 min
21/10/2025

High Notes & Dr Simon Lobelson

Episode 30 - Welcome back, friends! Catch up with Simon Lobelson, baritone, conductor, teacher and "angry fiddler" as he chats to Helena and Adam about Mozart obsessions, contemporary opera surprises and the honest lessons he gives to young singers. Tune in for warm laughs, practical teaching gems and delightfully weird stories from the stage (think Kafka insects, squeaks, burps and farts). It’s a cozy chat with a great mate. Don't miss this one.

1h 10m
14/10/2025

High Notes and Helen Hogh

Ep 29 - Helena and Adam are back for a mischievous chat with Helen Hogh: artist manager, custard tart courier and the kind of honest, fiercely-caring person every singer hopes for. You’ll hear about the messy, human side of helping manage careers, like turning down gigs, holding artists’ hands after performances and why a good manager is basically your backstage superhero. It’s funny, candid and full of fascinating insights. Tiaras and Tanqueray even make cameos.

1h 4m

Meandering conversations about opera, careers in the arts and life as an artist.

Creator

Adam Miller
Years Active

2K
Episodes

36
Rating

Clean
Copyright

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High Notes and Anecdotes