Summit Sixth-Grader Makes Metropolitan Opera Debut

Andrew Pulver, 11, who performed at Carnegie Hall last December, will make his Metropolitan Opera debut Monday night, singing a lead role in Nico Muhly's new opera 'Two Boys.'

Though he has been honing his talent since the age of three, the Oak Knoll sixth-grader said he is both nervous and excited. 

"I am looking forward to the final dress rehearsal which will have a full audience, and after which I hope the nerves melt away," he said.

Pulver explained what went into landing a lead role.

"It was a long process, kind of like a very polite game of 'Survivor,'" he said. "The audition process was handled by a casting agency, Telsey & Co., and was the first time I had ever auditioned for a professional production."

"For the original audition, which took place last May, my mother recorded a video of me singing 'Pie Jesu' by Andrew Lloyd Webber (the requested song) and we sent it to Telsey. Shortly after that, I auditioned in person at Telsey in New York City. I had been given two songs from the opera to prepare, though I only had a few days to study them. The third round of auditions took place in July; I had to take a day off from sleepaway camp in upstate New York to drive to New York City for the auditions, for which I was expected to know the two opera arias by memory.

"The final audition was on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in front of the composer, Nico Muhly, and the director, Bartlett Sher, and involved singing as well as following stage directions while singing. Finally, I was told that I was hired as one of two boys for the role, and in August the Met sent me the 400-page score to learn. It was only a few weeks ago that I was told that I would be performing in all seven performances of the opera."

The young man with the big voice said initially it was challenging juggling school and rehearsals but thanks to the Met's tutor and the "incredible support" from the Oak Knoll school community, he has been able to manage it all and make the most of this experience. 

"The opportunity to work with the incredibly talented and professional people at the Met and also perform seven times on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera is an amazing opportunity to improve my singing and acting," he said. "It’s very inspirational."

While opera might seem like a unique interest for a pre-teen, Pulver said the genre just takes the love of singing to another level. He and his family have discovered it together, he explained.

"My first role in an opera, just one year ago, was playing Amahl, in the opera 'Amahl and the Night Visitors.' My entire family, including my sister, who was 7 at the time, learned every word of that opera by heart," he said. "They analyzed it, listened to the rehearsals, and came to all the performances. And that is the way it has been with every opera I’ve performed in since. And now we all love opera and go to see operas that I am not in."

In December, Pulver will reprise the role of 'Amahl,' performing with the Light Opera of New Jersey in Basking Ridge in the opera by Gian Carlo Menotti. 

Ahead of his big night, the Summit singer said he is grateful for all the encouragement he has received along the way.

"My friends and teachers at school have always supported my singing and I look forward to seeing some of them at the Met," he said. "I hope my frequent performing at Oak Knoll assemblies has inspired younger kids to pursue performing arts."

For more information or to purchase tickets for 'Two Boys,' visit the Metropolitan Opera's website.