BEING A FREELANCE ARTIST IS CHALLENGING IN THE BEST OF TIMES—JUST ASK ANY OPERA SINGER. YOU NEED TALENT, SOLID PREPARATION, TRAINING, DRIVE, COMMUNICATIVE POWER, NOT TO MENTION A BIT OF LUCK ON YOUR SIDE, AS IT’S A VERY COMPETITIVE BUSINESS. WITH CLASSICAL MUSIC MAKING UP A MINUSCULE ONE PERCENT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT DOLLAR, THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE ARTISTS THAN THERE ARE GIGS. AND WHEN YOU ADD ON THE CURRENT COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE MERE SURVIVAL OF MANY CAREERS COMES INTO QUESTION.
Yet amidst the global health calamity, one finds cases of resilience and determination. Canadian tenor David Pomeroy is a fine example. A native of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Pomeroy is now in the third decade of a solid career. Just before the pandemic hit, he was slated to sing lead roles, the likes of Bacchus, Florestan, and Calaf in such far-flung places as Lille, France, and Lisbon, Portugal. He’s also a favourite in many Canadian opera houses.
But the pandemic put an end to his contracts the past two seasons. “It couldn’t have been an easy time for all the freelancers,” Pomeroy included. Their European counterparts have had a much easier time, whereas “fest artists,” they have the security of a regular paycheck from their home opera houses.
JS: We all know COVID has devastated the performing arts industry. How has it affected you, a freelancer?
DP: COVID was devastating, and it came at an
