Rebecca Miller Kratzer: Team Show.
Skene Staff
In-depth interview with director Rebecca Miller Kratzer on collaboration, intuitive process, and redefining leadership in theatre.
In-depth interview with director Rebecca Miller Kratzer on collaboration, intuitive process, and redefining leadership in theatre.
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In the world of opera, few artists embody both the sheer vocal prowess and the depth of storytelling quite like Hidenori Inoue. A bass with a commanding presence and a voice that resonates with both power and nuance, Inoue has captivated audiences across the globe with his performances. His journey, however, was anything but conventional. Initially pursuing a career in business, it wasn’t until a chance voice lesson in the United States that he discovered a passion for opera—one that would change the course of his life entirely.
Since then, Inoue has built an impressive career, tackling demanding roles with a combination of technical mastery and emotional authenticity. His performance as Mefistofele in Boito’s masterpiece stands out as a defining moment, pushing him beyond his limits and shaping his artistic discipline. Beyond his work on stage, he is deeply committed to both vocal excellence and the theatrical storytelling that brings opera to life.
In this interview, Inoue reflects on his unexpected path to opera, the creative process that fuels his performances, and the evolving landscape of the industry. From overcoming personal challenges to embracing new inspirations, his story is one of resilience, artistry, and the transformative power of music.
Well….I was growing up hating singing especially opera…because I was the third generation of musicians from my both parents sides and also my parents are opera singers…when I moved to the US for my previous career as a businessman, I started a voice lesson just out of curiosity…and I just fell in love with it😅 and decided to change my careers. Throughout of my music career, I truly hated it for dealing with a lot of struggles but at some point, I came out of the other side of the tunnel. I now love it deeper than ever!
My favorite work is Boito’s Mefistofele which was one of my dream roles back then. In order to perform and follow the direction, I had to loose weight and also created stamina for a huge role. But now everything I do became much easier thanks to the skills I developed during this production!
There are two sides of creative process. One is vocal/musical aspect and the other is acting/emotional aspect. For musical aspect, I always make sure I can sing the whole role twice or even more any day, and pursue the healthy technique. And for the acting aspect, I translate evey word to English and then Japanese so I have emotional connections to the texts.
Definitely mental health. In the year of 2019-2020, I had the biggest challenge mentally. And after quitting alcohol and developing my self confidence, I grow up as a person and as an artist.
Inspirations come from old singers in golden age of Opera which was in 50’s and 60’s. How they sang and expressed emotions through voice is quite incredible. And I always intake their examples and create my own way from those references. I try different ways of execution during rehearsals and figure out what works the best depending on the stagings and directors’ directions. This process is very challenging yet, one of the most fun parts of my job.
There are more female conductors and directors coming up and starting to have more voices in the field. It is quite wonderful thing for the future of the industry!
Artists and creatives are always under the pressure of being judged by others. I would say; Developing true self confidence with keeping curiosity and humble yet open minded, and improving mental heath are huge key for pursuing our careers.
When I do traditional opera, I hope to create the moments that audience can just enjoy the beauty of art on the stages and forget about their personal life struggles for a moment. And when j do contemporary opera stating current issues in the world, I hope to give some new ideas and/or understanding for the issues and suggestions. After all, art is the safest way to express and talk about those issues in the world.
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