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Opera singers moving to Berlin, Germany

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Welcome to Berlin!

If you're reading this, you're probably either planning an audition tour, or have already arrived in Berlin and are looking for whatever tips you can find to help you get settled and successful. This lens will give you info on travel, neighborhoods, shopping, language, and resources that will make your stay (or move!) as easy as possible. Check out one of the books below for in-depth information on auditioning in Germany, and come here for quick links and practical tips that deal specifically with Berlin.

This lens is a work in progress, so please check back periodically!

Books about Auditioning in Germany

There are plenty of books out there about auditioning for opera in Germany, but some have been out of print for a while. The three most current books are below, in addition to the Koiber Handbook of Opera, which you might have heard is the definitive guide (for better or worse) to Fach breakdown in the German system.
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Neighborhoods of Berlin

It won't take you long to get to know many of the neighborhoods in Berlin, because public transportation is pretty great there. There are not too many "bad" neighborhoods, but they can be pretty different.

The map above is interesting because you can see exactly how far out of the city center some neighborhoods really are. The airport on the upper left is Tegel, the one in the center is Tempelhof, now closed. Schoenefeld is not even on this map - it would be way out under the bottom right border. Until the BBI Airport and it's rail link open in 2011, you're better off sticking to Tegel connections if you plan to fly a lot. If you plan to take the train more often, then as long as you have an easy connection to Hauptbahnhof or the other major stations on the S-Bahn, you'll be in good shape.

The best way to decide where to live is really to look at a BVG (subway, tram, and bus) map and check out the commute to the Charlottenburg area (Deutsche Oper, on the left side of a map), the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station, kind of in the middle), and Mitte (the trendy and popular area on the right of most maps but actually, as you can see above, it's really in the middle, as it's name implies).

If it's a very awkward commute to get to most of those places from your hotel or rental, think twice before putting down a deposit. Berlin during audition season tends to be cold, dark, rainy, and miserable, and finding a relaxing commute to the places you'll be coaching and traveling from is worth the extra effort before you arrive.

A quick guide to some popular neighborhoods in Berlin

in no particular order

  • Kreuzberg: A popular area for affordable housing and a trendy place to live, Kreuzberg has a high population of Turkish residents, fantastic restaurants, cute boutiques, and becomes increasingly trendy towards its border with Mitte.
  • Mitte: If you have a lot of money to spend on housing and need to be in the most "urban" area of the city, try Mitte, where you'll find plenty of upscale and trendy shops, cafes, restaurants, and businesses. The famous street Unter den Linden is in Mitte, stretching from Brandenburger Tor (Gate) to Alexanderplatz.
  • Charlottenburg: A very quiet and beautiful - but pricey- region of the city, very connected to airports, rail, and with plenty of great restaurants and shopping. The famous street KuDamm is here, and so is the KaDeWe, a huge upscale shopping house. The Zoo and... the Zoo Station... are also in Charlottenburg.
  • Wilmersdorf is not really very different from Charlottenburg today. The border is usually considered KuDamm, but the districts are very similar.
  • Tiergarten and Mitte are also considered more or less the same region today, but you'll have a better chance of finding affordable housing in Tiergarten. Potsdamerplatz belongs to Tiergarten... though today most call it Mitte.
  • Potsdam actually does not belong to Berlin, but to Brandenburg, and is found west and south of Berlin. However, you'll hear about it and should absolutely visit the huge parks and castles there. There is a lot of very interesting real estate in Potsdam, as renovation of old damaged estates has been ongoing for decades.
  • Prenzlauer Berg is another very trendy neighborhood today, and is unfortunately already quite expensive. You'll find lots of young families here (given the great number of young mothers pushing prams on any given day, there are jokes about young men not moving to Prenzl'berg if they don't want a family). The area is served by a very efficient tram system that connects to the rest of the city.
  • Schöneberg is another trendy neighborhood that is still struggling in pockets. Despite a thriving gay community, there are still areas of Schoeneberg that are somewhat downtrodden; you might find an expensive art gallery located next to a seedy 24 hour sex club.
  • Neukölln is gaining in popularity with expats and long-stay visitors to Berlin who are priced out of Kreuzberg. There are some definite social problems in this neighborhood as various immigrant groups struggle to fit in, but it is generally a safe place to live and work, and you'll find plenty of home grown culture, music, theater, and art here.
  • Friedrichshain is probably Berlin's hottest trendy up-and-coming neighborhood at the moment. It's still cheap, and has plenty of night life. The downsides are that it's not very well connected to public transport - it's always a long windy walk to the trains in winter, and it is still a little on the grungy side. But, you can find a fantastic sunny apartment there for very little money.

BVG (public transport)

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This map represents the main center of the huge public transport system in Berlin. It contains most of the places you can expect to go while you're here, except for airports. U-Bahn means Underground Rail, and S-Bahn stands for Fast Rail. In the eastern parts of the city from Mitte on, you will also encounter Trams and Street Rail. Buses are a whole other topic, and have their own map covering the entire city.

BVG website

The BVG runs on the honor system; you buy a pass but don't need to show it to enter a train or bus. However, there are frequent surprise controls by plainclothes representatives, and you will be fined at least 40 euros for traveling "schwartz," without a ticket and be escorted off the train. If you don't cooperate and show ID, they call the cops, and it can get ugly. It's pretty likely to get caught, so do yourself a favor and buy the right fare.
Click here for the BVG English site
Click here to go to the English version of the BVG public tranport site. You can find information about fares, schedules, maps, and more. A very useful feature is the trip planner, where you can enter your planned departure or arrival time, your starting address and the address of your destination, and the site will come up with a few travel routes with details for you. VERY useful.

Deutsche Bahn

German Rail

Air travel in Europe today is very often a better deal than rail travel, though many people prefer to travel by train because, in Germany, it can be a quite relaxing experience.
English version of the Deutsche Bahn website
If you'll be in Germany permanently and expect to take a lot of train trips, look into getting a Bahn Card. You can choose one for first or second class, and for 50% of 100% discount (which means you pay more for the card, but much less or nothing for your actual travel). A Bahn Card requires a German bank account.

Airports in Berlin

TXL: Tegel Airport
Tegel, currently the hub for most international traffic and located in the western part of the city, will eventually be phased out once the new BBI airport takes over its traffic. Tegel tends to be the most connected airport to the city, with a multitude of buses and a connection to the subway (U-Bahn).
BBI: Berlin Brandenburg International Airport
Scheduled to open in 2011, the BBI will be combining traffic from all Berlin-area airports, and feature a high-speed rail link far superior to current ground links at any of the other airports in the area that exists today.
SXF: Schoenefeld Airport
Located in Brandenburg, quite far outside of Berlin, this airport serves many smaller airlines. Connection to the city involves a very long cab ride or a very long train ride on the local commuter rail.
Tempelhof Airport
Tempelhof, a small airport directly inside Berlin, was recently closed, to some controversy. It was a very important base during WW2, the airlift, and the Cold War when West Berlin was isolated by land. Click the link to learn more.

Airlines that fly in and out of Berlin

Just a few of the better ones that have good service to common audition locations

Air Berlin
A very good airline for most German connections, good service and good prices.
Lufthansa
A good option for connections within Germany and also abroad, though it can be pricy.
Easy Jet
Low prices and a young fleet, but you will have to arrive several hours in advance of your fight and stand in a waiting room. No assigned seating.
Air France
Air France is a good option for flights to France.
German Wings
Another good airline for flights within Germany, but only short-haul from Schoenefeld.
Delta
For flights to the US.
Continental
A good option for long-haul from Tegel.
Swiss Air
For flights to Switzerland.
SAS - Scandinavian Airlines
Especially good for flights to Scandinavia, but with long-haul to many other destinations as well.
Alitalia
Best choice for flights to Italy.
British Air
For connections to the UK.

Check flights to and from Berlin on Orbitz

If you're flying around a lot, Orbitz can be a great place to check for a rough idea of fares and flying times.

powered by Orbitz

Sports, Yoga, and Dance in Berlin

In addition to a number of health clubs, Berlin has a lot of yoga and dance studios, many of which have several English classes. Berlin is also very popular for bicyclist and joggers, because of the many long flat streets and roads.

You'll find a wide range of health clubs at various price levels, and it pays to bring a German-speaking friend if you decide to get a membership, to know exactly what you're signing up for. Popular pricey gyms in Berlin are Elixia & Holmes Place. At the mid-range is Sky (one of the FitCom brands), and at the low range are McFit and Gold's. Gyms are located all over the city.

Every kind of yoga is possible in Berlin, and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of classes you can take on any given day, with the highest concentration of classes in the eastern part of the city (Kreuzberg, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg) and, second to that, Charlottenburg. Hot or Bikram yoga is very popular right now, with 4 studios throughout the city, but other types of yoga remain hugely popular as well, and there are always studios of various disciplines offering teacher training.

Dance classes for adults (Tanzkurse für Erwachsener) are also to be found, and schools offer drop-in classes in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern, Ballroom, Tango, Bellydance or Oriental dance, and much much more. For most classical forms of dance, you can usually take a trial class for 10 euros before purchasing a series of classes or a monthly membership.

Opera Anthologies on Amazon

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Learning German

A few of the more popular schools in Berlin

Most people in Berlin will understand English, though some more grudgingly than others. But to really make friends and give yourself the best options professionally, you should plan on studying the language intensively when you arrive. Here are just a few of the better schools today; the smaller schools tend to come and go, so this list sticks mostly to the larger or established ones that do not use a Berlitz-type method.

Ironically, to locate schools that teach German as a foreign language via Google, you'll need to search under the German term: "Deutsch als Fremdsprache."
GLS in Prenzlauer Berg
An excellent large school that also offers housing and very good teachers. Wide range of students, though it's especially attractive to university students and recent grads.
Sprachenatelier in Friedrichshain
Study German (and any other of a very wide range of languages) in Berlin's hottest up-and-coming neighborhood. Intensive learning options, plenty of testing offered. Housing also optional.
Neue Schule in Wilmersdorf
A smaller school that concentrates on only a few languages, but the best option in the west.
Goethe Institute - Mitte
The gold standard of German language teaching worldwide, Goethe is by far the most expensive option, but you are all but guaranteed to make excellent progress.

Helpful books for learning German

Nothing can take the place of a good teacher, but these books are all especially helpful for students of German navigating the trickier aspects of German grammar that everyone struggles with, and are each known for their authority on the German language in particular (not every language learning system is great for every language!)
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Major Opera Houses in Berlin

Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper is in west Berlin, at Bismarckstraße 35 in Charlottenburg.
Staatsoper Berlin
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is located in the east, at Unter den Linden 7 in Mitte.
Komische Oper Berlin
The Komische Oper, a much "smaller" house in comparison to the other two above, is located a few blocks from the Staatsoper, at Behrenstraße 55-57.
Berlin Philharmonic
Not an opera house, obviously, but you can see a number of wonderful recitals and performances here as well. Located in Tiergarten at Herbert-von-Karajan-Str. 1.

Staying healthy in Berlin

If you need a lot of OTC and prescription drugs to get you through an audition season, then by all means bring everything you need with you to Berlin. Germans generally frown upon taking lots of supplements and medicines, and a good majority of OTC supplements easily found in the US will be totally unavailable here, or will be available in minuscule and expensive ("safe") amounts.

Even if you get sick, there's a strong chance that you'll be sent home from the doctor's office with some herbal eucalyptus oil for steaming, advice to keep your kidneys nice and warm, and a bracing pat on the shoulder to buck up (a practice you might even grow to love, as this author surprisingly has).

That said, there is a lot you CAN find in the Apotheke, or pharmacy, and it's always worth asking behind the desk, preferably with the name of the drug (generic if possible) written on a slip of paper so that they can search for you.

Doctors and Pharmacies in Berlin

So, here are a few searches to get you started, in case you need to get some medical attention (in which case, feel better!).

To make your search even more specific, add your postal code after "Berlin."
Search for Ear, Nose & Throat Docs in Berlin
And ENT in Germany is known as a "Hals-, Nasen, & Ohren Arzt." Hals is throat, Nasen and nose, and Ohr is ear.
Search for a gynecologist in Berlin
Gynecologists are quaintly known in Germany as "Womens' Doctors."
Search for a general practitioner in Berlin
GPs in Germany are called Allgemeinmediziner; they do not do pelvic exams or internal medicine, but could refer you to one who does.

Practicing in Berlin

You should be aware of "Quiet Hours" in your building and in Berlin. In general, in rental or private buildings, stick to practicing only between 8-12am, and 3-6pm to be on the safe side, and don't practice more than 2 hours a day in total. Stay quiet on Sundays.

Many buildings and residents are more tolerant, and you won't have to worry about disturbing neighbors if this is the case. But unfortunately not everyone loves to hear you practice, and the law does restrict your practice hours; if you get into a nasty disagreement about your practicing, you can find yourself in a bit of a legal mess, and will likely have to move and/or face a lot of daily hostility.

If you are a teacher and you live in a building (as opposed to a detached house), you should consult your rental contract or building bylaws and a lawyer for information about how often you can teach at home.

Some practice rooms:
Theater Hause Mitte
A building with 7 rooms for rent, suitable for rehearsals and practicing. A deposit is required.
Clavierento
An old converted movie theatre, located above a used piano store.

Finding a teacher or coach in Berlin

Most well-known coaches work at one of the big houses in town, or are freelancers between gigs at houses elsewhere. The best way to get in contact with one of them is to know someone in common, like a teacher or singer who knows your work, which is why it pays to meet people and get out and go to events when you arrive in Berlin.

A word of caution: Most coaches who work at one of the A houses in town will not be interested in working with a perfect stranger unless they have something or someone to recommend them; in other words, make sure you are ready for a coach before you call them up cold and ask them to work with you. These people are very busy during the year, so if your calls are not being returned over a period of time, or if you aren't sure whether you are ready for a coach, then consider whether what you really need is a teacher.

There is an abundance of voice teachers in Berlin. Many are American, or speak perfect English, and many of them are really wonderful teachers... and some are not. Again, make friends with your peers, go hear their performances, talk to them, and find out who people work with, who they know, who they admire and who they stay away from. You'll get the lay of the land pretty quickly. You can expect to pay anywhere between 40 and 70 Euros for a 45- to 60-minute voice lesson in Berlin.

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