What is the best route for a young bass-baritone to take starting his professional career?

Welcome to the Bass-baritone voice! As a true Bass-baritone, I had a very difficult time as a young person trying to get the right roles. As a young singer, I was always pushed into the Baritone repertoire but the the tessitura killed me even though I can vocalize to a G above middle C, the G wasn't somewhere I ever wanted to go in a performance besides F# is the money note for us. If you voice is at all similar to mine, I was very comfortable singing Bass arias and musical theatre but the color of my voice was still Baritonal until I hit my early 30s when the color shifted and doors opened on the Opera Stage. I actually started down the Wagner path in my late 30s and it was perfected suited for my voice with the exception of the Dutchman which was still to high in the tessitura so I ended up singing the role of Daland but the role of Wotan was perfect. I would suggest trying to get into a young artists program at one of the top Opera houses like Chicago, San Francisco or Houston. This is the direction you want to go which will allow you to learn the ropes and be exposed to the right people. Musical Theatre is not where you want to go unless you are really a Baritone that just hasn't mastered the passagio yet. Additionally, as you get older you will noticed that your voice will change considerably and you will start to like singing in the highest part of your voice. Also consider performing for regional professional opera companies in order to sing roles like Sarastro in the Magic Flute (if you tend more towards a Bass like I do) Figaro and Dr. Bartolo (Mozart), Colline in La Boheme (great role for a Bass-baritone), Angelotti in Tosca. Also look into local symphonies and sing the Messiah and other classical oratorios which are generally written for true Bass-baritones. Don't worry about an agent until you have performances under your belt. Additionally you will also need to hit the audition trial and sing for everyone... but be very careful of the arias you choose. Don't sing "Il Lacerato Spirito" as every Bass and Bass-baritone with good low notes sings this aria. Opt for the more unusual arias..... I had great success with ******'s "Hear me O' Lord", Banquo's "Come dal cel precipita", "Le veau D'or" from Faust and "Vi Ravviso" from La Sonnambula but the cadenza before the cabaletta can be a little scary when your nervous. I also had great success with the King's Aria "Mein Herr und Gott from Wagner's Lohengrin.... May Gods and Demons shine upon you .... this is the realm of the Bass-baritone!

First, the wet blanket. My understanding of the financial end of an opera career is that it is pretty dismal. Even very competent singers have trouble making ends meet. True stars who can support themselves easily are few and far between. Musical theater offers greater possibilities simply because there is more work. The mode of singing offers greater crossover to other, more commercial ways of making a living singing. That said, if you are confident that you have a fine instrument and a strong passion for both operatic music and that world then you at least need to explore it fully. Correspond with the music programs at Julliard and NYU and elsewhere and get a feel for whether you have a chance taking master classes. As in any business, the networking is very important. Not so incidental factor. Your Mississippi location suggests you might be African-American. If so, that could also limit your ability to get roles. Chances are slightly better in musical theater I would imagine. Hope this helps.

Well, if you want to sing opera you should try to get involved with opera as much as you can. If you like musical theater and are good at it, it can pay the bills. Yes, YES send in audition tapes! You need to get yourself out there. Sorry I can't be more help.