“Its purpose is to help young singers further their careers,” McLachlan said.
Twice a year, the organization showcases young singers who are preparing for an opera career, said Mona Lands, music director for the Opera Buffs.
“You need to be presented in front of the public as often as possible so you get used to singing in front of a lot of people,” Lands said. “It proves to you whether you are really comfortable on stage.”
It takes 10 years to make an opera career, Lands said.
“Liam is just in square one — he’s just beginning,” she said.
Coming out of college, McLachlan said his voice wasn’t at the maturity level needed for an operatic career.
He has performed in television and films since high school, including a part in the 2001 Disney film “South Pacific” with Glenn Close, made in Australia.
He began singing with The Ten Tenors in 2004. They toured Australia, then started touring internationally, performing in 27 countries. Its largest fan base is in Germany. They came to the United States in 2006, appearing at the Pantages theater in Hollywood.
The group is opera-based but also sings musical theater, jazz and original songs by the guys in the group, McLachlan said.
“It was a great education in the wider world of music but gave my joy of opera singing back,” he said. “And my voice began to mature bigger and more robust and gave me more stamina.”
He heard about the showcase from his voice coach, William Vendice, who was associate conductor of the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York from the mid- 1970s to the late ’80s and was chorus master with Los Angeles Opera from 1995 to 1997.
