Soula Parassidis, a Canadian soprano singer who now performs at the Leipzig Opera after arriving with nothing but a suitcase. "/> Soula Parassidis, a Canadian soprano singer who now performs at the Leipzig Opera after arriving with nothing but a suitcase. " />
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Making it in Germany: A Canuck soprano

The Local's series "Making it in Germany" presents Soula Parassidis, a Canadian soprano singer who now performs at the Leipzig Opera after arriving with nothing but a suitcase.

Published: 6 October 2009 09:17 CEST
Making it in Germany: A Canuck soprano
Photo: Soula Parassidis

Two years after landing in Austria straight out of university with little more than a desire to immerse herself in her craft, Soula Parassidis is a lyric soprano with salary and benefits singing at the Leipzig Opera. She’s performed at Berlin’s Jewish Museum as well as on the stages of the world’s most famous Opera festival in Aix-en-Provence in France.

Name:

Soula Parassidis

Age:

28

Where do you live now?

Leipzig

Where are you from originally?

Vancouver, Canada

What did you do before coming to Germany?

I was working towards my bachelor of music from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver as well as training at the Vancouver Academy of Music.

What brought you here?

As a Canadian opera singer new to the craft, you either move to the US or Europe, so I followed my boyfriend, Misha, to Austria. We started in Austria, then moved to Berlin together. Even though I was done with school, my training wasn’t complete. I needed to immerse myself in the arts, in music and in opera. Berlin was the obvious choice for that because not only is the cost of living low, young people can go to classic events five times a week with the Classic Card.

What was your first job here?

As part of my continued training, I began working with a pianist to train myself not just as a singer, but a musician as well. A few months into our working together, he asked me to take part in a recital with him at his friend’s fantastic Charlottenburg apartment. That led to an agent, which led to my first auditions and eventually, my first job, which was actually in Prague with the Prague Philharmonic at the Rudolfinum. After that, I started getting more jobs as a freelancer. This summer, I got my first regular engagement with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in France.

What do you do now?

I have a fixed engagement at the Leipzig Opera for the next two years. That means I’ll be there as a lead until at least 2011 as a lyric soprano. It’s great because not only do I get to perform regularly, but they also take on your training and education, which allows me to increase my repertoire as a professional singer.

What were the biggest challenges you faced when you came here?

I had nothing. I had my boyfriend and a suitcase of clothes. I had no contacts, no teachers, no coach. I was being supported by a Canadian foundation, but that still left me with very limited funds and making friends was difficult too. I had very little command of the German language and it was hard to break into the industry with so little.

What is your life like as a lyric soprano?

It’s extremely exciting and I know I’m really, really lucky. What I do is completely superfluous and I know that I’m lucky to have this chance. It’s also very different to be in a fixed engagement. I am constantly running around like a lab rat and the only time I’m calm is when I’m in rehearsal, because then I know I’m not late to something. You have to be really well organised.

How was it coming to terms with the German culture and language?

I like the practicality of Germany and that you can reason with Germans. I didn’t find it such a huge culture shock coming here from Canada. I was lucky in that Misha spoke excellent German and he had German friends who would come over and have very serious discussions in German. I would just sit and listen. Also, going to all the operas helped. I already knew what they were singing so well that I could read the subtitles there and start piecing together some of the language that way.

What are the most rewarding aspects of your job?

People here really appreciate musicianship. To have this chance: a regular salary, a job that supports my life doing what I want to do, is fantastic. You really get a chance to focus on learning your craft. To have stability in the arts is just crazy.

What is your advice to someone who wants to ‘make it’ in Germany?

This may seem obvious, but learn the language. It’s really important to have a little bit of fluency just for yourself — it can be really frustrating feeling like a foreigner. I also think it’s really important to immerse yourself in the opportunities in front of you. There are so many of them here and it can be really inspiring.

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

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