The purpose of this study was to define the opera coaching profession through descriptions provided by its members, with the aim of discovering and describing the skills required to be a successful opera coach and the different types of experiences that can lead to the acquisition of those skills. It also examined ways in which coaches define themselves and the profession. For the purpose of this study, the term opera coach is defined as a pianist who coaches singers in operatic literature.

An online questionnaire was sent to 388 professional opera coaches who had listings in the Coach and Accompanist Directory of Classical Singer magazine. Ninety-eight coaches completed the first part of the questionnaire, which gathered factual data about the respondents' backgrounds and asked them to measure their opinions of the importance of skills and experiences. Seventy-two of the respondents also answered open-ended questions about their personal experiences and their thoughts and feelings regarding the profession.

Results indicate that the working lives of contemporary opera coaches are characterized by multiplicity in work environments, in types of work performed, and in skills required for opera coaching work. Self-definition as an opera coach did not appear to be dependent on full-time work in the field, and the vast majority of respondents also did other types of work. The field itself is characterized by diversity, particularly in the educational and background experiences of coaches, and the profession appears to lack a clear developmental path. Developing a wide variety of skills was considered to be of primary importance, and the top-ranked skills were verbal communication skills, knowledge of the operatic literature, foreign language and/or diction skills, and knowledge of operatic performance practice. While respondents tended to be highly educated, opinions on the importance of education varied, and most respondents claimed to have learned the most through experience. It also appears that opera coaches are focused on and rewarded by helping singers, and are lifelong learners driven by love of the work.