Tell us a little about where you’re from.
I’m from Adelaide in South Australia. From where I live now (Charlottesville, Virginia), you could almost draw a direct line through the Earth to my home town!
Have you always wanted to be an opera singer or did it develop over time?
Ever since I first saw an opera during a class outing at age 14 and realised that this was something one could do for a living, I was hooked. I was the only child in my class who was glued to what was happening on the stage, and walked out of the theater on cloud nine.
What are you favourite operas or roles?
I have two favorites: Dialogues of the Carmelites(Poulenc) and La Boheme (Puccini). Madame Lidoine in Carmelites is one of my favorite roles, as is Mimi in Boheme. Since I started singing Wagner, though, I am pretty much obsessed. Sieglinde was wonderful role to sing, as was Elsa and Eva.
How do you prepare for a Wagner role or opera?
Each Wagner role has felt slightly different to me, vocally. I take time to work out the unique color of the role, the technical demands. And then, after learning the notes and the language, there is usually a period of building stamina. I sing the role A LOT, changing up the order of scenes so that I don’t end up with the endings always being practiced when I am the most tired!
Since it takes a long time to say things in a Wagner opera, what are some tools opera singers use to keep the action and character development moving forward?
When we sing Wagner, we tend to automatically enter an alternate reality in terms of time. The very nature of the way the music is written means that you use your voice a little differently. You always look forward to the end of the phrase, and become accustomed to living in a moment until it is over, which does not happen along naturalistic lines. Once you adjust, your air goes further, your vowels live longer, and your awareness of the passage of time shifts.
What are some things your character does/says that the audience can watch/listen for?
Brünnhilde makes a stunning transition from a Goddess who has never experienced human love, to a mortal who is deeply in love (with Siegfried). The process starts when she first witnesses human love upon seeing Siegmund’s love for Sieglinde. This is the moment when she realises she is missing something, and that human love can be more powerful than anything she has known. Her humanity, and her experience of love affects her voice, and her physicality. Her singing becomes more lyrical in Siegfried, and she shows more vulnerability in every way.
Do you have a memorable opera moment that keeps you motivated?
So many magical things have happened to me in the theater. Any time I am disheartened, I think of how fortunate I am to have spent my life doing such an esoteric thing: phonating, telling stories set to melodies, and that this has been something that people value, and that can inspire them. Being an opera singer is like being a glass blower. It is such an ancient art form, and so mysterious, but it can remind us of our essential spiritual nature.
Do you have roles outside of your fach you’d love to sing if you had the chance?
I love this question! I feel like I belong to the luckiest fach- the one with so much of the great repertoire. But I also think Scarpia would be fun. Or Carmen.
Do you have other passions you pursue alongside singing opera?
I direct, I write, I teach and I garden!
What’s your perspective on the opera industry today? Positive/negative? Is it still a viable career choice?
When I co-founded Victory Hall Opera, my vision was to form an opera company that would be immune to many of the problems in the wider industry: The underpaying of established, mid-career artists- the enormous burden of fixed costs meaning that performers are not able to make a living on the fees they are paid- and the lack of creative agency for singers within that structure. In 5 years, we have made huge strides in creating a viable alternative, and are seeing other examples of alternative company structure springing up all over the world. As a career choice: I would say the same now as always. Do it only if you can’t be happy doing anything else! If you are called to it, you will make it work. If it’s anything less than a calling…well…you may not end up having the resolve to survive the hard times.
What would you say is special about a semi-staged opera in concert performance that Opera by Request does that perhaps can be missed in a large, fully staged production?
Simply being able to present a work like a Ring Cycle is a miracle. If semi-staging allows audiences to hear the music, often for the first time in their lives, then it is a very special thing.
Finally, do you have any other upcoming performances you’d like to tell everyone about?
In June of this year, I have an exciting collaboration with star of HBO’s Six Feet Under Lauren Ambrose. No Daughter of Mine is a staged recital, based on my own grandmother’s memoir. Lauren will play Gran at different stages of her life, and I will be performing songs from the 20th Century. I am so excited to work with her, and on something so personal! Details are at victoryhallopera.org.
Comments