What a whirlwind this summer has been!
I spent the month of June covering the role of Elena in the American premiere of Adam Gorb’s Anya17 with Opera Parallèle (see previous blog post), which was an incredible experience in so many ways, from watching my incredible teacher at work to being exposed, in at least a small way, to the horrors that so many women and men experience in the world of human trafficking. The performances were a success, and I doubt there was a single audience member who wasn’t deeply moved by the production.
In July, I switched gears completely and traveled to beautiful Philadelphia, where I was fortunate to participate in the Russian Opera Workshop, run by the incredible Ghenady Meirson. Ghena and his team of wonderful coaches were immensely helpful to me in my understanding of music (Russian and otherwise). I was able to participate in two masterclasses, sing Filippyevna in a workshop setting, perform in a concert of Russian romances, and, finally, perform Olga in the opening night cast of Eugene Onegin in the Helen Corning Warden Theater at the Academy of Vocal Arts. This summer program was truly an unforgettable experience, and I am so excited to continue my journey in Russian music with a deeper understanding than I had from only spoken and written fluency.
After the program was over, I stayed in the area for a little while, and visited a few places with my family. A particular favorite was Ringwood State Park in New Jersey, which was just beautiful. Between the summer program and the mini-vacation, I got a tiny nibble of the riches that the East Coast has to offer, and I’m definitely looking forward to my next adventure!
In August, I witnessed two of the most epic concerts possibly ever, within a week of each other: Paul McCartney’s Out There tour performing the final concert at Candlestick Park, and John Legend’s Berkeley stop on his All of Me tour. Wow. These two men are not only insanely talented and good-looking, but they truly epitomize stage presence. Their energy was palpable throughout and didn’t wane for a second, and it was both humbling and exciting to watch them sharing their craft.
This was a perfect ending to an incredible summer, and now it’s time to throw myself back into school once again… Master’s year two, here we go!