Writing on a plane again... Seems like a good time to do it since it is June 21st and Spring 2018 has officially come to an end. What exciting things have happened since Winter, you ask? Funny you should — read on!
The rest of the 2017-18 Season at Florida Grand Opera was a trip... down the Amazon on the El Dorado with Florencia Grimaldi. What an honor it was to debut the role of Paula in FGO’s first Florencia en el Amazonas! The production was absolutely gorgeous, the singers were all incredibly inspiring, and the story and the music leave no doubt as to why this opera is being performed more and more often.
The Studio Artists wrapped up our season of concerts with a program of opera scenes in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, in which I had the opportunity to revisit two of my favorite characters, Tisbe (La Cenerentola) and Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), as well as to delve deeper into Britten’s Lucretia, whose story is more than ever in need of sharing.
I am very excited to be returning to the FGO Studio next season for some more thrilling storytelling — I will be performing the roles of Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Mrs. Rockefeller and Natalia (Frida), and Käthchen (Werther), as well as covering my dream role of Charlotte (Werther). 2018-19 promises to be a season to remember!
Before all that, though, I’m spending some time on airplanes and in cities that aren’t in South Florida! In the past few weeks, I traveled to New York City, where I was thrilled to be among some outstanding finalists in the Giulio Gari Foundation International Vocal Competition. Then it was off to Houston for the Lois Alba Aria Competition, where I received an Audience Choice Award. Finally, I went home to the Bay Area, and had a fantastic time this past weekend at the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition in Oakland, where I received a Tier I Bell Encouragement Award.
The weekend also saw the release of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs on the Pentatone label. You guys, listening to this album is so cool — not only because I get to hear my Santa Fe Opera colleagues and myself in a live recording that honestly sounds like it could have been done in a studio, but because this is genuinely good stuff. Check out Track 7, in which I sing the role of Teacher, in Apple Music (!) right here, or head over to the Audio section to hear the full track. The album is also available for purchase and/or streaming on the Pentatone website, Google Play, Amazon, Spotify, and basically anywhere such things are sold.
So that’s probably enough updates for one flight! I hope everyone has a wonderful summer, and thanks for randomly reading my blog!