Tag Archives: opera

An Afternoon of Opera, Cathedrals & Bratwurst

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More adventures in Munich…

I had an audition in Munich today, so I hopped across the border to Germany with another Bayern-Ticket.

My audition was right in the heart of Munich’s Old Town, not far from the famous Frauenkirche (Dom zu unserer lieben Frau, “Cathedral of Our Dear Lady”). So when I finished singing, I decided to stop by the church for a visit.  The Gothic brick facade and the Byzantine domed towers are just so inviting!

I’m a big fan of European cathedrals, so I spent an hour wandering up and down the expansive nave, peaking into candlelit chapels, and admiring medieval artwork.  A beautiful way to spend an afternoon.

As I was leaving, I was amused to learn that the Frauenkirche now has its own iPhone app! For €3.99, it gives you all kinds of details about the art inside the cathedral; in fact, iTunes offers this “artguide” for several important German churches.  I was tempted to download it, but I had a train to catch.

When I finally arrived back at the Hauptbahnhof, I realized that I had forgotten to eat lunch. Sometimes, after singing German opera, I crave protein. (As opposed to after singing Italian opera, when I find myself ordering gnocchi.) Instead of sitting down at a restaurant, I stopped at a German sausage stand. After all, Munich is known for its excellent bratwurst.

In general, the sausage is served along with a Kaiser roll and a blob of spicy mustard on a tiny paper plate.  But this time, it came without the plate.  My bratwurst was perched on a thin paper napkin.

Balancing a sausage on a napkin can be a little awkward, especially if you are wearing something nice … like an audition outfit. I know that we live in a world where billionaires wear jeans to work. But in opera, even starving artists try to dress beautifully. We represent an elegant art form where taste and style are part of the job description. So spilling mustard on your dress is really frowned upon!

Fortunately,  I avoided catastrophe with nothing more serious than a few crumbs of Kaiser roll on the sleeve of my coat;  I tried to brush them off with dignity. And I still managed to catch my train.  So it was a good day, after all. Tschüß!

Halloween in the Swiss Alps

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A not-so-scary story about pumpkins, opera singers and church history.

Meet Brünnhilde, the operatic jack-o-lantern! I put Brünnhilde on my doorstep last October and she was a very successful singing pumpkin. She could even sing “Ho-jo-to-ho!” with a candle in her mouth. I almost sent her on her own European audition tour! 😉

Holidays are fun. When I lived at International House in New York City, we made a point of celebrating every holiday in the world.  This was not an attempt to be hyperpolitical or pantheistic, but just to truly appreciate every unique culture… and to make sure that life is a constant party!

So I hope you’re having a happy Halloween. But I just have to ask: has anyone wished you a Happy Reformation Day today?  Because 494 years ago today, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche in Wittenberg. And soon afterward, Huldrych Zwingli  began working on the first German translation of the Bible in Zürich. These guys were radical Protestants.

As the daughter of a church historian, I have a special place in my heart for these cool historical details.  I can’t stroll through Zürich without thinking about all the other people who have walked on the same cobblestones — not only great composers like Honegger and Wagner, but also great theologians like Zwingli and Bullinger.

So when I was invited to sing at the International Protestant Church of Zürich on Reformation Sunday, in the very church where Bullinger and the Huguenots worshipped, I was pretty stoked. I bought a train ticket and embarked on a “Reformation Road Trip” to Zürich!

Watch a short clip of me singing Gabriel Fauré’s Pie Jesu in the église reformée française in Zürich on October 30, 2011:

Of course, knowing too much about church history can make things awkward for a soprano.  You see, Zwingli did not actually approve of having musical instruments in worship!  He was an excellent musician himself, but he did not feel that it was appropriate in church.  I disagree with Zwingli on that one (and so did Luther!) but I do admire the bold, exciting way that he loved Christ. So that’s what I tried to convey in my singing, even though we broke some of Zwingli’s rules by using that gorgeous organ. Since Huldrych was a bit of a rule-breaker himself, I hope he’ll understand. I returned home to Salzburg feeling very grateful that I’d had an opportunity to sing there.

Protestants aren’t the only ones who are celebrating this week. There are some beautiful Catholic holidays coming up.  In Austria, we will celebrate All Saint’s Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2).  Hermann von Gilm wrote a marvelous poem about All Souls’ Day (“Allerseelen”), set to music by Richard Strauss.

So that’s my Halloween update from the Alps. I wish you a happy holiday. Just remember to watch out for singing pumpkins in pigtails. Auf Wiedersehen!

Fun with Hair Extensions

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My hair is often described as “baby hair” because it’s as fine as an infant’s. It falls past my shoulders and I can coax it into various shapes with sophisticated hair products. But unlike my sister, who had waist-length curly hair by the time she was 12, I did not get the long-hair genes in the family. So what do I do when I am cast in an opera as a 15th century Spanish maiden and I am supposed to wear longer locks?

Hair extensions!

Although most theaters have a variety of wigs available, I travel with clip-in hair extensions. This is often the quickest and easiest solution. Before my performance of Il Trovatore last Saturday, my fabulous hair stylist Kili prepared my mane:

First, she curled my hair into ringlets so that my straight hair would match the “wavy” extensions. Then she parted my actual hair (see left). And finally she added PutOnPieces synthetic clip-in extensions

I found them at a local beauty shop in L.A. for $29.99 but you can also buy them online.

I used the two-piece wavy system in the color “Golden Wheat,” which has subtle brown low-lights, but these wash out in the stage lights for a super blonde look. (My signature hair color.) They stayed in place beautifully; I sang a two-hour opera without worrying about my hair even once.

The clip combs are attached to the inner lining of the extensions on elastic bands so that they do not create an uneven line in your hair.  Just push the combs into your hair below the part and snap them shut:

And then allow the rest of your hair to fall naturally over the lining.

Now for a more contemporary look, I use straighter extensions with honey lowlights: And of course, you can always add in strands of red or brown (or purple or pink) if you want to add some cool highlights for a night out with your friends without frightening your boss the next morning. Just clip them in and unclip them when you’re done.

These extensions are fun and fast and they don’t damage your hair.  But those of us with sensitive hair do need to be a little more careful: I never sleep with my extensions, and I double condition my hair the next day. Never apply heat to synthetic extensions; only use your curling iron on human hair. Have fun!

2 Minute Opera: Il Trovatore

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I’m currently singing the role of Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. It’s an opera about gypsies, nuns, knights, ladies, passion, revenge & arson. Watch my own 2-minute synopsis of Il Trovatore:

(Don’t you just love how YouTube freezes your face in the strangest expressions? Oh, well.)

  • Title: Il Trovatore (The Troubadour)
  • Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
  • Libretto: Salvadore Cammarano & Leone Emanuele Bardare
  • First performance: Teatro Apollo, Rome, 1853
  • Takes place in: 15th century Spain

Come and join us for Verdi’s Il Trovatore with the Repertory Opera Company on Saturday, October 15 at 2 PM at First Christian Church in Pomona: 1751 N. Park Ave, Pomona, CA, 91768

Tickets available HERE

Getting Launched

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When I was 20 years old, I ran off to Europe to become an opera singer.  It seemed like a good idea at the time…

Actually, it was a brilliant idea. I have never regretted that decision – that deliciously risky decision – to cross an ocean and follow a dream. Singing had become a physical need for me; I was literally hungry to sing.  I wasn’t sure if I had what it takes to be an opera star, but I just had to try.  And several years later, when I graduated from the Mozarteum in Salzburg with my master’s degree in opera performance, I was ready to conquer the world!

Of course, I had no idea how hard it would be.  Living out of a suitcase, auditioning for every new role, negotiating contracts, dealing with backstage politics, learning a ton of new music, trying to grow as an artist, and taking a LOT of day jobs to pay the bills… it can be a crazy lifestyle.

But it is also a beautiful way to live. I get to spend time in glamorous locations, singing gorgeous music with amazing people. What could be better than getting paid to sing your heart out?  And life is never boring when you are dipping in and out of various languages and cultures. So I want to share some of that joy with all of you, and include you in my daily craziness!

This week, I am singing the role of Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore with Repertory Opera Company in Pomona, CA, while packing my bags for autumn in Austria. You see, I am now based in both Salzburg and Los Angeles, and this year, I have divided my time pretty evenly between the two places.

Salzburg and L.A. are my “home base(s)” while I travel around, performing and auditioning in other cities.  This means that I am a walking dictionary of travel information! Or perhaps a singing dictionary. Anyway, I will entertain you with the latest news about planes, trains, restaurants, museums, attractions and concerts — so that if you’re planning a trip to one of my destinations, you’ll find all kinds of useful details right here on my blog.

This fall, I have some fun travel plans and some exciting musical projects. But as any experienced traveler (or performer) knows, there may be some unanticipated hijinks. In fact, that’s all part of the fun! I’m sure that this blog will include plenty of hilarious adventures and misadventures as I sing my way around the world.

So sit back and enjoy the ride!