ARTISTS CORNER: Mezzo-soprano Kristen Choi

Mezzo-soprano Kristen Choi

Hailed for her “beautiful, dusky, and expressive” voice with a “commanding presence”, mezzo-soprano, Kristen Choi is bursting onto the opera scene with full force. Ms. Choi made her debut as an apprentice artist with Sarasota Opera in 2013 and returns this season as a Studio Artist this season singing the role of Cherubino in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Previously, Ms. Choi has bowed as Suzuki in Puccini's Madama Butterlfy at Glimmerglass Opera, Jo in Mark Adamo's Little Women, and Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.






Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?

A. I am originally from Valencia, California near Los Angeles. I still reside there but have been traveling since May of 2014. I'm sort of nomadic and have been very lucky to travel directly from job to job.

Ms. Choi as Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte

Q. What drew you to become a singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A. I've always loved singing! My parents are musical even though they aren't professional musicians; My father plays the guitar and sings for church and my mother plays piano. I love listening to her play all the classics such as Mozart Sonatas and Chopin's Nocturnes.

I'm not sure if I had an “Aha” moment but when I entered a talent show in the 6th grade I sang a disney song in front of an audience and had such a rush of joy and happiness that I knew I wanted to keep singing. I sang in choirs and musicals from then on. I did sort of have a moment of clarity and decided to pursue opera during my undergraduate degree. I was performing the role of Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro and it was my first professional opera job. Opera used to intimidate me a lot but actually performing in a full scale production with orchestra, chorus, and professional singers sparked an even bigger fire in me to pursue classical music. I guess you could say that opera found me.

It's kind of amazing that I am performing Cherubino here. It makes me look back with fondness and pride that I adamantly decided I was going to be an opera singer. I'm here now and am very excited to do this role for the first time and I couldn't imagine a better place to do it.

Ms. Choi as Suzuki in Puccini's Madama Butterfly
at Glimmerglass Opera

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?  

A. I've always been a fan of studying languages. They are so fascinating and I actually was accepted into several universities as a linguistics major. I did minor in Spanish in my undergraduate degree.

Q. What singing did you do growing up?

A. I sang everything! I grew up with old musicals and jazz, and sang in many choirs. I also used to sing with a big band and sang all the jazz standards at swing dances.

Q. This is a role debut for you. What are you looking forward to most about singing this role?

A. This is one of my favorite operas, and certainly my most favorite of Mozart's operas. I love singing pants roles (a woman portraying a man). Cherubino is the perfect, quintessential example of one. His energy and passion draws me to his character and he gets into so much mischief. It's a challenge, acting-wise, to really get his mannerisms and boyish movements in my body. All these challenges and character study make me really excited to perform this role.

Q. This is one of the more famous “pants roles” in opera where a woman plays a male character. Does that add additional challenges to performing this role?

A. Yes! It is a huge challenge to physically capture the mannerisms of a young man. Men carry themselves differently so I have to really think about the physicality of the character before I sing or do anything onstage.

Ms. Choi as Cherubino in this season's production of
The Marriage of Figaro. Photo by Rod Millington.

Q. What can you tell us about this character?  What do you want the audience to know about him when the curtain comes down?

A. Cherubino is a ball of passion and energy. He's not all innocent and cute, and definitely develops and learns a lot throughout the opera. He's sort of a miniature Count in training and definitely does not hold back around the ladies. His boldness and willingness is a preview of what is to come soon in the next Beaumarchais play. He's in love with love and is not afraid to express it to any woman and every woman.

Q. Are there any famous Cherubino’s from the past whose interpretations you admire?

A. Well, yes, of course there are the famous performances by Frederica von Stade. She's great because she really captures the character in her facial expression. It's amazing that she can express everything Cherubino is feeling in her eyes. It's subtle yet so intense and strong. I've also met her and worked with her in a master class on Cherubino's first aria “Non so più cosa son”.

Ms. Choi as Lady Thiang in
Rodger and Hammerstein's The King and I.

Q. You are a former Apprentice Artist with Sarasota Opera and this season you will be returning as a Studio Artist. Do you feel your time in Sarasota Opera’s young artist program has helped to prepare you for a professional singing career?

A. I learned so much as an apprentice and it definitely prepared me well for the opera world. It was nice to sing for other companies the year after but when I received the opportunity to return as a Studio Artist, I was eager to take it; especially for this role. Working for this company always renews my passion for opera and with such an amazing staff, I feel extremely fulfilled and satisfied with the art we create. Everything I have learned here, whether it's strengthening my repertoire, acting, or singing, I have taken with me to other jobs. It feels good to be back.

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A. Well I'm not sure about bizarre experiences during a rehearsal, but definitely have had my share of clumsiness during performances. During my graduate degree I played another pants role, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel. After we had pushed the Witch in the oven, Gretel and I were supposed to run out and help the gingerbread children. While running, I slipped on a net that the witch had used to capture me, and flew in the air and landed on all fours. I quickly got up and recovered, but it was mortifying. I mean, Hansel is a kid and can probably have clumsy moments here and there. At least that's what I told myself.

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A. I don't really have any rituals except warming up before performances by vocalizing a little. I usually do not like having rituals or relying on them in the case of something interrupting the ritual and making me think I would have a bad show. I'm very simple and just rest and warm up before singing. I make sure to get a good night's sleep the night before.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. I enjoy going to the gym and exercising on days where I don't perform. I'm a very active person and love to dance or play tennis. When I was an apprentice, I used to go play basketball with the other artists. My hobbies would have to include dancing and watching movies. I always take movies with me on the road and watch them to relax. Going to the cinema is also a joy for me. There's nothing more relaxing for me than going to the theater alone and watching a movie.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog? Website? Facebook?  Twitter?

A. I am an avid Facebook user and also have a website (www.kristenchoi.com). I stay connected to close friends and family by video chatting on Skype. It's so interesting how social media can keep me connected to friends especially for my nomadic lifestyle.

Don't miss Ms. Choi as the charming and lively Cherubino in this season's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by phone at (941) 328-1300.

ARTISTS CORNER: Soprano Michelle Johnson

Soprano Michelle Johnson

Soprano Michelle Johnson makes her Sarasota Opera debut this season as Élisabeth de Valois in Verdi's Don Carlos. Since being a Grand Prize winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2011, Ms. Johnson's career has skyrocketed taking her leading roles at Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Kentucky Opera, and now Sarasota Opera. Her voice is described as being "velvety and pliant" and regarded as "similar to young Renata Tebaldi." 

Continuing reading to learn more about this soprano on the rise. 


Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?

A. I am from Pearland, Texas close to Houston, Texas.

Q. What drew you to become a singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A. When I was 8 years old I saw a production of Madame Butterfly on PBS. I have been hooked ever since.

Ms. Johnson in the title role of Puccini's Manon Lescaut.
Photo by Kelly & Masa Photography

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?  

A. I come from a long line of educators. I was certain that I was going to be a teacher in the field of English or History

Ms. Johnson as Elisabeth de Valois in
Verdi's Don Carlos at Sarasota Opera. 

Q. What can you tell us about the character of Élisabeth?  What is her role in the opera?

A. Élisabeth is a strong young woman dealing with heavy decisions throughout the entire opera. She battles with being faithful to her duties as royalty and her own wants for her life. She is the face of hope, honesty, and purety.

Q. This is not exactly what one would consider a standard sized role in opera. What challenges do you face taking on a role of this length?

A. My main focus is stamina. One must not give too much too soon. With the leadership of Maestro DeRenzi the role is becoming super familiar.

Q. At the end of the performance, what knowledge about the character of Élisabeth would you like the audience to walk away with?

A. Élisabeth wants the best for everyone, her people of France and the people of Spain. She’s willing to give up her happiness for the happiness of others.

Q. Are there any famous “Élisabeth’s” from the past whose performances you admire?

A. I admire any soprano who attempts this role!

Ms. Johnson as Minnie in Puccini's Girl of the Golden West at Kentucky Opera. 

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A. Unfortunately, I have had to hold up a skirt or two until the end of a scene. It’s not fun!

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  

A. The only thing I need is about 20 minutes of meditation then I’m ready to go!

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. I love movies. So, Netflix is very dangerous. I travel with my Yorkshire Terrior, Jasper, so I hang out with him a ton when I’m off.

Ms. Johnson as Giulietta in Jacque Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann.

Don't miss Ms. Johnson's performance as Élisabeth de Valois which was described as "a pure-voiced soprano of regal deportment" by classicalvoicenorthamerica.org. Remaining performances are March 15, 18, 21, and 24. Go to www.sarasotaopera.org or call (941) 328-1300 for information and tickets. 

ARTISTS CORNER: Tenor Timur Bekbosunov

Tenor Timur Bekbosunov

Kazakh-American Tenor Timur Bekbosunov makes his Sarasota Opera debut as The Astrologer in Rimsky-Korsakov's fairy tale opera The Golden Cockerel this season. Mr. Bekbosunov has appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Opera Boston, Saint Cecilia Academy, and in such esteemed concert halls as the Hollywood Bowl, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Timur has worked with many composers, including Thomas Adès, Evan Ziporyn, Anne LeBaron, David T. Little, Mohammed Fairouz, Silvano Bussotti, Anthony Davis, Meyer Kupferman, Veronika Krausas, David Rosenboom, Matt Marks, Peter Eötvös, Tobias Picker; and film composers Charles Bernstein, Joel Goldsmith, and Nick Urata.    

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?

A. I am originally from Almaty, Kazakhstan, the former capital of my native country. In the United States, I have lived in Wichita, Kansas, and Boston. I now reside in Los Angeles, the sunny California!

Mr. Bekbosunov and the
Kazakh Folk Instrument Orchestra

Q. I’m sure you could write pages about growing up in Kazakhstan. Can you give us a brief description of what life was like for you there when you were younger?

A. Growing up in the last decade of the Soviet Union, I remember the long lines for essential things, such as bread and bread. I was an early riser, and I loved waking up early and get into a milk line in time because by 8 am all the milk would be sold out. I also recall the extravagant and engaging State-organized holiday events with concerts, musicians, delicious national food, and cultural events.  In addition to attending a public school, I was enrolled in a music school and was tutored in English. Such events were always a nice reprieve from studies.

Q. What drew you to become a singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A. My mother was a piano teacher and my grandmother was an amateur singer, whose talent got her accepted into the Moscow Conservatory where she only stayed for one year. Singing was always around me, through my grandmother’s singing Russian folk and patriotic songs and my grandfather’s passionate interest in the Kazakh traditional ethnographic music. The choice to pursue singing came much later, as in Kazakhstan, I was planning to pursue a career in music journalism.

Mr. Bekbosunov in the
New York Premiere of The House of Bali
at Brooklyn Academy of Music

Q. Did you have many opportunities to sing in your home country while growing up?

A. I attended a music school in the afternoon for seven years where I studied everything from solfeggio to music history. In particular, the concentration was vocal performance, which resulted in choral singing with three different ensembles. The school, which was founded as a private studio, became a dominant force in Almaty, traveling to many festivals around the world eventually winning the top prize in the First Choir Olympics in Budapest, Hungary.

Q. What brought you to the United States?

A. My dad enrolled me in a student exchange program to study English, because it was always his dream to visit the United States. In fact, it was an incredible surprise to me when he revealed his plan. But it was also a pleasant and fascinating surprise as the United States was uncharted territory in our post-Soviet mentality. I thought that I would return to Kazakhstan at the end of my studies, but after being accepted into university, my plans had changed. I was placed to live in Kansas, where I met a wonderful host-mother, who later on became my best friend and an American mom. I was very lucky to have two mothers!

Q. Do you travel back to Kazakhstan with any regularity?

A. My dad still lives in Kazakhstan so I try to visit the country at least twice a year. In 2011, I created and co-produced a large-scale musical project, Silent Steppe Cantata, which commissioned an American composer Anne LeBaron to write a piece for a folk orchestra, women’s choir, and tenor. The project was a three year process and was premiered in the capital of Kazakhstan with support from many U.S. and Kazakh organizations, and I was honored to be a part of it. A short documentary about the project, The Nomad’s Song, will be streaming live on Netflix in 2016.

Mr. Bekbosunov as The Astrologer in Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel

Q. What can you tell us about the Astrologer?  How does he fit into the plot of the opera?

A. The Astrologer seems to function as a narrator as well as a clairvoyant magical being who predicts, foreshadows, and knows what’s to come in the future. There is a great satiric quality to his presence, who with a sly smile, appears to pretend as if he does not know much, but in fact understands everything.

Q. What is it about this role that made you want to take it on?

A. I absolutely love singing unusual roles in different styles. The Astrologer in particular requires a high vocal range. I always wanted to tackle it, as Rimsky-Korsakoff composed it for a voice that he called tenor-alto, and is often interpreted by a high tenor voice.

Q. Beyond the musical work, what other kind of preparation/research work do you incorporate in the learning process?  Historical?  Character study?  

A. Familiarity with Pushkin’s fairy tales as well as doing pictorial and visual research of the era inspires me to look at the role from a historical angle. I then try to bring in my own individual interpretation.

Q. The bulk of your work seems to lie in the contemporary music world. What is it about that type of music that pulls you in?

A. Contemporary music has always been a vibrant source of open exploration, experimentation, and flexibility. There are always hidden corners to uncover once I get passed the harmonic and rhythmic obstacles. Infusing the character into what seems like impossibly difficult musical material, becomes an absolutely liberating force. I feel that I am able to let go completely when I start with a new composition. Contemporary music is a perfect vehicle for singing in different genres and it allows me to express myself without restraint.

Q. Through your work, you seem to be broadening the definition of the term “opera singer” from what most of our audience might be familiar with. Can you tell us a little about some of the projects you have created?

A. Outside of performing in traditional operatic repertoire, contemporary music and interdisciplinary projects, I have a glam rock band called "Timur and the Dime Museum," which now takes up almost half of my performance activities. "Timur and the Dime Museum" has been featured at several major festivals as well as performed in many clubs, so it is certainly very different from the classical music world but has a similar vocal approach. My band was commissioned to create a theatrical project COLLAPSE based on man-made environmental disasters. Produced by Beth Morrison Projects and composed by Daniel Corral as a Requiem, COLLAPSE has been staged in LA, Miami and Rotterdam, and will premiere in NYC in September 2015.

Living in Los Angeles has also allowed me to create music videos and sing on soundtracks. I have been lucky to collaborate with Charles Bernstein, the famed composer of horror films, as well as Nick Urata, the frontman of DeVotchKa, in his score to Ruby Sparks. Film artist Sandra Powers (and an editor of Nickelodeon show "Dora the Explorer"), has exclusively directed all of my music videos. Our collaboration has been mutually rewarding.

(Click HERE to hear an interview with Mr. Bekbosunov on NPR's "Here & Now" program)

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A. I performed a small role of Paul Mache in the newly discovered unfinished opera of Shostakovich, "Orango." Directed by Peter Sellars for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, my job was to distract Esa-Pekka Salonen, the conductor, during my solo. Peter Sellars told me that I can do anything to Maestro, which felt strangely gratifying. Not sure if anybody would remember my five minutes of fame, but I know that Maestro Salonen will be probably have nightmares about me harassing him on the podium for the rest of his life.

The Astrologer demands the Queen of Shemakha as his prize
 for bringing The Golden Cockerel to King Dodon. Photo by Rod Millington.

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A. I wish I could have a glass of Prosecco before I sing! I often take a shot of espresso, and try not to talk too much during the day of performance. I also prefer to sing when I am slightly hungry, so it is very rare that I eat before a performance. So I guess that makes food my superstition!

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. When I am at home, I enjoy working in the yard. Right now, I am working hard on growing drought-resistant plants, though a certain affinity for roses tends to be in a way.  On the road, I like to drink as much water as possible.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog? Website? Facebook?  Twitter?

A. I maintain several websites: www.theoperaoftimur.com, timurandthedimemuseum.com, silentsteppe.org and on Facebook (facebook.com/timurandthedimemuseum), Twitter (@gloomycomrade), and Instagram (@timurdimemuseum)

Don't miss Mr. Bekbosunov's performance in The Golden Cockerel playing now through March 19th. Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by phone at (941) 328-1300. 

ARTISTS CORNER: Soprano Alexandra Batsios

Soprano Alexandra Batsios

American soprano Alexandra Batsios returns to Sarasota Opera this season as the Queen of Shemakha in Rimsky-Korsakov's exotic opera The Golden Cockerel. Her performance has been described as "penetrating and vocally stratospheric" by the Herald Tribune. Ms. Batsios made her Sarasota Opera mainstage debut as Berta in the 2014 production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville. She has also been seen as Annina in Verdi's La traviava, Clorinda in Rossini's La Cenerentola, and Flora in Britten's The Turn of the Screw with Palm Beach Opera. While at Palm Beach Opera, she also premiered the role of Yadwiga in the first staged performance of Ben Moore's Enemies, A Love Story.


Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?

A. I’m originally from a small town close to St. Louis called Granite City, IL. I currently reside in Princeton, NJ.

Q. What drew you to become a singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A. I was always an entertainer. I would sing along to every Disney movie, make costumes out of household items, and subject my family to my “performances.” I wanted to be on Broadway for the longest time! When I began taking voice lessons, I found an appreciation for operatic music and how beautiful and moving it could be. When it was time to choose a major for college, I knew I wanted to perform, and since singing was always something I enjoyed, I pursued voice performance.

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?  

A. While I was studying chemistry in high school, I had this idea I was going to become a chemist, but that was short-lived!

Ms. Batsios as Berta in Rossini's The Barber of Seville

Q. What can you tell us about this character?  What do you want the audience to leave knowing about her after the performance?

A. The Queen of Shemakha reminds me of Cleopatra in a lot of ways. She’s beautiful and charming, but can also subjugate everyone with her wit. The difference between the Queen and Cleopatra is that the Queen doesn’t need an army to help her dominate because she can do it alone. I think the audience should know that she’s not evil, but her intentions are not completely honest.

Q. How do you prepare a role for performance?

A. It’s important to do all the background study first, that way my attention can be focused on the text, music, and emotion. I try to find and read any source material about the opera to get a sense of the storyline. Then I read the libretto to see how my character reacts to other characters and events. Then comes the translating of the score, speaking the text and finding the poetic line, learning the notes, coaching the role musically and sometimes dramatically, all the while trying to memorize it! I also have to make sure I have the stamina to sing the role. The Queen of Shemakha is a very taxing and unforgiving role vocally, and by learning it in sections then putting those sections together, I am giving myself a chance to find the places in the music where I can take a metaphoric “break.”

Q. What is your favorite opera?

A. My favorite opera is Le nozze di Figaro. It never gets old for me. The minute the overture starts, I’m excited. Every character goes through the entire range of emotions, and to think the opera takes place in one day! It’s amazing.

Q. Favorite operatic role to play? What makes it so great?

Ms. Batsios as the Queen of Shemakha in
Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel.
Photo by Rod Millington

A. My favorite role to date is Clorinda from La Cenerentola. I know the stepsisters from Cinderella are often referred to as “ugly,” but I think the ugly is more on the inside than outside. The role is so fun because the sisters are absolutely ridiculous and in their own little world. The opera is a great comedy and has a wonderful moral. Plus, singing Rossini is a blast!

Q. How did you learn to sing in Russian?

A. I grew up in an Eastern Orthodox church, and we frequently sang in church Slavonic, so I had some background in the Russian language. However, I did go to a coach who knows Russian to help refresh my memory and set me on the right track.

Q. Beyond the musical work, what other kind of preparation/research work do you incorporate in the learning process?  Historical?  Character study?  

A. Understanding a character’s motivation for their actions and emotions is another step towards preparing a role. As an audience, we sometimes only see a glimpse in the life of a character, but what about the rest of their life? Does that character have parents? Are they still alive? What’s that character’s favorite color? What are their passions? Digging into the character’s background and emotional world directly affects how I interpret the music and make dramatic choices.

Q. Do you listen to any non-operatic music or artists?

A. Besides opera, I like listening to musicals, choral music, and a cappella music, specifically Pentatonix!

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

Ms. Batsios as the Queen of Shemakha.
Photo by Rod Millington

A. Luckily, nothing really bizarre has happened to me yet!

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A. The only pre-performance ritual I have is popping Altoids before I go onstage. Got to have fresh breath! The day of a performance I don’t set an alarm (unless it’s a matinee!), eat a hearty breakfast, go for a walk, and warm up my voice. Keep it simple.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. While on the road, I enjoy reading, catching up on my TV shows or finding a new show to watch, cooking, baking, and taking in any attractions that are in the area. I am a huge baseball fan (Go Cardinals!), I enjoy playing billiards, trying new restaurants, and the occasional craft beer.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog?  Website? Facebook?  Twitter?

A. I update my Facebook fan page with pictures and tidbits about my travels for my family and friends. I also use Skype, FaceTime, and email to keep in touch.

Don't miss Ms. Batsios as the Queen of Shemakha in Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel playing now through March 19th. Information and tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling the Sarasota Opera Box Office at (941) 328-1300. You can follow Ms. Batsios' career via her website at www.alexandrabatsios.com

ARTISTS CORNER: Soprano Kara Shay Thomson

Kara Shay Thomson

Soprano Kara Shay Thomson returns to the Opera House stage this season as Floria Tosca, a role for which she won popular and critical acclaim in 2009. Since that time, Ms. Thomson has performed the role of the jealous diva at opera companies such as Portland Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Dayton Opera. You will remember Ms. Thomson's glorious performances in previous productions at Sarasota Opera both in the title role of Samuel Barber's Vanessa and as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana. 

Continue reading below to learn more about this artist who is so quickly establishing herself as one of the leading ladies of the next generation of great opera singers.

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?

A. As a PK (Preacher's Kid), I moved around the Midwest quite a bit during my adolescence.  I was born in Cininnati, OH but made my home in Rock Port, MO, Fairbury, NE, Terre Haute, IN, and Warrensburg, MO.  I returned to Cincinnati 11 years ago and love living there with my husband and 10 year old daughter. We love our neighborhood and having my Dad close by to support us when I am travelling.

Ms. Thomson as Santuzza in the
2010 production of Cavalleria rusticana

Q. What was your first moment performing in front of an audience on stage?

A. Well, as a PK, I was on stage from a very young age.  Our family offered an evening of song and scripture and it is where I learned how to communicate my message to a congregation. My parents continued to foster my musical talent and I was lucky to perform in various venues throughout my childhood and early adult years. Opera was not a part of my upbringing so my first moment on stage in an opera was as Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi at The New England Conservatory in Boston, MA. It was my first opera – EVER!  

Q. What drew you to become a professional singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A. I was working in Lynchburg, VA as a Minister of Music and Youth  for Fairview Christian Church and I decided I wanted to find a community chorus so that I could continue singing.  That was a great decision as I met my husband in that chorus and the conductor introduced me to a wonderful soprano, Carol Gutknecht, a soprano with the former New York City Opera soprano with whom I started studying. She gave me "Marietta’s Lied" from Die Tote Stadt and I fell in love with the German Language and the sweeping lines of the piece.  She encouraged me to enter the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions for my region.  I prepared my pieces and went to the audition.  I had a terrible audition and was so out of my element but I stayed to hear my comments from the judges.  One judge in particular told me that if I was happy with my life in ministry that I should embrace it and go back home but if I felt like this music was a part of my soul, then I needed to go get the tools necessary for this art form.  So, Carol  helped me choose The New England Conservatory and I entered the intense Opera Program under the direction of John Moriarty.  In two years I quickly acquired language skills, stage craft, and hours of endless vocal coachings and lessons, working with Patricia Craig, to prepare me for my apprenticeships. I thank Carol, my husband, and the nameless judge who made me realize this what I was created to do.

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?

A. I had many aspirations other than singing opera for a career.  I started with the idea of Music Therapy and then migrated to teaching music.  I received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education K-12  and thought that I would lead the next  Mid-West High School Show Choir to the State Championship.  But, after I realized that teaching was not right for me, I returned to my roots in the church.  In all honesty, if I had not found Opera, I would have sought out a career as an Activities Coordinator in a Retirement Village.

Q. You have become very well known for singing the role of Tosca, especially in Sarasota. Is it challenging singing the same role over and over again? 

Ms. Thomson as Floria Tosca in
Sarasota Opera's 2009 production.

A. Everytime I arrive for a production of Tosca I know that it will be full of new experiences.  The music is always constant but my colleagues, directors, production teams, and conductors bring something to share. Each one of us arrives with our own interpretations and it is our job as artists to meld those ideas together to fit our own production.  I have carried the same score with me to each production and I like to put in Maestro's comments,  artist choices, and directors notes so that I can call on those ideas in other productions.

But, I will say that for this season, I put away my treasured score and have made a "VDR Only Score!" I have been working from a clean score and putting in only Maestro DeRenzi  notes. This does not mean that I don’t bring my own interpretation and experience to the role, but I really feel that coming back to Sarasota gives me a chance to completely break down the role, get rid of bad habits, focus on the text and Puccini’s stage direction so that we give this audience the most authentic performance of Tosca ever!

Q. Through the many productions you have done, I imagine you have gotten to know the character of Tosca very well. Have you learned everything there is to know about her at this point? 

A. If I thought I had learned everything about this role I would not continue to pursue this character. We are constantly evolving in our daily lives and all of the events that happen to us as people affect us as artists.  I am a different person than I was when I sang here this role in 2009. I have experienced so much personal loss and also amazing moments filled with unbridled joy in my life since then and all of those events color my performance.

Floria Tosca is so much a part of me that I am able to take risks both vocally and dramatically to challenge myself so that I can find the most honest performance each and every show.

Ms. Thomson in Act II of Tosca at Sarasota Opera

Q. What do you want the audience to know about the character of Tosca after the curtain comes down?

A. That I can’t wait to sing it again!!!! I love this role!!! Every performance is unique and alive and the energy from the audience feeds the performance on the stage! So, if they happen to be seeing it for the first time or the 50th time, it will never be the same! I sing each performance as if it may be my last, so I don’t hold anything back. My hope is that they do the same by coming back again and again to Sarasota Opera.

Q. I imagine you are looking forward to performing this role again in Sarasota.  What do you enjoy about singing at Sarasota Opera?

A. What do I not like?! Singing in Sarasota is a gift to every performer. The audience is so supportive, excited, and filled with passion for Opera.  Sarasota Opera offers a place where artists can grow and explore new or familiar roles and multiple performances to fully embrace your characters. But for me, it all comes down to the fact that Maestro DeRenzi and the entire Sarasota Opera Association believe that Opera is not a dying art form.

Baseline:  I love working with everyone here in Sarasota and spending 3 months away from my family is only made better by the gorgeous sunshine and the mutual respect we all have for each other in this company!

Ms. Thomson in Schoenberg's Ewartung at New York City Opera.

Q. So, to sum it up, how many performances of Tosca have you done so far?

A. When I last added them all together, I have done 89 performances in at least 19 different productions.

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A. I had a rehearsal for Korngold's Die tote Stadt where I was dancing around like crazy and crawling on the floor and my rehearsal skirt, shall we say, flew off my body.  Luckily, it was not a performance!

In performance, the majority of my mishaps have happened in Tosca.  I have been thrown to my knees and ended up sliding on the gown having to stop myself from saying "hello" to the pit.

In Sarasota, I tripped on a ground cloth and flew into the air where my fabulous colleague, Grant Youngblood,  turned over a chair and rushed to grab me in mid-air.  Everyone thought that it was so exciting but my Dad was in the audience and after the performance said he knew something had happened because for a brief moment he saw scared Kara Shay and not Tosca.

I have had the candles blow-out before I place them at Scarpia’s head and had to go back and relight them. ( it was also a photo night so I was not going to mess up that great final moment in Act II)

During a Student Matinee, I had a young woman who was so involved in the show that when I stabbed Scarpia, she yelled out “Oh No She Didn’t!!"  I loved that she had gotten so caught up in her first opera! It was fantastic!

Probably one of my favorite moments that the audience never saw was when I went to jump in one production, I ran up the stairs, did my quick check of the jump pad and saw that the crew had drawn a dead body outline on the black jump pad.

Ms. Thomson in the title role of
Samuel Barber's Vanessa in 2012

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A. I like to be the first one in the Make-up chair.  The calm energy of the being first helps me focus and then it allows me time to say hello to all of my colleagues before down-beat.  I usually don’t eat very much before the show but I always eat a banana before Act II of Tosca!  I don’t know if it helps but it gives me the extra “uumph” to wield my deadly knife!

Also, I always wear my Jade Elephant Necklace that my mother gave to me.  I wear it in rehearsal and always have it with me at each performance in my dressing room.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. I am a huge fan of the television show "NCIS" so if there is a marathon on the USA channel then I am ready to get out my needlepoint, a bottle of wine, and sit back and say hello to my friends on the television: Gibbs, Ziva, Tony, and McGee!

When I am home I spend most of my time being involved with my family.  I have been known to throw a few good parties for our neighborhood as well as top-notch sleepovers  for my 10 year old daughter and her friends.

I miss being able to cook in my fabulous kitchen.  Right before I arrived in Sarasota I purchased a brand new professional series range and a Vitamix. I couldn’t bring my oven but I packed up my Vitamix and a couple of my favorite knives and brought them with me.  I find cooking so relaxing and it makes me so happy when I can bring people together for a wonderful meal.

Q. I’m sure work/life balance takes on a whole different meaning being a professional singer who travels.  How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road?  

A "Welcome Home" sign from
Ms. Thomson's neighbors in Ohio

A. Facetime has been a life-saver for our family. Sometimes we just connect through Facetime while we are doing everyday chores.  I will come home from rehearsal at 3pm and call my daughter Emma Shay. We will do her homework together or just talk about her day. My husband uses Facetime to have me help him re-create a favorite recipe I have left behind for him to cook or just to look into each other’s eyes and say how much we miss each other. Sometimes the days don’t go by very fast and Facetime makes it seem like we aren’t that far apart.

As someone who has been on the road for a few years, I would tell all of the Studio and Apprentice Artists to make sure that you connect with your loved ones at least once a day.  Even if you think that you don’t have anything exciting to tell your family, sometimes it’s just enough to hear that person say “hello”.  We can become so involved in our “Opera World” that we forget to share it with those outside the inner-circle. Connect, share, and make your family a priority because they are the most important support system you have in this career.

Q. As we have people that travel from around the United States to attend performances at Sarasota Opera, are there any towns or cities that you have a strong connection with whether from growing up or attending school?

A. I have had the opportunity to live in many different parts of the United States and would love to connect with them again here in Sarasota.  So, if we lived in these cities together:  Lynchburg, VA, Boston, Ma, Terre Haute, IN, Cincinnati, OH, Rock Port, MO, Warrensburg, MO, Maryville, MO,Enid, OK, or any of the many cities I have had the opportunity to perform in,  please don’t hesitate to reach out and say hello!

After writing down all of the cities I have lived in, I realized that it must have been a grand plan for me to move around so much in my formative years. I never knew that I would be in a career where I spent more time on the road than I did in my own home. Perhaps all of those moves gave me the ability to make a home wherever I go.

Don't miss a note of Ms. Thomson's performances in Puccini's Tosca opening February 7th and running through March 28th. As an added bonus, here is Ms. Thomson singing Tosca's famous aria "Vissi d'Arte" from the Sarasota Opera production of Tosca in 2009.

Ruggero Leoncavallo - Opera's "One-Hit Wonder"

Ruggero Leoncavallo

In his 1889 essay “The Decay of Lying” author Oscar Wilde wrote, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” This was certainly the case with opera’s most well known one-hit wonder, Ruggero Leoncavallo, as he was forced to defend the source of his idea to create the opera that finally secured his place in operatic notoriety: Pagliacci. 

Leoncavallo was born to the Neopolitan elite. His father was a judge and his mother was from a prominent aristocratic family in Naples. He began his musical studies at age 11. Records differ if he ever received a degree but he left the conservatory at the age of 18 regarded as a very competent pianist and possessing thorough musical training.   

Leoncavallo traveled to Bologna after high school in 1877. Although it is not clear whether he was actually enrolled in University, he began working with Giosuè Carducci – Italy’s most famous poet, writer, and a dominant figure in the city life of Bologna. It was then Leoncavallo began to shape his musical ideals and started to see himself as a composer.  

It was Carducci who encouraged Leoncavallo to embark on his most ambitious composition project: a historical operatic trilogy of the Italian Renaissance modeled after Wagner’s Ring. Unfortunately, he only completed one of the three operas, I medici, which was not well received by audience and critics when it premiered 15 years after its inception. 

The Teatro Dal Verme in Milan where Pagliacci
had it's premiere in 1892.

Suffering from years of rejection and false promises, Leoncavallo was forced to support himself and his family working as a rehearsal pianist, vocal coach, and voice teacher. He had reached a point of desperation when he conceived of creating Pagliacci. Well aware of the run-away success of Mascagni’s one-act Cavalleria Rusticana which had debuted to great acclaim in 1890, he abandoned his trilogy and dove into the creation of a one-act opera meant to rival Mascagni’s success. 

He composed both the libretto and music for Pagliacci in only five months. He submitted the work to Edoardo Sonzogno, a music publisher who had established a one-act opera contest in 1883 and was responsible for launching Mascagni and Cavalleria Rusticana to fame. Sonzogno accepted the opera immediately and presented it at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan on May 21, 1892. The opera received mixed reviews critically but was an immediate success with the audience. Productions quickly spread across Italy and Central Europe finally earning Leoncavallo the fame and wealth he greatly desired.

Catulle Mendès

Despite the success of the opera, controversy remains over the source of the composer’s libretto. When the French version of the opera was published in 1894 in preparation for a production in Brussels, Catulle Mendès, a well known French playwright, accused Leoncavallo of plagiarism. His claim states Leoncavallo had plagiarized the plot of his opera from his play La femme de Tabarin, an extremely popular play which premiered in Paris in 1887. Mendès’s play centers around a clown named Tabarin who, during the course of a speech to the audience in the final scene, discovers his wife, Francisquine, in the arms of a soldier. Tabarin is provided with a sword from the audience and kills his wife in front of the crowd who initially take it as part of the show until it is revealed she is truly dead; very much in line with the course of action in Pagliacci. 

Leoncavallo rejected Mendès’s claims stating he had never seen his play. He claimed the story was based on an episode he had overheard sitting in his father’s court when he was a young boy. In addition, Leoncavallo made the point that Mendès’s play itself was based on another play entitled Un drama Nuevo by the playwright Manuel Tamayo y Baus, another story depicting a love triangle amongst a group of actors as they prepare a play for performance, which had premiered twenty years earlier. Mendès dropped his suit but questions lingered around the true genesis of Leoncavallo’s idea for Pagliacci.    

Still plagued by Mendès’s assertions of plagiarism five years later, Leoncavallo offered a more detailed explanation regarding the source of the storyline for Pagliacci. He now claimed that he had in fact witnessed the murder in his own household. He explains the character of Silvio was modeled after a man named Gaetano Scavello, a servant who worked in his family’s household, who was murdered by the D’Alessandro brothers, Luigi and Giovanni, with a knife. Court transcripts from the proceedings suggest that Giovanni and Gaetano were romancing the same woman, resulting in a murder spurred by jealousy and revenge just as in Pagliacci. 

Tenor Enrico Caruso (left) as Canio at the turn of the century and 

Michael Robert Hendrick (right) as Canio at Sarasota Opera. 

Despite Leoncavallo’s claims of ignorance to either of the two works, scholars find it difficult to believe that a man so well educated, traveled, and a proud aficionado of the theater would have never seen or at least been aware of the two plays in question. You also can’t help but notice the use of the play-within-the-play structure in which the characters portray actors on stage, and, in all three instances, mimic their “real life” circumstances.

Marco Nistico as Tonio, Veronica Mitina as Nedda, and Michael Robert Hendrick as Canio
in Sarasota Opera's production of Pagliacci. Photo by Rod Millington.

Regardless of controversy, Pagliacci was an instance where Ruggero Leoncavallo illustrated his mastery of words and music. The musicologist Matteo Sansone stated the following in his essay “The Verismo of Ruggero Leoncavallo: A Source Study of Pagliacci”:

His single-handed, earnest efforts to achieve success in the fiercely competitive world of late nineteenth-century Italian opera deserve full recognition… Leoncavallo could shape libretto and then versify the text according to his own musical requirements – an ability that none of his colleagues possessed. He was able to research on a chosen subject… and insert authentic material, such as songs, poems and historical details, into his librettos… he was… an ingenious craftsman… a deft manipulator of literary sources and a perceptive observer of current trends.  

Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci opens at Sarasota Opera Friday, October 31st, and will run for six performances through November 15th. Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling the box office at (941) 328-1300.

- Samuel Lowry, Director of Audience Development

Can You Sing in Elvish?

Youth Opera members sing in several different languages including Italian, French, Russian, and English. But this fall they will try a new one - Elvish - when Sarasota Youth Opera re-mounts it's production of Dean Burry's The Hobbit in November.

Sarasota Youth Opera 2008 production of The Hobbit

The Hobbit is a classic story of an unwitting hero on a journey. Author J.R.R. Tolkien began The Hobbit as a story for his own children. When he wrote it in book form, it became the mark against which all modern fantasy is measured. It is the first book of Lord of the Rings and the inspiration for most of the genre ever since. As in most adventures, our hero must have companions and a wise guide, encounter many hardships, meet more than a few villains, and finally have the chance to triumph. All of these adventures are spiced with magic, colorful characters, terrifying creatures and, of course, music. Even for those who are not familiar with Tolkien's story, the adventure and characters will become old friends by the end of the opera.

Dean Burry, Canadian composer and librettist, has crafted an operatic fantasy through Middle Earth, which Sarasota Youth Opera will perform May 9 and 10. Last fall, the singers were delighted to meet and sing for Burry. His rapport with the chorus members and willingness to answer their many questions were inspiring. Burry wrote the opera in English, adding phrases in Elvish to set the mood.


To help color this fantasy world, Burry has drawn on a variety of musical styles to represent the various groups of characters: English folk songs for the hobbits, madrigals for the elves, Russian folk songs for dwarves, a little bit of Kurt Weill for goblins, and a habanera-tango for the dragon.


Youth Opera members are excited about bring this piece back to the Sarasota Opera stage for everyone of all ages to enjoy!

Performances of Dean Burry's The Hobbit are Saturday, November 15th at 7:00pm and Sunday, November 16th at 1:30pm. Tickets range from $12 - $55 and are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300.