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.

Opera is Alive and Well!

For those of us who are opera lovers and follow the comings and goings in the opera world, we might feel that there is cause for despair. Recent tales of doom include one failed company (New York City Opera) and another that was saved from the brink (San Diego Opera.)  In addition the leader of the largest opera company in the world has been complaining that opera audiences are dying, the art form is moribund, and without significant union concessions, his company will go bankrupt in a few years.

James Buckhouse of Twitter presents to more than 500 attendees at the 2014 Opera America Conference.
Photo by Jerry Placken/Meyer Sound

I’ve just returned from the Opera America conference in San Francisco where representatives from most of the opera companies in North America met, shared best practices, and worked on strategies for the future. I believe that we all returned from that experience with renewed positive energy and a certainty that opera is not only alive and well, but thriving.

First let me just say that the situations in New York and San Diego were unique. New York City Opera succumbed after years of board and management missteps, well documented in the press and to the despair of many of us who grew up with that company. San Diego Opera on the other hand was saved by explosive community involvement that wouldn’t let the agenda of a few in the management and board close a company that had seen 28 years of surplus budgets.

As for the dilemma of the Metropolitan Opera, I won’t comment on a union negotiation, about which I don’t have the full details. I will, however, dispute Peter Gelb’s claims that opera is a “dinosaur of an art form.” Unlike that extinct species, opera is alive and breathing and more vital than ever.

At Opera America were many great stories to tell. Companies like San Francisco Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Houston Grand Opera have seen an increase in subscription sales. In an informal poll taken amongst General Directors of opera companies, most reported ending their fiscal years in the black. Performances have increased, the repertoire has widened, and many companies are finding interesting ways to innovate to attract new audiences.

One of the most heartening examples of the broad based appeal of operas is the reaction to the stadium or park simulcasts. Initiatives in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, and Houston to broadcast a live opera to a broad-based audience in baseball parks and public spaces far exceeded expectations, generating thousands of new opera lovers, many of whom turn into opera goers in the opera house.

The news here in Sarasota is positive as well. This past year we’ve seen an increase in subscriptions. And the response of our patrons to the Patterson Challenge to eliminate the Nadel clawback debt generated an overwhelming response that not only closed the appeal within a month of its announcement, it brought us a significant number of new donors, reversing a trend that has held since the outset of the recession in 2008.

And for the second year in a row, we closed our fiscal year with a substantial surplus, this year nearly $300,000.

And if some claim that our audiences are too old, I invite you to attend one of our Youth Opera events. This year’s enrollment included 80 young people and our summer camp exceeded 70 for the second year in a row.

To report that all is perfect in the opera world would be insincere. Like all non-profit arts organizations we face challenges. We are all recovering from the 2008 recession and we have to find a way to overcome the high cost of producing opera and to keep ticket prices at a level that are affordable, especially for new audiences. We have to bring the art form more to the public consciousness and eliminate stigmas (remember when opera singers were regularly on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show) and we have to find a way to expose even more of our youth to the glories of opera, since availability in schools have decreased.

But, as Mark Twain purportedly said, “reports of my death are exaggerated.” Opera lives on and will continue to stimulate, excite, and entertain audiences for many years to come. I’m excited to be part of that, and I hope you are too.

- Richard Russell, Executive Director

Renovation Team

Scott Merritt and Matthew Bower of the National City Private Client Group, welcome the audience to the newly renovated theater.

Marc Scorca, CEO of OPERA America, introduces the renovation team.

The Sarasota Opera Staff: Ken Kwiatkowski, Sarah Thomas, Ben Dick, Courtney Balok, Jeanne Smith, Jessica Plaut, Kyle Daniels, Melissa Lane, Rita Chamberlain, Patricia Horwell, Susan Ashcraft, Becky Taylor, Karl Hesser, and Richard Russell.

Subcontractor on the renovation.

Andy Dorr, George McGonagill, Jorge Rivera and Julius Davis of VoltAir Consulting Engineers, Greg Cahanin, Hank Lam, and Ken Garcia and Larry Fried of Abel Garcia Architects.

Chris Sprague and Todd Hensley of Schuler Shook Theater Planners and Carlos Rivera and Russ Cooper of Jaffe Holden Acoustics.

Dennis and Connie Towers of McKinley Griffen Design & Advertising (left) along with the decorative painting team from Dean Tippin Studios and Decorative Effects Inc. Lead by Martha Tippin and Susan Nilon (right)

Willis A. Smith Construction management team: Warren Simonds, Fred Cavaluzzi, John LaCivita, and David Sessions.

Willis A. Smith Construction field team: Victor Passero, Clark Wright, Ed Watts, Superintendant Robin Cote, and Project Manager David Otterness.

Project Architect: Killis Almond, FAIA of Killis Almond and Associates.

Sarasota Opera Executive Director, Susan T. Danis