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Singers
“Perfection is deeply boring.”
Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and praised by the New York Times for his “utterly riveting performances,” Anthony Roth Costanzo is quickly rising to international stature as he performs with the world’s great orchestras and opera houses. In a surprisingly lighthearted conversation about the world of countertenors, Anthony describes how he stumbled into singing and acting, what is unusual and powerful about falsetto singing, and what it feels like to be naked on stage, literally and figuratively. (Episode 43)
“The fire you have to walk through will be one of the greatest strengths you ever have.”
Two-time Grammy Award winner Joyce DiDonato has been proclaimed “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation." Her many other honors include the Gramophone Artist of the Year and Recital of the Year awards. In this portrait, she recounts the trajectory of her musical and life journey, describing how she developed from an immature “caricature of an opera singer” into one of the most important musicians on the stages today. (Episode 55)
“As a mother of three now, the stage is more relaxing than life.”
Living the Classical Life is excited to offer something completely different: our first non-classical guest. We filmed Tony Award-nominee Melissa Errico--a celebrated Broadway singer praised by The Wall Street Journal for her benchmark work in the music of Stephen Sondheim--in conversation with her father, Dr. Michael Errico, a surgeon and classically-trained pianist. Melissa performs the last song of the late French legend Michel Legrand, and Sondheim’s “Not While I’m Around” for our cameras, discusses the classical roots of her musical passions and the music she sings, her love of art, growing older within a demanding industry, being a mother and the balance of life. (Episode 80)
“My career was mostly motivated by fear.”
Susan Graham joins us for a candid look at her life and storied career, and shares her insights into the world of the singer. She describes her "Leave it to Beaver" upbringing in Texas and how she made the shift from Broadway tunes to the world of opera. With humorous anecdotes, she gives insights into her relationship with her audiences, the music she sings, and how she could have never foreseen the success she later found. (Episode 46)
“You really cannot make any progress if you’re not okay with yourself. You can’t make progress until you let yourself sound like you.”
Grammy-winning singer Nathan Gunn has made a reputation around the world as one of the most exciting and in-demand baritones of the day and has appeared with the world's major opera houses and orchestras. He opens up about the world and magic of stage, the psychology and survival of the performer, the musician's breaking free financially, and breaking down barriers in every sense. (Episode 20)
“It’s easier for me when I can’t see the audience.”
Grammy award winner and recipient of the 2013 Richard Tucker Award, Isabel Leonard is on the Board of Trustees at Carnegie Hall and is in constant demand as a recitalist, having appeared with some of the foremost conductors of her time. Highly acclaimed for her “passionate intensity and remarkable vocal beauty,” she continues to thrill audiences both in the opera house and on the concert stage in repertoire that spans from Vivaldi to Mozart to Thomas Ades. (Episode 17)
“We’re vulnerable: we need the approval of others in order to continue — we need the applause.”
Soprano Jennifer O'Loughlin shares a unique look into the world of a young opera singer who has received critical acclaim for her performances in Europe, America, and Japan. Her singing has been described as "a miracle of precision" and "bewitching, brilliant and theatrical." Nominated for the Best Female Lead by the Austrian Music Theater Awards, she also portrayed Amira in "La Sonnambula", winning the "AZ Stern des Jahres" for the best opera in Munich in 2015. O'Loughlin discusses making a pathway in a life in music, learning and preparing for a role, backstage routines, dealing with reviews, and the importance of a great vocal coach. (Episode 31)
“You do get better at even the things you're terrible at, if you practice.”
An increasingly formidable presence on the world's stages, soprano Lisette Oropesa was born in New Orleans to Cuban immigrant parents. At age 22 she sang her first major role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Susanna in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, and she recently triumphed as the Met’s new Manon and Violetta. One of the most celebrated singers of her generation, she is a devoted runner who was featured in Runner's World Magazine, and with her personal story of fitness continues to inspire in all areas of life. She joins us for a discussion of how she mentally prepares a role for performance, how she regards audience perception in an age of Instagram glossiness, how to sort rejection and criticism, and how she ultimately seeks to communicate a sense of wonder in life. (Episode 77)
“I don’t want to sing out of fear.” Pérez, daughter of Mexican immigrants and one of today's fastest-rising operatic sopranos, talks about her very personal concept of success, the dangers of throwing oneself completely into a tragic role, and why it is about time for a Latina Rosenkavalier. She is the first Hispanic recipient in the Richard Tucker award’s 35-year history and in 2017 received the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, an award given to artists of color for artistic excellence, a spirit of determination, and ongoing commitment to leadership. Most recently she was honored with a 2019 Opera News Award for her artistry and for her commitment to mentorship in underserved communities. (Episode 68)
“I don't want my audience to see me. I want them to see themselves.”
Praised internationally for her passionate and technically brilliant performances, South African soprano Golda Schultz has a “clear, pure tone and… a sparkling personality, with a ready sense of humor” (The New York Times). Equally at home in leading operatic roles and as featured soloist with the world’s foremost orchestras and conductors, Ms. Schultz is making waves as one of the most exciting new voices on the classical music scene today. She discusses, among other things, her namesake Golda Meir, honesty in social media, and how to process pain and joy in life. She concludes with a jaw-dropping incident that cured her crippling stage fright. (Episode 81)
“We are showcasing the beauty of imperfection.”
Nadine Sierra is the youngest winner of both the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 2010 she took home first prizes at the George London Competition, Gerda Lissner Foundation International Competition, and Loren L. Zachary Society Vocal Competition. On the concert stage, she has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Opéra national de Paris, La Fenice, the Ravinia Festival, Chorégies d'Orange, and Tanglewood among others. In this episode, Nadine and Zsolt chat about not being overwhelmed by past heroes, accepting the possibility of failure, and the importance of belonging.
“I don’t try to reel my audience in — I try to reel myself in.”
In one of our most emotionally revealing interviews, American operatic soprano Deborah Voigt opens up about her long and acclaimed career. She discusses performance psychology, acting, the difficulty of maintaining relationships while on the road, and speaks candidly about her struggle with addiction and weight loss. (Episode 39)
“I never let anybody put me down.”
The 50th episode of LTCL follows the life, career, and art of tenor Robert White, who was a child star on NBC radio during the medium’s golden age. With archival audio and photos throughout, this special episode is a very personal look at a unique musician. In his lifelong singing career, White has sung for five U.S. Presidents, Britain’s Queen Mother and Prince Charles, Monaco’s Royal Family, and Pope John Paul II. He has recorded extensively for RCA, EMI, Virgin, Sony, Arabesque and Hyperion with such colleagues as Yo-Yo Ma, Placido Domingo, and Stephen Hough, in music ranging from Beethoven to Richard Rodgers and Edouard Lalo. His classical career began in earnest in 1959 when he was soloist at Carnegie Hall with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, and he maintains a highly successful singing and teaching career. (Episode 50)
“Perfection is never the goal. It's about being special.”
One of the most in-demand singers around the world, Brownlee was recently nominated for “Male Singer of the Year” by the International Opera Awards. He has performed with nearly every leading international opera house and festival, as well as major orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Academia di Santa Cecila, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and the Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra. (Episode 34)