Summer!!

I am en route to the Windy City today! Headed to Chicago for the Classical Singer Magazine Convention. Follow this blog for all the updates as I travel this summer to NYC and Italy and as I begin my adventures in Orem this fall at UVU. I saw the first two operas in the Robert Lepage Ring Cycle at the Met Live in HD encore broadcasts. Deborah Voigt is an increadibly talented singer and actress. I am hoping it comes out on DVD soon. Can't wait to see Siegfried and Götterdammerung! It is truly amazing what they did with the stage and set. This link is to an interview with soprano Audrey Luna who is playing the role of Ariel in The Tempest next year at the Met. It sounds like a a really interesting opera and role. She does some really new classical music but also has a lot of standard roles in her repertoire. Stay tuned! Pictures and updates to come from Chicago! Also visit my youtube channel www.youtube.com/eloisesant. I am also interested in vloging this summer during my travel too. You can always ask questions or let me know things you'd like to hear about in my updates by emailing operadivaeloise@aol.com.

It's OK

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-rivera/shouldnt-you-be-fatter_b_1474908.html

Recently, I ran across this wonderful article and it got wheels in my head turning...  What would our world look like if more people gave opera a chance?  I'd like to think it would be all rainbows and lollipops, which is unfortunately not true, as there are many performers who even themselves don't learn the lessons taught by the stories they enact.  However, I do think people who live in their heads might build some emotional intelligence.  This is something art, and music in particular, has taught me, for which I am truly grateful.  Music has made me more aware and accepting of my feelings.

My voice teacher recently gave me the assignment to emote and be more aware of my feelings.  During that week, I learned that I am much more comfortable showing how I feel to my family and friends than to strangers and that, even with family and friends, it is easier for me to show positive emotions than display or express negative ones.

Why?  I think we are better at glossing over the negative things than ever and maybe that's why "feelings" have gained such a negative connotation, because we just simply don't want to deal with them.  I realize this is a huge generalization, but I think maybe that's why as Rivera observes "most people don't think of opera singers as people they can relate to."  The best singers I have ever encountered are those who have absolutely no pretense about them and are also people who absorb other's emotions like a sponge.  I wonder if this makes some people uncomfortable, having someone around who has accepted that it is ok to not always be ok.  Just my 2 cents...

I'm headed to Wagner's Ring Cycle at the movie theatre here in Park City.  Looking forward to this epicness!!

Violetta's Valentine

I was recently asked what sparked my desire to sing opera.  As I really started thinking hard about that question, I thought back to my first opera.  When I went to the Utah Opera's performance of La Traviata at 16, I was instantly captivated.  Violetta, a courtesan, sings this beautiful piece after Alfredo declares his love for her.  She declares she will live "sempre libera," always free, and is reluctant to let anyone get too close.  However, her character grows tremendously through allowing Alfredo to love her.  Enjoy the video of one of my favorite sopranos, Anna Netrebko singing.  (Be forewarned the staging is rather modern!)

Allow those who love you to love you and give your love to everyone, as we are dependent on each other for love and support!

Happy Valentine's Day!