Q: What are your early memories of singing, and when did you decide to focus on opera?
A: As a child, I remember gravitating towards the piano whenever I was visiting my grandparents. No matter what holiday or occasion it was, I would find myself sitting on the piano bench and singing along to whatever keys I pressed, making up little tunes. I am so grateful that my parents recognized the joy that singing has brought me, as they put me in voice lessons at the age of seven years old. I have loved every experience that singing has brought me since then.
Q: You've sung a wide range of roles in several languages. Any favorites?
A: My absolute favorite role thus far in my career has been Gretel in San Francisco Conservatory’s production of Hänsel and Gretel. It was a great challenge to tap into a childlike perspective while singing such vocally demanding music.
Q: What do you like about Mahler 4?
A: What I love most about Mahler 4 is the emotional journey that the listener is taken on throughout the entire piece. The fourth movement opens with an innocent view of the purity of heaven. This longing for heaven is beautifully portrayed in the music that Mahler has set. Throughout the final movement, the listener is ascended into heaven as they arrive in the key E major. As a singer, I have a sense of fulfillment when I am able to long with the composer and am awarded with a point of arrival at the end of an incredible journey.