Interview
A rehearsal I'll never forget
Early in my career, I was once asked to jump in last minute as the soprano soloist for the modern premiere of William Hayes’ The Fall of Jericho and Händel’s Dixit Dominus with Holland Baroque. I didn’t know either piece and there was no recording of the Hayes, so I basically hummed it to myself on the train on the way to rehearsal while reading the score on my phone.
When I arrived, I went straight into rehearsal with the orchestra, conductor, choir and other soloists. Up until that point I had always been quite perfectionist and had always come to rehearsals really well prepared. This time I had to let go of all control, accept that I might make a few mistakes, be in the moment and just sing. Discovering this beautiful music in real time as I was singing it for the first time with these wonderful musicians was magical.
It taught me that in moments like this, we as artists can trust the skills we have spent years building. When we let go of the need for perfection, we can create spontaneously even in high pressure situations. I have carried that lesson with me ever since.
One thing people never guess about me
I can rap along to pretty much every Tupac song.
What I'm a complete nerd about
Psychology. I can listen endlessly to podcasts and read books about why we humans do what we do and how we can improve our ways of dealing with each other and ourselves. Whether it's parenting, relationships, leadership, creativity or emotional resilience, I'm fascinated by what drives us. The more I understand people, the more interesting the characters I sing become. The only downside? I sometimes get so caught up in self-improvement that I forget to just relax and enjoy myself! Luckily my kids and husband are great at reminding me ;)
Where I lose all track of time
When I’m cranking out coloratura like there’s no tomorrow… or twerking to reggaeton music in the kitchen while cooking dinner!
A hill I’ll happily die on
I believe so strongly in the power of the raw emotions contained within classical music, and in the unique, acoustic way those emotions are communicated, that I'm convinced everyone can find something they love. Whether it's Vivaldi, Mozart, Puccini, Mahler, Philip Glass or someone else entirely. After all, we're talking about more than five centuries of music, all grouped under one label. It simply can't be true that you dislike all of it.
I have experienced first-hand that classical music can reach an enormous audience of every age, background and walk of life. And I'll never stop looking for new ways to help people discover it.
