Prelude
Do you have a passion you can't shake off? An idea that stays with you
no matter how busy your mind and body are? Or a special someone who
makes you happy even as they give you a hard time?
That's what being a classical soprano is like for me: a passion that's under my skin.
My name is Joyce and I am a lyric coloratura soprano (singing high, fast, and pretty). You may be a friend from my Bay Area days or perhaps someone from my life in Southern California. You may have known me when I sang in our high school choir, at UCSD, or with San Diego Opera. There's even a chance you had no idea I lived another life as a singer (surprise!). I am reaching out to all my friends, acquaintances, peers, and mentors to ask for your support as I make the big leap through three cities and into my singing career: I am going from San Diego to San Francisco, and then to Phoenix in the span of two months!
Elaborating on the Theme
The first step is the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI)
program at San Francisco Conservatory. This is a 10 AM to 10 PM
intensive program of voice lessons, expression technique, career
development, opera scenes and full-length productions - an amazing immersion in the technical and artistic aspects of singing. BASOTI is led by the internationally-known Sylvia Anderson. You can learn more about BASOTI here.
After this summer program, I am moving to Phoenix for Arizona State University's Master's in Opera Theater Performance. In a stunning chain of events, I have been offered a full scholarship/Teaching Assistantship - as classical singers know, this is an honor for a young soprano in a world over-flowing with sopranos! A look into ASU's music program is available here.
After all application fees, recording fees and supplies, flights to
East, West, and mid-America, hotels and cabs, my application and audition expenses to-date equal
about $5,000. Moving costs from San Diego to San Francisco and to
Phoenix are estimated at $2,000. Living expenses are estimated by
Arizona State University at $18,000/year.
My loving family has contributed to my graduate school application
process and has encouraged me with unwavering belief. A very generous friend has provided me with a place to live in San Francisco over the summer. A very welcoming friend is helping me transition to Arizona by opening her home to me while I find and furnish an apartment. Most of the preparation, paperwork, and late nights are behind me, but I am gathering a network of supporters to help me in the next leg of my journey.
Musical Climax
Tuition for BASOTI is $2,600. I would like to raise this amount by the last day of BASOTI on July 24th. If you love art, if you love music, if you love me, or if you are simply curious and looking for a beautiful cause, please join me in keeping the art of opera and the idea of music alive. My journey is just beginning, and I will be singing my heart out each step of the way. The following sections will be my first projects in San Francisco through BASOTI:
- Giulietta in the final act tomb scene with Romeo: O tu, mia sola speme from Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi (here is a touching performance of the duet)
- Pamina in the Act 2 scene with the three spirits: Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkunden from Mozart's Die Zauberflote (here is an excerpt from Paris Opera)
- Miranda in the Act 3 duet with Fernando: Alas now, pray you from Hoiby's The Tempest (here is a rare clip)
Perfect Cadence
So, do you have a passion that follows you no matter how many turns you take and how many detours you run into? A goal you inevitably pursue because there can be no other ending? I do, and it is a passion for singing soprano repertoire. These plans have been four years in the making, and each morning I wake up with the words of e. e. cummings in my head: now the ears of my ears awake and / now the eyes of my eyes are opened.
My wonderful and wise teacher believes in talent and determination, and these are even more powerful when combined with the force of family, friends, and fans. I am thanking my supporters in old-fashioned and high-tech ways that I hope you find meaningful and enjoyable. As always, your words of encouragement and suggestions are very welcome, so please make use of the "Comments" section. Thank you for feeding my passion, and I hope you are inspired to feed your own too!
