Read article on Final Note Magazine website
Words by
Emer Nestor
Photos by
Frances Marshall
May 2018
The dazzling vocal acrobatics of Grammy-award winning soprano Audrey Luna have raised the roof of many a fine auditorium the world over. Here, the American chats about ‘making it’ at the Metropolitan Opera, striking a balance between acting and singing on stage, her process for preparing new contemporary roles, and her favourite travel companion–Roxy.
WHEN DID YOU FIND YOUR ‘COLORATURA’ SOUND?
I listened to a lot of Beverly Sills, Renata Scoto and Natalie Dessay in my teens. I gravitated to their repertoire and began to experiment with trying to sing their cadenzas and interpolating their high notes into various arias. It was like a game to me…an extremely fun challenge. I guess that’s how I discovered I had notes well above a high C. Sometimes I warm up to a C above high C just to see how high I can go. I feel like a gymnast in the Olympics…it literally gives me a high. There are times when I can make something in a room vibrate in a special way…I get a little dizzy and the wax in my ears will crackle. I love the sensation. I know these notes won’t last forever, but while I have them, I almost feel a responsibility to use them.
AT WHAT POINT IN YOUR CAREER DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAD ‘MADE IT’?
I guess when I was asked to audition for The Tempest at the Met 8 years ago. I had already fallen in love with the role and had memorised all of Ariel’s music, hoping that I would be able to sing the role somewhere, someday. My manager called a few hours later when I had returned home to my apartment in New York. He was on speaker and the whole office was listening. He said something like, “Well, I have some news for you….(pause…pause….pause)….You will be singing Ariel in ‘The Tempest’ at the Metropolitan Opera.” At that moment, I felt that I had made it.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE THE MOST ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION?
I am so appreciative of everything that this job has given me. I love walking through a new city with my dog, Roxy. She travels everywhere with me, and my favourite way to get to know a new city is by taking lots of long walks with her. It’s such a great way to get to know a new place, and the best part of these walks is discovering something new and exciting—a taste, a smell, something sensory. These moments always make me stop and take an inventory of my life…how did I get here?…I sing for a living!… I travel the world making music… I am so lucky.
WHEN ON STAGE, HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN BALANCE BETWEEN SINGING AND ACTING?
During the rehearsal process, I find singers often fixate on their sound, never wanting to make a mistake. They stick with what’s safe physically so that the vocal beauty remains number one. I understand the thinking behind this, because opera is first and foremost about the beauty of the voice. If I’m in a rehearsal room for 4 to 6 weeks, then I want to experiment and challenge myself, stretch and lean into the character, or else I’m bound to get extremely bored. It is the time to make mistakes, to see how far you can go dramatically, while still maintaining beauty in the voice. It’s through repetition that I find this balance.
During my work with the incredible choreographer, Crystal Pite in The Tempest, she had me moving in ways I never knew I could, while singing some of the most challenging vocal lines that have ever been written for the human voice. She gave me a sort of language of movement rather than choreographing every move, so I could find what worked best for me. I’ve used this valuable tool in other roles that I’ve done since.
AS A TOURING PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE LONELINESS OF TRAVELING AND BEING AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME?
Until about 5 years ago, most of my work was in the US and the rehearsal periods were short, so I would be home every few weeks. When I saw that my 2012 schedule included more international gigs with longer rehearsal periods, I decided I would get a dog. On a gig in Kansas City, singing Madame Mao in Nixon in China, I found my amazing travel companion and best friend, Roxy—a long-haired Chihuahua. Traveling with her makes being away from home much more bearable, but I am also very thankful that we live in a time where resources like FaceTime and Skype make seeing my loved ones possible, no matter where I am in the world.