Hawaii’s own Soprano Audrey Luna raised a lot of eyebrows last month when an archivist reported that she had unknowingly broken the record for the highest note sung on the Metropolitan Opera’s stage during Thomas Adès’ new opera The Exterminating Angel
The note, an A above high C, is written into the opera’s score, so to her she was just doing her job. But to everyone else — from The New York Times to Seth Meyers — the feat was worth sharing. Now, after the whirlwind of all that publicity, she’s back in Hawaii. In February, Audrey will star as HOT’s Marie in Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment. And she couldn’t be happier to be back.
“This is where I want to live forever,” she said. “I love Hawaii. From the first time I arrived here, I knew I wanted to make it my home.”
Audrey’s most recent flight over the Pacific Ocean followed some of the busiest years of her professional life. But when she first landed on Oahu about ten years ago, her career was just taking off. Fresh out of school and looking for a job, Audrey landed the lead female role in HOT’s 2008 production of Romeo and Juliet.
“I never wanted to leave after that,” she said. “So I made it happen.”
For the next two consecutive seasons, Audrey returned to HOT. After her third role as Blondchen in The Abduction from the Seraglio, she began to make to move to O’ahu.
Her role as Leticia in The Exterminating Angel took her around the world, including theaters in London and Salzburg. It’s been great for her career, she said, but she is looking forward to her upcoming season singing standard repertoire including her role as Marie with HOT.
“For the last five years or so, I’ve been doing a lot of contemporary opera, most with very serious and tragic plots, so I’m really glad to break out of that and do this comedic role. My voice missed singing Bel canto.”
This month, Audrey has also begun teaching voice lessons at HOT. Some of her students include singers from the Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio. “My schedule hasn’t allowed me to teach as much as I want to, so I’m glad that I’m starting that back up again,” Audrey said.
Before singing with HOT in February, Audrey is enjoying her downtime. Aside from teaching voice lessons, she will be spending time with her family and preparing for future roles.
“And laying on the beach,” she said with a laugh.