VA Opera Gives PVCC a Backstage Pass

Francesca Black, staff writer

On Thursday, April 25, the Virginia Opera took the stage at PVCC for a workshop in the V. Earl Dickinson Building. The workshop titled “What does it take to be an opera singer?” demonstrated the hardships and joys of life on the stage.

A grand piano sat in the middle of the dimly lit stage as the audience filed in. Statewide Director of Education and Outreach with the Virginia Opera, Cecelia Schieve, moderated the event. Her enthusiasm for opera as an art form translated to the stage as she gave detailed information on the subject. Schieve said, “We are thrilled to have this level of artist with us today.”

Schieve introduced the artists from the Virginia Opera’s Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists Program, providing details about their individual styles and skill sets while examining how these added to their performances.

The workshop began with each artist singing a chosen piece with the accompaniment of the pianist, Johanna Kvam. The featured soprano, Symone Harcum, sang an Italian piece while the featured tenor, Logan Z. Webber, sang a German piece, and the baritone, Joseph Mazzara, another Italian piece.

The three then shifted styles between such duet performances as “Agony” from Into the Woods and “Tonight” from West Side Story. Harcum sang “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin. Before her performance, Harcum set up the song’s setting, saying, “She’s singing about a more beautiful place in hopes that her child can see better times.”

Schieve spoke of all these style adaptations as part of the job of being an opera singer. Schieve said, “You have to find that internal mechanism to bring the scene to life.” She also went into the various musical terms as the performers continued. Schieve said, “Symone’s voice has a lovely color to it; in music, this is called tambour which adds a lot to the piece.”

She also stressed the fact that the artists have to sing and act simultaneously, saying, “The most important thing is that they know the meaning of the words.” This is so the artists can adapt their movement, expression, and voice accordingly.

The event’s turn out showed PVCC’s appreciation for the arts. The performances were followed by an interactive Q & A session, illuminating the intricacies that go into making the art form a reality. Kvam discussed her trajectory as a pianist indicating that it all changed when she “found out that it’s possible to get a degree in collaborative.”

The artists also gave advice on life as a performer. They urged the importance of being involved in the community. Webber said, “Keep networking as much as possible.”

They advised that the job took a lot of hard work and flexibility as a specific gig might take them across the country for varying amounts of time. Mazzara stressed the pressures saying, “That five minutes can dictate whether you get a job or not.” He continued with, “It wouldn’t be opera if it wasn’t hard.”

When an audience member asked if they were nervous to perform today, Harcum replied with laughter, “Oh yeah, I think so, I definitely forgot a word.”