Front of House Young Artist of the Month

CASSANDRA WRIGHT soprano

Tell us about your journey into opera – did you have a eureka moment when you were younger? As a child, I grew up listening to classical music and musical theatre. I also have strong memories of watching the 1984 film version of Carmen with Julia Migenes in the title role and finding the whole thing totally mesmerising. My mum is a soprano and a singing teacher, so hearing operatic voices was quite normal growing up!

Congratulations on the release of your debut album, In The Twilight. How did you go about choosing the repertoire? While I was at the Royal Academy of Music, I performed Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with John Wilson and the Academy Orchestra. The piece had a profound impact on me, and I wanted to record a more intimate version with piano. With this as a centrepiece for the album, I went about finding pieces that tied in with feelings of nostalgia, evening and loss.

You’re originally from Australia, studied in England and now live in Germany – tell us about working in different countries. I think there is a really strong work ethic instilled in Australian music students which follows us internationally! Although I didn’t have to worry about the language in London, there were still many culture shocks, especially dealing with the cold weather! In Germany, I really feel like the arts are deeply embraced. It’s so exciting to work in Europe where there is such proximity to different countries and cultures.

What advice would you have for younger opera singers? I believe in taking the work seriously, but I’m always careful not to take myself too seriously! It can be devastating to receive rejections and hard to push away negative feelings, especially when our voices usually end up strangely entwined with our sense of self. I’m definitely still learning how to deal with these things, but being kind to yourself and not comparing yourself to others is definitely one key to staying sane. ON In The Twilight is released by Linn Records on 19 July

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