STAY IN / SING OUT – Opera Buffs’ Solopreneurs
Share Their Stories and Perform Online
KATIE BECK, Mezzo Soprano
Second in a Series
When we checked in with soprano Katie Beck, she described herself “as incredibly lucky.” For starters, she is now a resident artist at the prestigious Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago – though anyone who’s heard Katie sing is well aware that talent and hard work, not mere luck, lay behind her acceptance. Where luck enters is that she’s been paid to sing throughout the pandemic summer. “We are some of the only opera singers in North America who can say this,” Katie explains.
Still, the summer has not been without its challenges. Imagine moving from Phoenix to Chicago during a pandemic, then moving yet again in early August from a sublet to an apartment. But again, Katie is grateful. “A colleague in Italy hasn’t been able to get here due to border closures,” she says.
Work at the Ryan Center began virtually in May, with language courses and online coaching and lessons. “We also had a conductor and opera director in residence for a couple weeks each,” Katie adds. “They coached us musically and dramatically in specific roles.”
Recently, Katie began meeting her coaches and teachers in person at the Lyric. There are strict guidelines for these half-hour sessions. These include distancing in large rehearsal rooms, gap times between each coaching, and Plexiglass between the singer and mask-wearing pianist.
As for favorite Opera Buffs’ memories, Katie has a bouquet of them – beginning with “The Presentation of the Rose” duet from Der Rosenkavalier at her first Performers Showcase, followed by the Belle Hélène group performance at her second showcase and Carmen in Concert in 2017.
“Then, of course, La Cenerentola in December 2019 takes the cake,” Katie continues. “I love reflecting back on this experience – performing Rossini’s opera with such an incredible group of people, hearing the equally amazing group of musicians in the orchestra, and remembering Brent McMunn’s expressive and warm-hearted leadership at the baton.”
About this series — It’s a challenge to be grateful to COVID-19, but one good thing the pandemic has fostered is adaptation and CREATIVITY. Our Opera Buffs’ singers exemplify this, as our series will reveal. Many have become solopreneurs par excellence – off on adventures despite sheltering in place. Through the power and beauty of their imagination, their spirit, and their voices, our young artists have discovered new ways, often through unfamiliar terrain, to share their artistry. We look forward to applauding the initiative of our singers by sharing their stories with you.