BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Soprano Anna-Louise Cole and tenor Shanul Sharma were talented enough to be selected for the Opera Australia Young Artist Program.
But that also means they have to perform in front of an audience of about 20,000 people. (Probably more.)
Sound intimidating? Maybe, but these two emerging artists are taking it in their stride.
We chat with Anna-Louise and Shanul about how they’ve been preparing for this week’s large-scale Mazda Opera in the Domain, in which they’ll sing accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra. They’ll also share the stage with the likes of José Carbó and Stacey Alleaume, among others.
(Oh, and did we mention the show is free?)
Congratulations on your roles in the OA’s Young Artist Program! What do you find is the most exciting part of this program?
A-L: It is a rare and wonderful opportunity to have a company of the calibre of Opera Australia grant you the time and resources to focus on your development as an opera singer at the beginning of their career. Working with the best coaches, conductors and artists in Australia is a daily thrill. I personally learn so much just from being around some of the best musicians and singers in the country, and indeed the world. It’s such a privilege.
S: The most exciting part of the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program is to be able to observe the artform take shape from up close, and to have access to the people who bring it to life at the highest level; all the while exploring new aspects of myself as an artist under the guidance of our world-class coaching staff, who then help us showcase our new discoveries on one of the greatest opera stages in the world. Truly incredible!
Anna-Louise and Shanul, you’ll perform together for the first time at Mazda Opera in the Domain. What works will you present, and why do you love them?
A-L: I’ll be presenting two arias, which both have connections to significant firsts for me. Aida was the first title role I performed for Opera Australia, back in September 2016 on the Coolangatta sands with Griffith Opera on the Beach! And Turandot was my introduction to Opera Australia: the very first show I performed on, back as an extra chorus member in Melbourne in 2012. So they are both incredibly special to me, as well as each having some of the most beautiful music both Verdi and Puccini composed.
S: I will be performing the Pearlfishers’ duet from Bizet’s opera of the same name, and the aria Ah! mes amis from Donizetti’s opera The Daughter of the Regiment. Both are challenging in their own right.
The former is a deeply sensitive piece of music; probably some of the most beautiful music for two male voices, which also then takes you on an emotional journey both as an artist and a listener.
The latter, sometimes referred to as the ‘Mount Everest of tenor arias’, is a showcase of a tenor’s virtuosity where one must sing nine high Cs in very quick succession. But really, to keep it simple, it’s about a young boy in love with a girl who can’t help but sing high notes to show his love for her!
This is an enormous event. How have you been preparing yourself to play in front of such an audience?
A-L: Making sure I’m really ready for Saturday will be a mix of normal things I do for all performances: taking care of my vocal health, staying hydrated (which can honestly be a challenge at this time of year in Sydney), studying my scores, working to prepare my interpretation of these arias with our conductor, maestro Brian Castles-Onion; as well as preparing myself for what will be a very special event.
S: Preparation is a lifelong thing, and its nature remains the same whether singing for 20 or 20,000 people. I feel that as long as I am humble enough to convey the meaning of an aria or a song and make someone feel what I feel when I sing: mission accomplished!
Why do you think it’s important for performers, of any age and career level, to be involved in free events such as Opera in the Domain?
A-L: Being involved in free events is such a delight for me, because it gives us artists a chance to share our art, and our love for it, with anyone and everyone.
I don’t agree with the idea that opera is only for certain people or groups of people in our society. Personally, I think that opera is for everyone. As an acoustic artform (admittedly, not at the Domain; it’s important that every one of the 30,000 people coming can hear us!), we are using something everyone has – their bodies – to make art. The stories we sing about are often very personal, completely universal, and absolutely contemporary, which is why these stories remain, centuries after they were first told. […] It’s so wonderful to feel confident that there’s no barrier to anyone coming and hearing us.
S: Events such as Opera in the Domain allow us to connect with audiences who might normally not go to the opera; thus bringing them closer to our incredible artform and bringing us, as artists, closer to them.
Being a former heavy-metal singer, I realised very early on that performing to as many people as possible, and being in touch with your audience, is the key to longevity both for the music you create and an artist. And this great stage allows us to do exactly that!
Was Opera in the Domain part of your own musical journey as you were growing up, too?
A-L: Growing up in Melbourne, I have such fond memories of going to Mazda Opera in the Bowl as a child with my family, and then a teenager and young adult.
Studying at the conservatorium, free concerts were really important for my friends […] I have many happy memories of being perched somewhere on the big hill at the Bowl with friends and a picnic; or of once being some of the very few who persisted to hear the end of a concert in a surprise bout of unexpected freezing rain (definitely four seasons in one day!).
S: I first moved from India to regional New South Wales before moving to Melbourne, then to Europe, and now to Sydney. So my first experience of Opera in the Domain will be from the stage!
Why would you encourage lovers of opera to join in with the thousands of friends and families who are set to camp out on the grass for some fine music this week?
A-L: Honestly, the audience will be in for a treat! The concert repertoire has been really carefully chosen to both include more popular arias and duets, which many will know, alongside less-commonly heard arias and orchestral pieces. All of the arias have been chosen to specifically show off the artistry of the individual singer.
The Domain is such a beautiful part of Sydney, so it’s really a perfect way to combine a beautiful and relaxed setting with beautiful music. In my experience, the beautiful democracy of free events means everyone has an even better time!
S: What could be better than to listen to some of the most beautiful music ever written, under the stars in one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities of the world? And you get to do it with your 5-year-old!
Anything else you’d like to add?
A-L: As [an OA] Young Artist, I’m so excited to be singing alongside some of the absolute best singers in the country, accompanied by Australia’s premier operatic orchestra. It will be such an honour to share a stage with so many artists I have admired for many years.
S: Make the effort. It’s going to be bloody epic!!
Grab your picnic blanket and head out to the Mazda Opera in the Domain starting 8pm January 19.
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