Richelle Yao

• 2022 golden medal winner of Summa Cum Laude voice competition in China

I'm Richelle, and I'm a 14-year-old freshman. I've studied operas and musicals for the past five years, and I consider myself a soprano. I genuinely enjoy standing on the stage and expressing a song, letting my emotions come through. Even though I began taking voice lessons in elementary school, my love for classical music developed in middle school. With my friend providing live accompaniment, I performed a piece of music from The Phantom of the Opera. We practiced a lot and worked extremely hard to be impeccable for the performance. All I can remember when I stand on stage is the lovely rhythm and gorgeous melody in this piece of music, except for the fact that I have forgotten everything else. Performing with my friends enabled me to comprehend the emotions hidden in the music, and I fell deeply in love with classical music at that moment. Furthermore, I've realized that in order to truly comprehend and interpret the music, you must have a solid grasp of the stories and rhythms that underpin it. Learning different languages, cultures, and styles has been exciting to me, even though these are significant challenges. Furthermore, learning to sing has increased my confidence and allowed me to comprehend and experience more of the music.