Dawn Upshaw is perhaps best known for her expressive performances of contemporary music—but the American soprano sings repertoire ranging from the Baroque to the contemporary, and from the recital hall to the operatic stage. Acclaimed for her honesty, her heart, and her deep commitment to the text—as well as her beautiful and elegant singing—Ms. Upshaw has been hailed as a maverick in the singing world.
In an era when many wonder if the art song is on its way to extinction, Ms. Upshaw dedicates two-thirds of her work each year to concert and recital work. She collaborates regularly with living composers on new works, and as a testament to her fine singing and superb musicality, Ms. Upshaw is the preferred artist for many of today’s leading composers, including John Adams, John Harbison, and Osvaldo Golijov. Ms. Upshaw recently appeared as Margarita Xirgu in Santa Fe Opera’s premiere of Golijov’s opera Ainadamar, a performance she recently repeated at the 2006 Lincoln Center Festival.
Reared on the contemporary folk music of her parents, the young Ms. Upshaw began her singing career as a member of the Upshaw Family Singers, singing the songs of Peter, Paul, & Mary; Joan Baez; Bob Dylan; and Pete Seeger. As Ms. Upshaw moved into the classical arena during her college years, her voice teacher—who now is also her father-in-law—introduced her to contemporary composers and their works, significantly influencing her future career.
With wife and mother of two added to her repertoire, family remains an important part of Ms. Upshaw’s life. When asked how she balances career and family, Ms. Upshaw speaks glowingly of her unique and fortunate situation—she’s married to a stay-at-home husband and father.
Ms. Upshaw spoke with CS last fall from her apartment in New York City.
What was your childhood like?
I was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but we went to Miami Beach, Florida, when I was 6 months old. Three years later we moved to the Chicago area, so I consider the “Windy City” my home town. Although my family is musical, my parents weren’t classically trained. They loved folk music, and during the 1960s they were involved in the civil rights movement. At that time, I heard a great deal of music by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. Their songs spoke clearly and went straight to the heart.
I began studying piano at age 5. I also studied oboe for quite some time, but when I was in high school, I found it hard to manage being a member of both the chorus and the orchestra. As a result, even though I played the oboe better than I sang at that time, I stopped playing so I could be in the chorus.
What did you do after high school?
I attended a very small school called Illinois Wesleyan University, where I majored in music. When I was a freshman, my main interest was in musical theatre, but as time went on, I became more engrossed in the world of classical music. My teacher there was David Nott, who was later to become my father-in-law. He was always throwing new music at me, but when I was in school, I didn’t know that [doing that] was unusual. Only later did I learn that many classical students don’t encounter much contemporary repertoire in their classes.
Professor Nott’s teaching was all classical, but he was a big believer in having his students work on various types of repertoire. He enjoyed contemporary compositions and knew the young composers in the area, so he actually premiered a few pieces.
I was very thankful for my experiences at that school. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree in Illinois, I moved to New York to work on my master’s at the Manhattan School of Music, where new music wasn’t as much of an integral part of the repertoire.
How did you bridge the gap between school and a professional career?
The Metropolitan Opera Young Artists Development Program gave me a wonderful background, and James Levine was a great mentor. He and I did some recitals together while I was in the program, and I learned a tremendous amount from making music with him. I still love to perform with him.
In 1984, I was a winner in the [Met’s] Young Concert Artists Auditions. They sent me out to sing a number of recitals, and that was an extremely valuable experience. They also provided me with representation for two years. In 1985, I won first prize in the Walter M. Naumburg Competition, which also gave me a number of performing opportunities. Those organizations helped me to get a good start.
How do you manage to have both a thriving career and a good family life?
I have a unique family situation, I think. My husband, Michael, and I have two children. Our daughter, Sadie, is 15 years old and our son, Gabriel, is 11. When Sadie was born, Michael decided that he wanted to try staying home to care for the family, and he has done that ever since. Professionally, he is a musicologist, but right now he doesn’t work at that. Instead, he’s a full-time, stay-at-home dad, and president of the Parent Teacher’s Association at our children’s school. Sometimes he’s so involved with school activities that he has more meetings than I have rehearsals!
We have strict family rules about how long we will be apart. Three weeks is the limit, though that doesn’t often happen. Obviously, opera takes longer than three weeks, but usually, at that point, my family comes to join me, wherever I might be. Home is home, not a visiting place, and I try not to schedule too much back-to-back, so that I can be home for a time between jobs. My schedule varies, but most trips are from several days to one-and-a-half weeks in length.
Are concerts and recitals easier to manage than a role in a new operatic production?
Not necessarily. Certainly, in terms of schedule, they’re easier, but I enjoy the collaborative aspects of opera. I love sharing the experience with a great group of people.
Combining family with any busy job is tricky, but it can be done. In my case, my husband’s being a full-time, at-home dad makes a tremendous difference. Keeping my work schedule and trying not to miss certain things the kids are doing is a real juggling act, however, and I do the best I can.
Of course, when I’m home, I’m generally around much of the day and can participate fully in the kids’ lives. My husband and children really are the focal point of my life, and their love nourishes everything I do. I feel tremendously grateful for being able to make my living the way I do.
Do you think your son or daughter would ever want a career in music?
It’s too early to tell. In any case, I wouldn’t push them in any particular direction. My greatest hope is that music will always bring them immense pleasure, joy and healing. Beyond that, I want them to have whatever makes them the happiest.
Do you still work with a voice teacher?
Once or twice a year I see Joan Lader in New York City. She works with some classical singers, but most of her pupils sing in Broadway shows. I believe Frederica von Stade has also worked with her.
Do you have any special techniques for singing modern music?
I don’t put all modern music in one group. Contemporary composers make all sorts of differing demands. With Osvaldo Golijov, the composer of Ainadamar, I traveled some unusual terrain. I recorded another piece of his, Ayre, which was recently released. It’s even more of a kaleidoscope of different voices than the opera! I don’t mean voices in the sense that everything is not true, because I hope that I’m speaking the truth in each number, but these pieces need very different vocal sounds from what other composers have asked of me. For example, one number requires me to be very angry and another has me groveling.
The challenge, of course, is to find sounds that express those emotions without harming the vocal cords. It requires faith, both in oneself and in the composer, so that you feel free to investigate various possibilities and eventually find something with which you can be comfortable. If you’re not familiar with a particular style, you might shy away from the exploratory aspect.
With Ayre there was quite a bit of exploration. Osvaldo played some folk music for me and asked if I could hear what the singer was doing with her throat. Of course, that folk artist was used to making the sound, and I wasn’t [chuckles softly]. So, we tried to find a way for me to get as close as possible to it.
Some of the singing on that CD is very “folkish.” It’s not about refinement. Its sounds are meant to express pain, and they’re not designed to be beautiful. It’s through the expression of that anguish that the beauty of truth comes through. That’s a different world from the one that requires you to sing with a consistent sound and focused tones throughout your range.
I love exploring new ways of expressing emotion. It’s really what music is about! I love it!
New music is a clean slate! It’s exciting to work with a composer on creating something for the first time. That’s a fascinating journey. I’ve learned more about expression—and about life itself—through these experiences with new music than I ever did with traditional, well-known pieces.
I add more and more new music to my repertoire each year, so that now the bulk of what I do is contemporary. Some of the composers whose music has shaped my career to some extent are: Earl Kim, John Harbison, John Adams, Kaija Saariaho and Osvaldo Golijov.
Do you have any tips for singers learning difficult new music?
Some works are more difficult than others to learn, especially if they have atonal leaps. I might do the intervals in a different octave from the one in which they are written, at first. Sometimes I think that while we’re learning a piece we may not always pay adequate attention to how we’re producing the sound, so it might not be a good idea to do acrobatics while you’re trying to learn a composition.
Have you ever had to completely rest your voice?
Having to rest the voice for a period of time is a reality for many singers. I’ve had to do it because of swelling on a cord. There is a big taboo about mentioning it, but we are using two little muscles every single day, so they can easily be overworked.
Needing vocal rest is not the end of the world! You have to try to know your body and your cords so you can be as good to them as possible. Unfortunately, the way we usually learn what we can’t do is by going too far.
How do you manage your relationships with accompanists?
Most of the time I get along well with accompanists, but once in a while anyone can run into a snag. In that case, I just don’t pursue that relationship. It’s important to establish meaningful collaborations with fellow artists, but we have to seek out healthy affiliations. If you encounter an unhealthy one, it’s best to end it politely, if you can. Certainly, there’s always discussion at rehearsals, but I enjoy the alliances where there’s no pressure and where no one is trying to prove a point.
Do you also teach?
I’m on the faculty at Tanglewood Music Center and I’m setting up a vocal program at Bard College, so I’ve listened to plenty of auditions. I’m amazed that so little attention is paid to offering a stylistic variety to me as a listener.
I also recall a few females who wore distracting clothing. It’s important to draw the eye to the face, so I would encourage young singers to dress conservatively and not to go over the top with accessories.
I understand that you have made some 50 recordings. Do you have anything coming out in the near future?
In November, I recorded Ainadamar with the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano. That is the Golijov opera in which I appeared in Santa Fe and which is being repeated in New York. [Editor’s note: Dawn Upshaw appeared in Golijov’s Ainadamar at the Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on January 22, 24 and 26.]
Samples of the music on Ayre can be heard at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000ASDG9E/ref=pm_dp_ln_m_1/104-3034333-5399105?v=glance&s=music
