An almost empty glass of wine set on a bright green plate. Five CDs featuring Leontyne Price, Jose Carreras, and Christa Ludwig standing neatly on a shelf. A red Cenerentola score propped against the chocolate brown wood of a trusty piano. The orange sky as the sun sets over rust colored adobe buildings in Santa Fe. An empty airport check-in counter with seemingly miles of winding stanchions to maneuver.
These are just a few of the hundreds of images you can see on mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong’s captivating website www.asingerssuitcase.com. She created the website in 2011 and began by posting a picture a day. Each photo has a short caption underneath, usually just a word or two or a phrase—but never more. Sometimes the captions explain the picture perfectly, and other times you are left longing for the backstory behind the photo. Why did she take the picture? Where was she when she took it? And what does it mean?
The pictures and captions are so much more than an account of DeShong’s life. They offer a window into how she views the world around her—her sense of wonder (a sky scraper with a balcony of hanging laundry), and sometimes disgust (a cigarette butt against the shiny pavement), and often humor (a gray sedan with the word “love” written in pink over the rear tire and the caption “all you need”).
More importantly, DeShong’s photos give viewers a glimpse into her artist’s soul.
And DeShong, featured in this month’s cover story (p. 20), is a consummate artist. She has the piano, language, and time management skills to self-coach all of her own roles. Of course, this mezzo hasn’t been all self-taught—she credits Oberlin, Curtis, and the Chicago Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center for honing those skills.
Conductor James Gaffigan’s praise for DeShong’s work (p. 24) makes it clear her self-preparation is in no way holding her back.
Like DeShong, our own artists’ souls long to express—we feel the need to experience beauty, to create, and to share it with others. It is that “artist’s soul” that makes us defensive of our craft. Like when 10-year-old “opera singers” make a national splash on a reality TV show.
Claudia Friedlander writes about one such recent “opera” star (p. 10) and how, even though such a performance can (rightfully) be an affront to our own artistry, it can also be an opportunity to introduce others to true artistry.
In this issue you’ll find other articles and tools to inspire your soul and develop your craft. Discover coaches, teachers, and Young Artist Programs in our printed directories (pp. 44–49). Read about changes at Michigan Opera Theatre as tenor Richard Leech joins David DiChiera to expand the company’s Young Artist Program (p. 32). Find out how baritone Gabriel Preisser is expanding his artistic influence as he takes on the role of artistic and executive director of Orlando Opera while still actively pursuing his singing career (p. 36). And learn how Thomas Hampson’s foundation is motivating singers to go deeper in their performance of art song (p. 40).
This month, whether you peruse DeShong’s Singer’s Suitcase website, plan your fall Young Artist Program applications, or talk with a novice or long-time opera fan, this issue can prepare you to feed your artist’s soul.
