Tenor Gilad Paz & Soprano Natalia Tsvi have created a new paradigm for vocal versatility and business savvy. The dynamic duo is known as VOCE NOVA, a genre-bending team who combine classical singing technique with crowd pleasing hits. They recently shared their story with Classical Singer Magazine, as they continue to reach new audiences with their unique style.
How do you juggle the business aspect of VOCE NOVA while still pursuing your own solo classical music careers?
VOCE NOVA was created after we both met when curating an opera hits concert in NYC in 2018. At the time we were both actively pursuing solo classical music careers, but as we kept working on this project, it has taken the front seat. Even though, in our experience, the classical music business doesn’t always support classical singers performing other genres, we feel that combining the technique of classical singing with the excitement and energy of pop music has allowed us to bring opera to audiences who otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to it.
Do you have any tips for opera artists who would love to be featured on a television show like America’s Got Talent?
VN: First and foremost, be unique! Above all, shows like AGT are there to garner high ratings, so it’s not necessarily about how well you sing the aria but rather what you bring to the table that the production team hasn’t seen before. As opera singers we are taught to be hyper-critical about every note we sing, and strive for perfection. However, while that may be important in the world of professional classical music, when it comes to mass appeal it’s about finding a way to truly connect to a wide audience who may know absolutely nothing about the art form, but would get super excited about a high note or be brought to tears by a moving performance.
How do you manage the various technical vocal demands of rock, pop and opera all within the same concert?
In her voice studio, Natalia always tells her students that singing is about conveying your message through your own true voice, which goes beyond any specific genre. We both came to opera from a rock, pop, and musical theater background, so we’ve learned that the biggest difference in singing various genres is all about finding the placement in the mask for each style, while still utilizing the same breath support we’ve learned through classical singing that allows us to perform without compromising our vocal health. Singing such seemingly disparate genres in the same show, and sometimes in the same song, takes planning. When we decide on the set list for a VOCE NOVA performance, we make sure to think about the vocal demands each song calls for, and to program the songs in a way that not only makes sense for the flow of the show, but also ensures that we are in top vocal shape throughout.
What is the most important lesson you have learned about your singing through the process of launching VOCE NOVA?
We learned that we are risk-takers when it comes to music and the repertoire we sing, and that the human voice is a pretty extraordinary instrument! Since every VOCE NOVA number is arranged especially for the show by our music producer, Assaf Averbuch, we are able to experiment and stretch the limits of what has traditionally been known as crossover music. Pulling from our diverse musical backgrounds to create surprising mashups that combine Schubert with Hozier, Bizet with Santana, Puccini with Queen, even Mozart with A-ha(!), is the kind of out-of-the-box approach that drives us as artists and excites the audience. It also expands our own vocal abilities in ways that we never imagined through repertoire that is demanding both vocally and physically, as we are both very active when we interact with the crowd from the stage.
