Elizabeth Futral—whom a recent reviewer described as: “a real looker, with creamy skin and wild black hair”—continues to impress critics and audiences alike with her terrific theatricality and amazing coloratura abilities. “It’s the voice that smites—the rich, sensual coloratura sound … ” wrote the same reviewer, describing her singing in the recent Lincoln Center premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s song cycle, Orpheus and Euridice. “Even if she were standing on her head, instead of just being steered around the stage by a corps of dancers, that voice would kill us.” (Marilyn Stacio, Variety)
“That voice” has taken Ms. Futral to opera houses around the world, singing a variety of roles, including creating the role of Stella in André Previn’s premiere of A Streetcar Named Desire with San Francisco Opera. She has also been seen at the Met and Washington Opera singing Lucia, at Opera Colorado as Violetta, at Los Angeles Opera as Richard Strauss’ Sophie, at New York City Opera as Baby Doe, and in Houston as Mozart’s Konstanze.
Born in North Carolina and reared just outside of New Orleans, Ms. Futral grew up singing in the church choir. A career in opera never crossed her mind—until, while studying music education as an undergraduate, her voice teacher at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. encouraged her to consider singing professionally. A master’s degree from Indiana University and a Chicago Lyric Opera apprentice program later, Ms. Futral’s career was off and running.
Ms. Futral stopped running long enough to answer a few questions and give CS readers some insights into her life as a singer.
Can you describe your fundamental concepts of vocal technique and how you have achieved vocal mastery?
I must admit I’m not the best at verbalizing my vocal technique, and I wouldn’t describe myself as having achieved vocal mastery, nor do I foresee ever doing so in this lifetime!
In general terms, I work toward producing as tension-free a sound as possible. That requires me to allow the breath to connect with my vocal cords without trying to manipulate the sound with my throat, tongue and mouth. I also strive for as much unanimity of sound throughout my range as possible. That is pursued through a variety of exercises which link the various registers together, so that there is little noticeable break from one part of the voice to the next.
Who is your voice teacher?
Arthur Levy.
What, if any, do you believe are the similarities and differences between the vocal demands of the coloratura repertoire and other soprano repertoire? What elements of coloratura vocal techniques have you found helpful when singing the soprano repertoire?
Gee, I don’t really think of myself as going from rep to rep, but as simply trying to sing well and with my voice in any repertoire I take on. Sure, the high-flying top notes of coloratura rep demand an extreme amount of poise and definitely lots of “routining” to ensure their viability (and sometimes they still go awry!). But rather than switching gears technically, I simply try to do roles that I believe to be appropriate for my voice, and sing them with my voice and my technique, whatever roles they may be.
What vocal technical/practical advice would you give an aspiring soprano?
Same as I would give any singer: Spend the bulk of your energy learning how to sing as well as you can sing!
How do you think about your voice in relation to “yourself”? Does your voice feel like an extension of who you are? If so, how has this relationship between you and your voice changed over time?
My voice definitely feels like an extension of who I am. However, I find that sometimes it helps to think of my instrument as a separate entity that needs to be cared for like a violinist would care for his or her violin. This is something that has developed over my career and has encouraged me to take measures to take better care of myself (my instrument) in an effort to allow “it” the opportunity to perform at “its” highest level.
Has your self-perception changed as your career has developed?
Not so much, I don’t think.
Can you identify how you have grown as an artist since the beginning of your career? Any specific turning points?
I think every career is basically a series of turning points, and that my growth has been steady and gradual, so it’s difficult to point to specific moments.
There are many ways in which to develop the character in a role. When you portray a character, do you feel intimately connected to that character’s “self,” almost as if she were you?
Yes, I feel very connected to most characters I portray. There is always something within my own persona from which to draw for each character, even the ones I don’t like. The addition of the character’s music provides an element to the character that can heighten every aspect of her.
What are the techniques you employ to understand and illuminate the character?
On a very basic level, I let the libretto and the music be my guide in terms of sculpting a character. Then I allow my own interpretation to be augmented by the director and conductor with whom I am working on a specific production.
What roles do you feel closest to, in terms of the character? What roles have been the most difficult to portray?
I love so many. Daphne jumps to mind, probably in part because I did it fairly recently and have adored the music for so long. I also feel very close to Juliette in the Gounod Romeo and Juliette. There are lots more, but I won’t go on and on!
More challenging to portray have been some of the Rossini ladies—Mathilde in Mathilde di Shabran and Fiorilla in Turco in Italia.
Do you change your vocal color and vocal technique as ways of heightening the sense of the character, and if so, how far are you willing to go without sacrificing the evenness and beauty of tone?
I do try to use a variety of vocal colors to achieve dramatic effects, but I don’t think I change my basic vocal technique in order to do so. It’s definitely something I have to fight against: going too far dramatically and in so doing, throwing the vocal integrity off kilter.
Have you ever felt emotionally overwhelmed when performing? If so, how did you handle it?
Yes, many times. But I’ve learned that it is important to allow myself to be emotional and to experience the emotion of a character only as far as I can go without disturbing the vocalism. That means doing a lot of experimenting in rehearsal to discover the emotion, and letting that knowledge inform my performance without disturbing me vocally. It’s a balancing act, for sure.
How do musical styles and periods of music affect your approach to role development?
Greatly. The style and period dictate much about character just by the very nature of their form. For instance, a Handel opera has recitatives and set arias during which one is allowed to present a character and to develop it as dictated by the form he used. Whereas, in a through-composed piece, such as Daphneof Richard Strauss, the piece starts and just keeps on going, and the characters weave in and out of it in a steady stream. That requires a different kind of concentration and focus.
Health, vocal pacing and stamina are important for career success and longevity. Can you describe a typical schedule over a three-month period? Are there specific things you do to help yourself maintain a balance?
I’ve become a little more sensible about my schedule in the last several years, so a typical three-month period now includes some weeks of rest between jobs. For instance, I will have had two weeks off before I give a recital at the end of this week. The next month will be consumed by an operatic job in the States, after which will come two more weeks off. Then another opera job, overseas this time, for four weeks. And after that, I have a week off before a concert job in the States, and [then] directly to another opera job for two months, also in the USA.
That’s more than three months, but you get the idea. I try to do the “right” things by eating well, exercising regularly and keeping in touch with my friends and family to keep myself balanced.
Does travel affect you in any way? If so, do you have suggestions for ways to cope?
The most difficult thing about travel is lack of continuity. One doesn’t have one’s material possessions around; one doesn’t have consistent interaction with friends and family; one doesn’t have a consistent climate to grow accustomed to. I try to take things with me that are important to me and try to create a sense of place wherever I go, by cooking nice meals while away, creating an ambience of home where I’m living, keeping my relationships going via e-mail, phone calls and letters, taking good care of myself through exercise, good diet and being sensible about climate adjustments.
Can you talk a little about the business of singing? For example, have you represented yourself, made all of the contacts, done all of the PR work? If you have worked or work with an agent, do you find that you are still actively involved in PR activities? If so, what kinds?
The business of singing can be as consuming as the singing. I have had an agent since I left the Lyric Opera of Chicago apprenticeship. I can’t imagine doing all of that stuff on my own! I have had a separate PR person in the past, but not currently.
One could spend loads of time pursuing PR avenues. I am happy to participate in promoting my work—and the work of opera companies, and symphonies, and recital series for which I am singing—and do so happily when asked. This includes newspaper and magazine interviews, TV spots, benefits and radio interviews.
What advice would you give our readers on how to screen agents, what to look for, and how to be savvy, as well as ideas on how singers can best present themselves when agent-shopping?
I think the very best way to find out what you want to know about an agent is to talk to singers whom that agent manages. If you ask five singers how they feel about that agent you may get five different answers, but there will be some recurring themes, and those will be the most telling. Find someone who is terribly excited about you and your singing. After all, their job will be to sell you! An agent will respond to someone who auditions well and who is highly motivated about having a career in singing.
What do you think agents, managers and presenters are looking for in artists, with the current challenges of classical music in the marketplace? Talent and mastery are a given, sure, but there must be something more. What do you believe is the “more”?
Lots of those people you mentioned are looking for an “angle” from which to sell a singer—something which distinguishes that singer from the pack, like age, pop-singer looks, charisma, etc. The something “more” that tends to draw people in is less easy to identify. I think there is an innate characteristic in some people that pulls a listener in and evokes emotion, and it simply can’t be named.
Can you speak a bit about the dos and don’ts of etiquette in the classical world: e-mails, phone and cell phone calls, letters, personal contact, etc.?
That’s a rather complicated question, since there are lots of different answers, depending on the person you are contacting, what kind of relationship you have developed with that person, and your own status in the classical realm. Use good judgment and let your manager use his or her role as an advocate for you when at all possible.
Which is your favorite recording you have done, and why?
I’m the wrong person to ask! I am not a big fan of my recordings, mostly because I hear every flaw and know that I could do most everything better today! The ones I probably prefer are the live recordings, since I think they might capture a truer performance energy.
Do you have a special formula for preparing for recording projects?
Not really. I don’t record so frequently that I feel I’ve been able to develop any kind of formula. I try to prepare the role, or the arias or songs, as I would prepare for a live production, or concert, or recital.
If you could record anything you wanted on a solo album, what would it be, and why?
I would record music from recitals I have been singing in the past several years (Debussy, Wolf, Schumann, and some songs in English by Ricky Ian Gordon and Joseph Thalken). I would love to record these because I have lived with them for a while and feel strongly about my interpretation of them.
Have you been filmed during a live performance for television or video, and if so, how have you resolved the up close/far away camera issues?
I have been filmed a couple of times. I tried not to think about myself being filmed and just went about my performance as usual.
Is opera your first love?
I’m assuming you mean in the musical realm? I came to learn about opera in college, but grew up singing in church. Sacred music holds an equally special place in my heart. Art song is also competitive, since I sang songs almost exclusively for the first couple of years of college. That’s probably part of the reason I love [singing recitals] so much.
Do you have any plans for doing crossover material?
Not at present.
What is your favorite moment in any of the operas you have done or studied?
There are so many favorite moments.
To name a couple: 1) The presentation of the rose in Der Rosenkavalier and 2) standing onstage with Arturo (in my case, Greg Kunde) in I puritani, and listening to him sing high F’s night after night—thrilling and otherworldly!
Do you feel surprised or in awe of the success you’ve had?
My mother says that I sang all of the time from about 2 years old on. I am sure she never imagined that I would eventually have a career as an opera singer! Frankly, neither did I—until college, when my first voice teacher, Eleanor Ousley, suggested that it might be a possibility. That’s when I began to work in earnest, pursuing a singing career.
It has been an interesting, exciting, and sometimes exhausting journey thus far, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I suppose my parents could have urged me to choose an alternate, more reliable career path, but instead, they encouraged me to follow my heart and artistic instincts, heartily cheering me on every step of the way. I am grateful for my parents’ enthusiasm, especially because I realize, in retrospect, how difficult this road would have been without the backbone of their support.
Now, as I embark on some unique projects, like Ricky Ian Gordon’s “Orpheus” treatment, I realize how very fortunate I am to have this career. What a thrill to be rehearsing every day with a beautiful group of dancers and their fearless leader, Doug Varone! They have welcomed me into their midst with open arms as I try to sing and “dance” with them.
Through this experience, I continue to learn how important it is to remain open to possibilities and to follow my instincts and desires. [Editor’s Note: Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus and Euridice, choreographed by Doug Varone, was performed at the Rose Theatre at the Lincoln Center, Oct. 5, 7 and 8.]
Do you have any final words of support and guidance for our readers?
Never stop growing as a singer and an artist. Surround yourself with a few trustworthy people who have great ears and your best interest at heart. Never stop learning how to sing.
