Joyce DiDonato: I Find All My Answers in Music
PrestoMaria Kożewnikow talks to Joyce DiDonato about the Eden Project, her exceptional and long stage career, performances in Poland, and, above all, the upcoming concert opening the 12th edition of the Baroque Opera Festival at the Warsaw Chamber Opera .
Maria Ko Żewnikow: You recently performed in Poland at the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, and a moment later at the NDI Sopot Classic Festival at the Summer Opera in Sopot. A little over a year has passed and you are returning to us to open the 12th edition of the Baroque Opera Festival organized by the Warsaw Chamber Opera. Is this return due to the Polish audience falling in love with your voice?
Joyce DiDonato: I think it’s more about my love for the Polish audience! Those two concerts were very memorable and I felt a great connection with the musicians I met and the wonderful audience , so I’m thrilled that the last performance of EDEN will be in Warsaw!
During the concert you will continue the broad artistic project Eden mentioned above, the result of which was an album of the same title released with Il Pomo d’Oro under the direction of Maxim Emelyanychev. Can you tell us where the idea for such a bold and innovative project in classical music and singing came from?
It is a kind of continuation of my concert tour ” In War & Peace: Harmony through Music ” from a few years ago. I felt the huge influence of classical music on the 21st century world we live in now . Personally, I have always turned to music and poetry to find my way through difficult times, and it is in the great masterpieces that I have sung over the years that I have found enormous knowledge and wisdom, deep comfort and more than one clue. In a word – I find all the answers in music. I wanted to choose music from different centuries that calls people to a deeper connection with this vast, majestic, unique and beautiful world around us.
You currently perform most of your concerts with Il Pomo d’Oro. Listeners associate the band with early music, and your album includes pieces from Handel, through Gluck, to Wagner, Mahler and Ives. These are very unusual combinations. Was the repertoire your idea?
The repertoire is unique and definitely crazy ! It was the idea of both Maxim and Giulio d’Alessio, who manages the orchestra. We all wanted to push the boundaries of what is expected, to make the audience listen more attentively, being uncertain of what will happen next. After performing Eden in almost 50 concerts, I now feel that these pieces were always meant to be performed together !
Where did the idea for the title come from: Eden – Paradise?
I want to ignite the memories, hopes, and imaginations of all who encounter EDEN, to inspire others, and myself, to continue to create a world that is paradise. Paradise in our own hearts, our own families, our own circles—and perhaps ultimately the world. We are inundated with scary headlines and a tsunami of hard news—but there are MORE examples— of simple goodness—that can flood our vision, if we truly seek them.
You currently sing songs that are a bit different from the ones you started with. Has your taste changed a lot over time ?
I can’t imagine a 25+ year career in music and NOT developing and searching for new music, new experiences, new partners , new audiences! I have a huge musical and theatrical appetite and I am incredibly grateful that I could develop and experience such vast worlds – and diverse music!
Your repertoire includes pieces from early Italian arias, through baroque operas, Rossini roles, to pop songs. This is truly impressive and unique among many classical singers. What do you find yourself best at and how do you combine technique with such a diverse repertoire?
I hope I am the best at whatever I am singing at any given moment! My goal is always to immerse myself completely in a phrase and use my technique to serve what that phrase may require and therefore what it may convey.
I think I can safely call you the most famous mezzo-soprano in the United States, if not the world, right now. Has that always been your goal or dream?
Honestly , that was never my goal! I have never sought the glory of the spotlight ( even though I love being in it!). But I love the opportunity to shake people up with the power of the voice – to evoke powerful emotional experiences and challenge the audience to open their hearts and minds a little deeper.
You also often conduct master classes for young singing students. What is your most important piece of advice for them ?
I encourage them to give themselves permission to be the artist they have always dreamed of being . Often it is not a matter of acquiring a specific skill (although of course the technical work of a singer never ends), but rather a matter of releasing the blocks that stand in the way of our full expression. I want them to know that they have the right (and I would argue the responsibility) to unleash their full artistic potential, without fear.
You have traveled a huge part of the world, including all the most important concert halls, singing recitals and operas. Have you noticed anything exceptional in Poland?
Leaving Poland for the second time last summer, I got the impression that it was going through a very exciting renaissance, full of energy and POSSIBILITIES ! I feel incredibly alive artistically and I find that extremely exciting !
What plans and ideas are still ahead of you? Further innovative projects, pedagogy or perhaps continuing your opera and recital stage career?
All of the above – with a bit of luck! Kevin Puts is writing a huge cycle based on Emily Dickinson’s poetry. It’s going to be an exciting project to dive into next year. But I’m looking forward to more repertoire, exploring new cultures and of course continuing to work with amazing young singers!
I saw that all the seats for the upcoming concert are already sold out! I hope that such interest heralds that this will not be your last concert in Poland.
This is my third in just over a year – so I really like this positive trend !!!!
In that case, I wish you a great concert! Thank you very much and see you soon!