Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato: "Career is a very demanding lover"

Elle Poland

World-famous mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in Warsaw! On September 2, the American classical music star will perform at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio in the capital. The concert inaugurates the 12th Baroque Opera Festival organized by the Warsaw Chamber Opera, which will last from September 2 to November 30, 2024. We talk to Joyce about her demanding career path, her best roles, and working with prisoners from Sing Sing.

How do you prepare for new opera roles? What are your rituals before going on stage?

Before I go on stage on the opening night of any new role, I need to feel like I am in the heart and soul of the character. I need to have a deep understanding of why everything I am about to sing MUST be sung. If I can’t find a reason why something needs to be sung, then I am not ready! Without that level of clarity, I don’t think the audience can fully immerse themselves in the fantasy and be transported to another world. I need a good night’s sleep, and then I am ready. My only real ritual is to basically have NO ritual, because with my frequent travel and unpredictable life, I don’t want any disruption to affect my readiness and peace of mind.

Is there a role that you particularly love and always return to with joy?

I loved singing the role of the Roman Empress Agrippina in Handel’s opera because she was so powerful and completely ruthless, which made her such a joy to play. But the privilege of singing the role of Sister Helen Prejean in “Dead Man Walking,” telling a story of true, pure love all night long, was perhaps my greatest joy.

You have collaborated with many conductors and directors. Are there any people with whom you found collaboration particularly inspiring?

I feel that my musical soulmate is Yannick Nézet-Séguin, as we have performed together for over 15 years and it is as if we read each other’s minds. We share the priority of never taking any note for granted, and always striving to move the audience through engagement and a passionate desire to bring the transformative power of music to the world. Another life-changing collaboration is with the men of Sing Sing maximum security prison. I have worked with them for almost 10 years as part of the groundbreaking Carnegie Hall program, and they have taught me a tremendous amount about how to use music for expression and healing.

What is your opinion on the future of opera? Do you think this art form has a future in the age of digitalization and changing audience tastes?

Of course, opera has been “dying” for 400 years, but the human spirit needs something as profound and challenging as opera to stimulate true growth and awareness of all our human struggles, and to inspire us in what we can create and achieve. It is, in my opinion, rightly considered the greatest art form—simply because it encompasses all others—and one that our souls seek for solace and inspiration. The challenge is to overcome the crisis in arts education that is destroying the creative consciousness and imagination of young people. I cry for the countless children who do not have the chance to express all that they are. This must change.

What challenges have you encountered throughout your career, especially as a woman in the world of opera?

The biggest challenge is the lifestyle of being constantly on the road, rarely being truly home. I planted flowers but rarely saw them bloom. I missed birthdays and anniversaries, and when a friend needed a hand, I rarely got to just drop in with a bottle of wine and help them do their laundry. This career is a demanding lover, and while the rewards are immense and the privilege overwhelming… the demands for perfection, availability, and schedule are not for the faint of heart!

Are there any other fields of art that inspire you as an artist?

I have a huge passion for photography! It has balanced my senses in a surprising way, because I can sit for hours in silence, using only my eyes to immerse myself in an image, a subject, a face, a flower. It is an absolutely huge source of creative inspiration for me and a real renewal of creativity! I also really enjoy painting, but I am an absolute amateur – which is the best kind of freedom!