Last week, for the first time EVER an ITALIAN WOMAN conducted an opera at the famous and one of the most desirable places to perform - LA SCALA - MILANO - ITALY!
SPERANZA SCAPPUCCI is L’ITALIANA ALLA SCALA!
I was super lucky to work with the incredible maestra in Liège, Belgium at the Opera Royal de Wallonie as part of our production of La sonnambula. Unfortunately, due to Covid it was canceled the night before our premiere after a month of rehearsals!!
Speranza is an amazing conductor. She is a pianist and a vocal coach as well, which makes her conducting a DREAM COME TRUE for the singer on stage. She breathes with you, she feels every vowel, every coloratura, every single phrase - singing with her is a gentle soul dance - voice and orchestra are one - in complete tune.
On top of that she is an incredibly kind woman. When our production was canceled she made sure that everyone in the cast had a way to get back home (since so many flights were canceled at the very beginning of Covid) and that we get paid.
So I ask myself… How come she got to conduct at La scala only now?? Why haven’t they hired her amazingness sooner?
And here is what I figured out as I was walking with my baby girl - meditating while putting her to sleep:
It takes baby steps to grow.
They say that if you want to get to Carnegie Hall you have to practice, practice, practice. It suddenly hit me. If I want to get as a singer to LA SCALA I have to perform, perform, perform! Perform EVERYWHERE - in small houses and big houses, tiny roles and main roles - I have to get my feet wet and practice performing everywhere under any circumstances. Develop my confidence and get as much experience on stage as possible (singing with many colleagues, conductors, directors…), so my nerves could take it and I could be CALM when I get to that prestigious stage.
This is what happened to Speranza - she took baby steps and grew as an artist, with tons of experience in many many theaters with different orchestras, and singers from all around the world in different stages of their career, working with different artistic directors, being an assistant conductor and a vocal coach for years - building her confidence and her way to the big stages where she could finally SHINE CALMLY and HAPPILY with tons of experience.
I am so EXCITED and HAPPY for you maestra! Your story brings hope and confidence to me and to so many artists out there - to trust yourself, take baby steps, practice, perform, and shine your light to the world in a growing crescendo:))
Mantra for today: BABY STEPS ALL THE WAY UP THE LADDER!
