Opera singers often have to juggle the demands of their families and the production.
Constant demands require a balanced approach
Babies are demanding for anyone but for opera singers it can be especially hectic. Performers have the constant pressure of audiences’ expectations while working far from home and their little ones.
Mezzo-soprano Stacey Rishoi and tenor William Joyner who are performing in Calgary Opera’s Aida are both in-demand opera singers with families. Rishoi plays Egyptian princess Amneris who with her father enslaves Aida an Ethiopian princess. Both women love Egyptian commander Radames portrayed by Joyner who is very aware of the father-daughter relationships in this and other Giuseppe Verdi operas.
“As the father of two daughters it is amazing the growth I have been privileged to undergo” Joyner says. “It has made my life as a performer both better and harder. It’s happier and it’s bittersweet.”
But he says that love for the opera comes with a price tag.
“When I miss a birthday or a holiday or an awards ceremony I ache. There is a huge empty space in my heart and soul.”
During his wife’s first pregnancy Joyner had his agent clear his calendar for four months. Both he and Rishoi say it’s imperative that singers’ agents and managers respect the importance of such time.
Joyner’s wife a full-time mom and part-time bassoonist and his daughters accompanied him to various locations to play some of the 550 performances in his 26-year career. Joyner’s daughters at only 13 and 15 already have memories of Rome the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel and say their favourite trips were to Venice Rome and Vienna. Now his daughters’ dedication to their school and extracurricular activities keep them at home in Connecticut.
Rishoi recalls the challenges when she chose to sing during pregnancy. Her husband is also an opera singer.
“You’re carrying around some weight and you have no room for the diaphragm to go down like it is supposed to” she explains.
“It was a big challenge but it improved my technique because during pregnancy you are definitely at a disadvantage when you are carrying around that much near your breathing mechanism. But you make it work.”
Calgary audiences witnessed her “making it work” when at seven months pregnant she made her debut in the role of the composer — a trouser part/male role — in Ariadne auf Naxos.
Rishoi says her life was already hectic and chaotic and the baby just added another layer. “I enjoy what I do so much more now that we have a child” she says.
But she adds that lugging around five huge suitcases two carry-on bags and the diaper bag is not easy.
“Packing has always been difficult” she says. “Finding a balance between work life and family life is the hardest thing whether you are a ditch digger or a lawyer or an opera singer.”
