Tashkent, Uzbekistan (but I moved to San Francisco when I was 1!)

I would have to say one that has stayed with me is a recording of Bellini's "I Puritani" with the incomparable Luciano Pavarotti and Richard Bonynge conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. Specifically Arturo's aria "A te, o cara". It is one of the few recordings I have heard in my life where the human voice seems to reach out beyond the confines of digital conversion. I heard this as a young singer and I was immediately hooked on this kind of sound. Take a listen, and listen for the moment when Pavarotti holds his high C# at about 2:46...you might even hear some of the upper partials!

"Find a way to enjoy the process, no matter what!"

I participated in the Tanglewood Institute when I was 17 and after hearing Yo-Yo Ma debut Golijov's cello concerto "Azul", I knew I had to pursue music.

After finishing up a season working as a singer young artist, Heather Mathews invited me to assistant direct "Mansfield Park" at SFCM. I fell in love with directing and have cherished my time working with my wonderful colleagues here at SFCM.

I would be a basketball coach (I hope to still coach someday!)

Read, Watch, Study, and Rest!

Shostakovich, Mozart, Sondheim

While it was not necessarily a pleasant time for Leningrad (St. Petersburg), the Leningrad premiere of Shostakovich's 7th symphony in 1942. With the city surrounded by the Nazi army, musicians gathered from all corners of the city and joined forces to play this symphony and uplift the people in that terrible time.

After the pandemic we can all see that live music is something to be treasured. It is a space where people can come and practice empathy. They can listen to the music and jointly share a singular moment with the rest of the audience and performers. As a matter of health, we need these vibrations!