Name: Maria Massucco
Year: Sophomore (2nd of 5 years)
Major: Dual Degree in vocal performance/opera and Weinberg – Comp. Lit. with Italian Literature
Hometown: Moravian Falls, NC
Q: How did you first get involved in opera and classical singing in general?
Maria: I started singing in choirs at a really early age and always loved doing theater.
The music director of a show I was in doubled as a voice teacher, and I ended up taking lessons with her starting my freshman year of high school. When she gave me my first song assignments (some Mozart and Schubert) I fell hopelessly in love! I studied with her until I transferred to the North Carolina School of the Arts for my senior year, which pretty much solidified my focus on classical music and opera.
Q: What has been your experience so far with opera at Northwestern?
Maria: Well as soon as I arrived as a freshman I auditioned for the opera chorus for the winter production and got in, so the following February I was on stage in my first opera, a fabulous Art Deco style staging of Richard Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. (My costume was so gorgeous; I actually stole the earrings and still wear them all the time!) I’ve attended all the other opera productions and scenes performances Northwestern has presented since I’ve been here and I am constantly impressed. We have an incredibly brilliant and creative opera director and a real knack for working on a budget.
Q:What’s your favorite part about singing?
Maria: I grew up an athlete in a family full of athletes. Singing is so rewarding to me because, when done passionately, it involves the entire body and mind – a kind of combination between the thrill of athletics and the satisfaction of deep thought. I feel a surreal, intense amount of energy. Also, I love the communicative aspect since I’ve always had a deep love of story telling.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the show you’re in now? How would you describe your character?
Maria: That’s tricky because the opera is cast based on voice type rather than specific roles. It’s a very modern concept, using the voice more as a chamber music instrument. So I’m cast as the only mezzo-soprano in John Musto’s Bastianello, which means I sing the part of Amadora, a bride on her wedding day who’s shining moment occurs when she drunkenly sings about the pathetic-ness of life. And later I sing Eustacia, the rather stupid and incredibly pious mother of another bride, whose self-righteous preaching is absolutely hysterical.
Q: Performing a leading role in a Northwestern opera as an undergraduate is a big deal, but it comes with a new set of challenges. How have you handled dealing with your rehearsal schedule on top of all of your undergraduate academic commitments?
Maria: My guess would be that all Northwestern kids probably know what it’s like to overcommit themselves, to spread themselves too thin and whatnot. I am definitely prone to do that way too often. Luckily my voice teacher intervened this term and made me drop a few classes to just guarantee that I wouldn’t lose focus, since the opera is top priority. It’s actually working out really nicely: I sing an average of three to five hours a day, work two jobs, and take 5.5 credits so I feel fulfilled but not overloaded, because everything I need to do has its time. I definitely think it’s easier to handle a busy schedule when it’s full of the things you love.
Q: What else are you involved in on campus?
Maria: I am in the University’s premier Renaissance a cappella group and I love it! Also, though its not really a group or a club, I absolutely love attending the productions put on by theater, dance, a cappella and other performance groups on campus. I also do an occasional service trip with the campus’s Habitat for Humanity.
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years? In 10?
Maria: In five years I hope to be involved in either a graduate program for vocal performance or a Young Artist’s program through an opera company. A little more unorthodox is my dream of making collaborative connections with composers of our generation and working with them on premier recordings and recitals of their original works. In 10 years I’ll be 29, which, believe it or not, means my voice still won’t be fully matured! So, in a perfect world, I would be singing roles such as Charlotte in Werther or Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte in smaller houses, getting comfortable with them in hopes of taking them into the world’s more prestigious venues. And maybe in 20 years I’ll be singing Carmen at the Met! Hey, a girl can dream…