_{Artist of the Week} 18 Qs for Nicole Leung

Drink of choice?
Diet Coke!

Heels or flats?
Adidas sneakers for everyday wear, but heels for performance.

What opera role do you want to be singing right now?
I would love to do a Gilda, Juliette, or Susanna.

What opera role do you want to be singing in 10 years?
Manon.

Who is a singer you admire that is currently working?
Lisette Oropesa, 100%. This past summer, I was fortunate enough to attend the Banff Centre and had the privilege of working one-on-one with Lisette. Not only is she a beautifully committed artist on stages internationally, but she is also such a down-to-earth, humble, and altruistic human being.

Which role do you wish you could sing, but is not in your voice type?
Cavaradossi in Tosca. “E lucevan le stelle” slaps every time.

What are you afraid of?
Anyone who knows me knows that I am terrified of birds.

Coffee or tea?
Coffee with a little cream and a little sugar.

What’s your ancestry?
I’m proudly Chinese Canadian. My father was born in Guangzhou, China, and my mother in Vancouver. In fact, on my mother’s side, my families’ roots in Canada go as far as the early 1900s with my great grandfather coming to Canada as a head tax payer.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Diet coke with a bag of ketchup chips, watching some real estate reality show on Netflix.

Where did you go to school?
I completed my undergraduate degree at New England Conservatory in Boston and then completed my Masters of Music and Masters of Musical Arts at the Yale School of Music.

What/who inspired you to sing?
Growing up, I was lucky to have three incredible mentors and teachers who encouraged and inspired me to pursue singing.

The first was my private voice teacher, Galina Lukomsky, who taught me the foundations of singing and helped me both literally and figuratively find my voice.

The second teacher I was blessed with was Lynn Janes, who was the head of music at Havergal College in Toronto when I was a student there. Prior to working with her, I didn’t know one could major in music, but in addition to educating me on this, she really encouraged me to pursue this career and has flown out to see me perform numerous times to this day.

Finally, I owe thanks to my strings teacher, Paul McCulloch. Before becoming an opera singer, I played violin for 14 years and was in the school orchestra. Mr. McCulloch deepened my love for music overall and even gave me opportunities to sing with the school orchestra early on in high school.

All of these individuals were pivotal in me inspiring to become a singer.

The music industry is tough and filled with rejection. How do you cope? Does it get easier?
Rejection has definitely become more and more impersonal over time, but I’ve certainly had my fair share of it and foresee more to come. However, I’m able to cope with it because I’ve been so blessed with a family that supports me unconditionally and will show up for me at any moment, at any hour. My incredible partner, Tayte Mitchell, is also both an opera director and tenor. Having him in my corner always makes me feel very heard and empathized with, especially during times of rejection and hardship. I feel so grateful for all of them!

Which of your roles has had the greatest impact on your perspective?
Adina from L’elisir d’amore has had the most profound impact on my perspective so far because I’ve had the opportunity to sing this role at various stages of my life. I first performed Adina as a student at Yale, later covered her as a Manetti Shrem Vocal Fellow with Festival Napa Valley, and then sang the role professionally with Calgary Opera and most recently with Toronto City Opera. While the music itself hasn’t changed, my approach to the role—vocally, mentally, and emotionally—has evolved, reflecting the different life stages and experiences I’ve had and then brought to each performance.

What’s your favourite movie?
Any of the Rush Hour films.

Do you think singers and performers have a more powerful inner life?
I think so. In a career that’s so up and down and often apart from loved ones, I find myself often doing a lot of self-reflection and re-evaluation of things that matter to me and that I prioritize. Luckily, singing is a great outlet for all of this introspection.

Do you sing in the shower?
Yes, I love a good steam and believe multitasking is productivity!

Does singing help keep you young?
Not sure about young but most definitely healthy. In order to be in tip top vocal health, I need lots of sleep (ideally 9-10 hours), exercise, and to eat balanced meals.