_{Artist of the Week} 25 Qs for Anna-Sophie Neher

When was your first singing lesson?
I was about 17 years old and it was with a local teacher called Dominique Cimon.

What inspired you to sing?
I think I have always loved singing and music so much. Since I was a young child, it was part of my life and I was fortunate enough to have different people in my life, who at different times, encouraged me to find my voice and to pursue singing as a career.

Drink of choice?
Gin and tonic! With a good tonic and a lime.

Heels or flats?
Flats, 99% of the time. But a nice heel on a special occasion always makes me feel a little extra.

Favourite city that you’ve worked in?
Montreal! I have always thought there was something quite unique about that city, especially in the spring or summer months.

Favourite place?
In my comfy robe. It can be difficult to travel for work and be away from loved ones and from your home. I always bring my comfy robe with me and wherever I am in the world, I can feel at home in my robe and a nice bowl of pasta.

Top 3 favourite composers
Too hard to choose only 3… maybe Mozart, Poulenc and Debussy.

Top 3 favourite operas
Dialogue des Carmélites, Le Nozze di Figaro, Le Comte Ory

What’s your favourite opera house?
I sang last winter at the Palais Garnier in Paris and I have to say that the first time I stepped on that stage was pretty magical. It was not my favourite house acoustically speaking though..

 Palais Garnier Ⓒ Viator

Which opera role do you want to be singing right now?
Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro

Which opera role do you want to be singing in 10 years?
Blanche in Dialogue des Carmélites

Who is a singer you admire that is currently working?
Karina Gauvin! My mom had a CD of her when I was growing up and her voice was always so enchanting to me. Having worked with her a couple of times now, I am in awe of her passion for the art of singing, her generosity and her voice!

Who is a singer you admired from the past?
Maria Callas. When I was a teenager studying piano at the Conservatoire in my hometown, a musical theory teacher heard me sing solfège and noticed that I had a good voice. He then called me ‘La Callas’ for the rest of the year. I did not know who she was but I became obsessed with her – her persona, her distinctive voice, the drama in her whole body when she sings!

What’s the strangest thing that has happened to you on stage?
I once cut one of my finger open on a nail during a performance of Rusalka. It was not so bad, but it was bleeding a lot and I had to be on stage for another 5 minutes dancing around jumping and singing. I was one of the woodsprites. Thankfully our costumes for this production were already covered in dirt and blood so it just added a bit of reality to the show!

What’s your favourite orchestral instrument? Why?
Probably the bassoon—I always like its warmth and distinct tone.

What’s your favourite thing about singing with an orchestra?
I love singing with orchestra because it can produce so many different colors. I always feel very inspired and supported by all these beautiful sounds coming from the orchestra. It always makes me feel a little special.

What’s something most people don’t know about opera life?
IT’S HARD! Yes, we are lucky to be able to sing as a job, but for me it also comes with a lot of negative points: stress, always worrying about your voice, wondering if there is too much air conditioning in the performance space, missing special occasions with family and friends, and being alone in a hotel room or apartment in a city you don’t know anyone in. I always imagined that being a singer would be a cool way of living, but when you have a husband, a daughter, parents and friends that you love, it can be quite difficult to be far away from them.

Which role do you wish you could sing, but is not in your voice type?
I would love to be a dramatic soprano for a night and sing one of these crazy big roles that just drop everyone’s jaw to the floor, like Elektra or Salome!

Tent or Hotel?
TENT! I love camping!

What are you afraid of?
I could say snakes but if I am really honest, my biggest fear is probably failure. I know that with every failure you learn something valuable, but my brain has not integrated to this notion yet.

What is one surprising thing that you have learned in becoming an opera singer?
I have learned that being an opera singer is what I do, something that I love, but it is not who I am. It is a part of who I am of course, but it cannot be all of who I am.

What was the first opera you ever saw?
Madama Butterfly at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and I cried!

Are there more musicians in your family?
My brother is a pianist. He has accompanied me in MANY concerts over the years and I still love singing with him.

Which TV show did you binge-watch last?
“Only Murderers in the Building”

What does success look like to you?
My vision of success changed a lot on the last couple of years. I think, first of all, we have a problem with ‘success’, as a word, in our industry — success is not the same for everybody. Somehow, pressure of the industry, the universities etc., makes us believe in one specific idea of success where we sing in all major houses, travel the world, and make a lot of money. And that is success, for some people, I’m sure. I’m just not sure that is what I want.

I think to know what success looks like to you, you have to ask yourself what makes you happy. To me, success looks like a life filled with singing, but also a life surrounded by my daughter, my husband, my family; baking pies for thanksgiving with my neighbours, taking my daughter to her swimming lessons, and decorating a Christmas tree. It seems a little utopic to want to have it all, but I am excited to discover what my version of success will be.