Role of Anna Sørenson in Silent night, composer: Kevin Puts

The role of Anna is the only female role in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night. This opera tells the story of the Christmas truce during WWI, between Scottish, French, and German troops. Anna is an opera singer and the lover of Nikolaus, who is conscripted to war. Over the course of the opera, she arranges a plot to see Nikolaus and come with him to the trenches. Their story ends being taken as prisoners of war by the French army rather than being separated again. The process of learning this role spanned five to six months. I spent many hours on my own learning the music, practicing it, memorizing it, and translating the entire score. In addition to musical research, I also spent a considerable amount of time learning about the war, the history and the real stories of people involved. Working with coaches to learn this role and fine-tune my German, French and Latin diction was also part of my preparation. My time spent in German language courses became very useful for the rhythmically shifting, recitative-like sections of this opera which demand a strong command of the language to sound similar to speech. The bulk of the practical performance preparation for this opera was spent in staging rehearsals with director, Nancy Hermiston. We worked together on the characterization of this strong minded, thoughtful, and passionate character. I worked with Maestro Robert Wood to perfect musical details, particularly in mastering the intricate harmonies in Anna’s second aria. My performance in this production was the direct result of my countless hours of preparation and rehearsal.Music, School ofGraduat