Ravinia 2024 Issue 3

“ Steans gave me the opportunity to come fully into myself. I got to sing all this beautiful, lush repertoire. ” You had already made your Met debut when you came to study at Ravinia’s Steans Institute. Why was the Steans experience important to you? I always wanted to go to Steans. I always secretly loved recitals and chamber mu- sic, and that is the career I have now. But as an opera singer in training, you can’t really say that. Very few people who sing my repertoire also love chamber music. Steans gave me the opportunity to come fully into myself. I got to sing all this beautiful, lush repertoire, and not focus on opera. I loved this so much. I have always wanted to come back. You have championed contemporary music throughout your career. How did this specialty emerge? I felt most of the artists who were doing this kind of work didn’t look like me or have a voice like mine. Very few big-voiced singers or African American singers were getting these opportunities. Contemporary music was always in my recitals. I would call friends in voice departments and say “hey, I’ll come for two dollars and do a recital and a masterclass” so I could build my skill set. In the same way, I would commis- sion people. I’d call a composer with an Karen Slack performing in Bennett Gordon Hall as a Program for Singers fellow at Ravinia Steans Music Institute in 2008 RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JULY 22 – AUGUST 4, 2024 10 KIACALDWELL(PORTRAIT);PATRICKGIPSON/RAVINIA(STEANS)