“We are showcasing the beauty of imperfection.” - Nadine Sierra

Living the Classical Life: Episode 57
Nadine Sierra is the youngest winner of both the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 2010 she took home first prizes at the George London Competition, Gerda Lissner Foundation International Competition, and Loren L. Zachary Society Vocal Competition. On the concert stage, she has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Opéra national de Paris, La Fenice, the Ravinia Festival, Chorégies d'Orange, and Tanglewood among others. In this episode, Nadine and Zsolt chat about not being overwhelmed by past heroes, accepting the possibility of failure, and the importance of belonging.

[@Giselle0519]

Nadine is a master at being human--what a lovely woman she has become.

[@sergioromau9590]

Indeed!

[@ggrobbins9353]

Nadine. What can we even say. You are just wonderful in all ways.

[@mauricioszwerdszarf1455]

Now after hearing her being more wise than many adults, I love her so much more. Now I will enjoy her more.

[@Matihuelas]

Nadine is great and we all love her, of course, but this guy should be giving one of those masterclasses they advertise on youtube, about the art of interviewing. He really nails it.

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

Thanks for watching, and for your kind words, Matihuelas!

[@BellaFirenze]

Zsolt Bognár is a wonderful interviewer and great pianist. He is also very handsome. Brava Nadine Sierra! Greetings from Florence, Italy.

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

We agree! Thanks for watching, InBoccaChiusa!

[@kyongkim1957]

I'm 61 .I found music since 3 years..I fell in love her more and more.I really enjoy spending time music..she is a healer.👏👏👏

[@paulrowan1501]

An excellent interview! Nadine impresses me as an incredibly well-grounded and insightful artist whose personal observations can be life lessons for anyone, frankly. She's fortunate since many who undergo intense parental criticism don't come through it as well, but there is also the "love" aspect of tough love to consider. She's modest about her appearance at La Scala- she sang the duet "Si, vendetta" with Leo Nucci , a veteran performer, and an encore demanded by the audience broke a moratorium on encores in that house that had been established in Toscanini's time! Brava, Nadine! Enjoy a rewarding and fruitful career. And thanks, Zsolt, for such a well crafted interview.

[@C-Mantradevi-Kircher]

Very well said, thank you!

[@caitlinturner2606]

She’s so graceful in personality and talent. So fabulous.

[@sergioromau9590]

I recently saw Nadine’s performance in Berlin Unter den Linden playing Gilda in Rigoleto , I was flabbergasted with her vocal ability to interpret this role, not only was she magnificent as always is, but also breathtaking, her interpretation gave me goosebumps of enchantment and emotion, I discovered her singing in NYC Metropolitan opera playing Violeta in la Traviata last October and I cant get enough of her that I already booked tickets to see her again in Bilbao in October playing Juliette and in January in Paris Bastille in La Traviata again😮, I’m so fond of her that I can’t allow myself to miss one of her performances, I just love her. Bravo Nadine

[@nkesin]

What a beautiful and intelligent young woman! And she sings beautifully as well :-)

[@terezamarshall4961]

Thank you! It is so important to hear all these artists.. Very inspirational..

[@frenchcathedrals]

What a beautiful and uplifting interview! Thank you!

[@porkscratchings5428]

Wonderful voice and such grace. Great achievement. Has my seal of approval as my hearing senses come alive with Nadine’s vice. Just watched in Lucia at The Met and omg, her and Javier are beautiful together.

[@mimsnshine]

Yes the Lucia performance was quite moving especially the closeup filming of her dreaming of the better life she wanted with Edgardo, it was a real tear jerker.

[@antonsavin72]

There's something to learn from her. Harmonious and holistic person. Very interesting interview!

[@artdanks]

Dear Ms. Sierra...You have a wonderful outlook on you art, and on life in general! As a long time "Callas fan", I am thrilled to now also be a "Nadine Sierra fan"!

[@carolwilliams1197]

What a beautiful, grounded and uplifting interview. I wish you a long and prosperous life. Thank you for sharing.

[@paulinaluc]

Thank you to share this wonderful conversation! 😍

[@artdanks]

Fantastic interview, with a fantastic singer and all around wonderful human being! Thank you sooo much for this, Peter Hobbs! I will definitely be following this career and expect a great future for her.

[@robsmith2523]

Praised for her vocal beauty, seamless technique, and abundant musicality, Nadine Sierra is being hailed as one of the most promising, young talents in opera today. She was named the Richard Tucker Award Winner in 2017 and was awarded the 2018 Beverly Sills Artist Award by the Metropolitan Opera. Having made a string of successful debuts at the Met, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra national de Paris, and Staatsoper Berlin, she has become a fixture at many of the top houses around the world. On August 24th, 2018, her debut album, There’s a Place for Us, was released under the Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Music labels.

[@azarius001]

Stunning voice! And such a lovely sense of herself. She is so authentic!

[@leonardevans8691]

I so enjoyed this interview. Her intelligence is one of her attractive qualities. She's a breath of fresh air. She's also open to learning anx she doesn't fear. Her feeling and desire to enjoy her singing is a great attitude......

[@ynoelmorata1447]

You are such an inspiration Nadine! Thank you!

[@philpritchard5173]

Wonderful interview. One of the best by 'any' performer I have seen. A joy to watch in performance and this explains why. What dedication. Thank you Ms Sierra. We are .... 'showcasing the beauty of imperfection...'...amazing.

[@OriginalTsipoura]

Wow!! so young, so down to earth and so talented!!! Excellent interview!!

[@PeterHobbs]

Thanks for watching, OriginalTsipoura!

[@OriginalTsipoura]

@@PeterHobbs thank you for giving us that pleasure!!!! Love from Greece!

[@paulaespin-piano2150]

Really impressive how healthy and positive her way of thinking about music and life is! Wonderful interview as always 😊

[@joemcbob9688]

I love Nadine! Great interview!

[@daniellicristina8029]

I just love this woman, her voice is amazing, stunning! She is such an inspiration. This interview helped me a lot in my own process of developing my voice technique. Thank u so much!

[@NerissaDeJuanSoprano]

Great artist and a great interview!

[@TheMegawinter]

Humanly and vocally an exceptional phenomenon, you have to admire and love this woman.

[@ClaralizMora]

Great great interview!

[@denise2169]

´Embracing the beauty of imperfection’ and being grounded - the most important wisdoms in being a real human being and artist! It is so wonderful that your self-confidence is not solely based on your successes and failures. Brava, Nadine! You were so lucky to have Marilyn Horn’s inspiration! Such an excellent interview, Zsolt. You have an amazing talent, and I hope that you are learning to live your life, not by what others think (I often get this impression about you), but by what makes you happy inside. You have a lot to offer!

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

Thanks for watching, and for your kind words, Denise!

[@alannareid7419]

So interesting and inspiring. Great questions, and Nadine so natural and delightful. Much to ponder here.

[@kiaraeijo]

This was a great interview! She’s an inspiration to all young musicians!

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Kiara Eijo!

[@JussiTTvanVickTheOperaAddict]

Great that she mentioned and is inspired by Mariella Devia -- and I'm sure many other great singers of the recent past.

[@moeshemp]

What a great role model!!

[@MM-111]

No words...Just...Breathtaking ! 💎🌹

[@danielafally]

And again Nadine: an absolutely fascinating interview! Thanks for being yourself, grounded, honest and so incredibly intelligent! May God bless you all your life - if singer or not ;) - your mindset is just perfect (because of the imperfection it allows) and breathtaking! An old and wise soul is speaking here! All the best, Daniela ( and really great great questions too, not superficial, into the substance of a performing artist and their challenges!)

[@Selcuk.Aytimur]

I feel myself very lucky finding Nadine singing Rigoletto. I love her. She is not just a talented singer she is an extraordinary person

[@kurilladesign]

very nice. That's why you look so free singing!!! stress free breathing etc Sharing your joy in singing

[@SousDine]

Following from this interview on KZbin, I have an "extreme comment" about Nadine. After my wife and I watched her sing Violeta last Saturday, we both thought she was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!! She sings like an angel and her acting is 100% convincing. Also, it helps a lot that she is young and very lovely 🙂

[@rufinoruiz3308]

Qué gran entrevista. Maravillosa señora. Inteligente y encantador él también.

[@gruatremi]

I feel I lost much of these series of great interviews!

[@beatrizdieguez]

wow wow.. really outstanding way of understanding life an art.. so interesting ideas for the young artists.. and for everybody to learn!.. bravo

[@AlainWashnevsky]

Wonderful interview. Refreshing and inspiring in many ways. Thank you

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

Thanks for telling us, Alain Washnevsky. We appreciate it!

[@BYoonique]

Cool series!

[@celi51120]

Beautiful, beautiful human being, Nadine... Inside and outside. Sending you all my love from Romania. ❤

[@071949]

I enjoyed this! Nadine has a very engaging personality. I found her comments on You Tube trolls to be interesting: I have watched a number of Yuja Wang's videos and notice there is a certain person who has left harshly negative comments on several of them. Like Nadine I wonder why someone continues to watch videos by artists they don't like. (BTW, Zsolt, you are an excellent interviewer, you allow us to really get to know your guests "up close and personal.")

[@KonradJFalke]

Very intelligent and both are supercharming! 💕

[@joseluisbautistagarcia4438]

Amazing when singing and simply an amazing woman.

[@la_princesse_des_beauxarts]

Omg LUCIA!!! Love

[@ericacepeda2106]

Wonderful!!!!

[@JyheS783]

Waowww. Such a beautiful human being ! 🙂

[@mrslovett7]

This is so refreshing and beautiful. Love her!

[@mrslovett7]

Thank you for doing this series!

[@jeremycouplan3526]

What a gifted young lady, who sings like a bird, brava

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

Thanks for watching, Jeremy Couplan!

[@overpriscy]

Wow I love you Nadine

[@republiccooper]

Third time listening to this and it makes so much sense.

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

And I thought only our editor watched it that many times!

[@republiccooper]

@@LivingtheClassicalLife as an amateur classical musician, these conversations are really valuable for me. I look at them over and over.

[@LivingtheClassicalLife]

@@republiccooper We're very happy to hear it, republiccooper!

[@mauricioszwerdszarf1455]

I saw you in Idomeneo and I think you are fabulous.

[@judahis1]

I have just discovered your singing (and acting!) on KZbin and find refreshing your obvious joy in singing, and congratulate you on your expressed attitude in this video on how you react to your audience and how you evaluate your self-worth in your singing. One comment I would make: In the pop culture of today's singing, I am always amazed at the neglect of the composer as opposed to the NAME of the "diva" (what is the male name?) singing the song. Trained as a classical violinist and immersed in opera since a young child, I find it deplorable when the song is attributed to the singer and not the composer. Of course, this is not yet the case in opera, and probably never will be. So, maybe you have already thought of this, but maybe not, in the sense that should you not also be extremely mindful of "pleasing" the composer as well as the audience and even yourself? My violin teacher played in the Toscanini NBC symphony, was concertmaster at Radio City Music Hall, etc and one comment he made to me was so powerful, it became a foundation of my approach to playing: "Every note of Bach is a jewel. Play it that way." Also, many decades ago, my high school class attended a dress rehearsal of Beethoven's Fifth with the Boston Symphony, Eric Leinsdorf conducting. When I asked him to autograph my copy of the score, he looked at it and said, "Beethoven on the front, Leinsdorf on the back" and he signed his name on the back! Have you heard of Julia Lezhneva? She has mastered the coloratura style technique to an astounding degree. Also, after being a Callas afficionado for decades, I discovered in the last few years, Leyla Gencer, an amazing voice who, in my perhaps unhumble opinion, is in a class similar to Callas.She sang in the era of Callas and seemed to not get enough attention (having a not good enough agent?) If you do not know her, you might want to. Her recordings are becoming more and more available on KZbin. I look forward to following your career.

[@chikatakeuchi3815]

May I ask the name of the interviewer? He has done the best interview ever! Thank you for asking Nadine such deep meaningful questions! V good questions..indeed.

[@AmyAmy-er8bp]

Such beautiful, big eyes! I always had hard time with my eyes, people constantly think I am staring at them. Anyways, great vocalist!

[@robsmith2523]

Nadine Sierra needs to be singing at the Kennedy Center!!!!

[@cometxcometx]

Nadine is simply the most talented opera performer singing today. She is the Callas of my generation.

[@paragod333]

Must we bring Callas into this. Had Callas the brains and self awareness of Sierra, she would have sung much, much longer...and better.

[@ROBINdulce]

Esta es una entrevista muy diferente a otras en las que Nadine aborda el tema de los inmigrantes. Es fascinante su enfoque al desempeño como artista sin estarse comparando con nadie; el núcleo del argumento es la alegría de cantar y del poder de la música para sanar de las presiones cotidianas; aceptar las imperfecciones humanas; y en este mundo de las redes sociales, diferenciar las críticas profesionales de los ataques rabiosos y mal intencionados. En verdad Zsolt Bognár es un gran entrevistador: suele lograr una verdadera empatía y apertura que enriquece el disfrute de la música por parte de nosotros los ciber-nautas.

[@henryheights3968]

Dazzling. If only we could distill what she has and inject it into everyone.

[@al3jandroart]

🌺

[@michaelrollo6518]

Nadine did you ever hear of Helene Grimalude she is a pianist who saves wolves and she lives in Talahassi Florida

[@MrSkylark1]

LISTEN TO MADO ROBIN, LILY PONS and ADA SARI for Coloratura

[@joemcbob9688]

19:00 Trolls, might want to check this out...

[@miguelfontesmeira]

Beethoven Concerto 1!

[@liedersanger1]

“Theres nothing I can plan for...” Obviously she hasn’t yet had a vocal crisis.... Still, a lovely interview.

[@millerfour2071]

28:25, 31:57

[@judahis1]

Why did you not mention Bellini? Have you not done Bellini yet? If not, PLEASE do Bellini!!

[@republiccooper]

I have one critique/criticism/question. Why use that music for this programme? I mean please elaborate on the choice and is meaning for this series.

[@republiccooper]

@@LivingtheClassicalLife That's something I often ponder. It cannot be defined definitively. But if you really want a definition, classical music is a misnomer term generally used to describe a collective of music from Europe that falls into 5 periods: Renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and impressionistic OR music that is rooted in any/reflects those geographic and temporal periods. Largely it is scored music performed on traditional western European instruments.

[@republiccooper]

@@LivingtheClassicalLife nope. There are many modern classical composers. That's why I made sure to say that music that is oriented towards those European periods and those instruments is also classical. John Williams, Hisato Ohzawa, and Hisaishi, and all those composers that Hilary Hahn did on her encores CD, like Antón García Abril are also classical composers. But we must always remember that these are just convenient labels that will never fit 100%. But all classical composers will one day be no more and their music will live on in the written score.

[@republiccooper]

@@LivingtheClassicalLife Well, not only is the line artificial but it also serves no purpose.

[@republiccooper]

@@LivingtheClassicalLife Why do we need to draw a line or wall of separation? It's a bit Trumpian, is it not? 😋

[@panayiotafrantzi5166]

Who is the soprano Ms Sierra mentions in 29:52? Could anyone spell the name for me, please?

[@thomasdula8749]

The name is Mariella Devia.

[@panayiotafrantzi5166]

@@thomasdula8749 Thank you very much!

[@thomasdula8749]

@@panayiotafrantzi5166 You are welcome. I am happy to help.

[@SarahFearnley958]

With pitch correct and auto tune and now AI, we are losing the human in music. The beauty of imperfection is important.

[@LolkeDijkstra]

I'm absolutely astonished by the wisdom being shared throughout this video. Truly amazing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.