Fatma Said lands in NYC

Photo by James Bort © Warner Classics

In the last few years, 360° of Opera has had the pleasure of witnessing Egyptian soprano Fatma Said’s meteoric rise as she thrills audiences in the world’s greatest concert halls and opera houses. Fatma Said is not afraid of crossing over a variety of genres and creating her signature path along the way, one that is true to her artistic identity and goals. 360° of Opera is thrilled to attend the artist’s Carnegie Hall debut on April 4, 2023. Said performs alongside celebrated Spanish guitarist Rafael Aguirre in a unique program that features Spanish and Middle Eastern songs, including some rarely heard but deeply moving selections by poet Federico García Lorca.

1. You are making your Carnegie Hall debut on April 4, with an intimate program accompanied by Rafael Aguirre on the guitar. Can you tell us some details about the curation of this program and your collaboration with Rafael?

I’ve worked with Rafael for the first time while recording my first album “El Nour” and totally admired his musicality and sensitivity while performing together. The program we’ve chosen for the concert is inspired by both our backgrounds: the Spanish and the Arabic world, and how much in common both worlds have. At the end of the day, a big part of what Spain is today was initially founded by the Arabs when they immigrated there. So, musical connections between both worlds cannot be denied.

2. What do you enjoy most about performing with guitar versus piano or orchestra?

The guitar is completely different than being accompanied by the piano. I feel that I even change my singing approach as I need to adapt to the different sound support that I receive from an intimate and delicate sound like the guitar. It feels personal, yet very atmospheric and nostalgic.

Fatma Said by Josef Fischnaller / Warner Classics, Rafael Aguirre by Liz Isles / European Music Foundation

3. What does this debut in NYC mean to you? You are taking this program to Boston and Tucson as well, is this your first tour in the USA?

It’s not my first time to perform in the US. My debut there was with the Boston Symphony and Andris Nelsons when I was part of a beautiful concert performance of Suor Angelica. Last year I performed with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra which has been a delightful experience. However, this trip would mark my first tour in the United States. Performing in New York, especially in Carnegie Hall, is in fact a dream. I remember being a little girl seeing pictures of Carnegie Hall for the first time and being told how this is the most prestigious concert hall in America. Performing there today, feels like a dream come true after so many years and so much hard work.

4. Your discography includes two successful and unique solo albums, “El Nour” and “Kaleidoscope”, which have taken you around the world. What are some of your most cherished experiences from these two projects? Is there a third album in the works? If so, can you share anything about it with us?

Both albums have a special place in my heart, each one in a very different way as they’re two completely different albums with two very unique concepts. El Nour -my first album was a very personal and intimate album - it was my debut album so I felt I owed it to the audience that would hear me to show my truest self. I feel that it strongly reflected my vocal affinity with the repertoire I chose, which is close to my heart.

As for Kaleidoscope, I was so glad to combine two of my biggest passions together, singing and dancing. I didn’t grow up in a home that listened much to classical music. My inspirations growing up were Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. That meant that my taste was very varied and flexible and so was the way I sing. I was so happy to show completely different colors and facets of my voice on this album along with opera arias.

5. With your artistic output so far, you have been beautifully introducing new audiences to classical music in an engaging and refreshing way, which includes mixing in traditional Egyptian, Middle-Eastern and Spanish folk songs with more standard classics. What have been some surprises the impact of your work has gifted you along the way? What do you hope to achieve as an artist looking forward?

I hope to be able to reach a bigger audience than just the classical music audience. I also hope to always be able to introduce my audience with new things by being creative, by re-visiting what I’ve done before and figuring out how I can come up with new concepts, ideas and collaborations that can be an addition to the world of music and art.

6. This summer you will be a part of a World Premiere opera by George Benjamin, “Picture a day like this” at Festival d’Aix en Provence. Can you tell us more about your involvement in this project and your relationship to contemporary music works?

I am very excited to be performing in Aix en Provence this summer. My last contemporary music experience was performing in Battistelli’s opera “CO2” based on Al Gore’s “An inconvenient truth”, a world premiere that took place during the expo in Milan at Teatro alla Scala. That was a very unique experience.

When I was offered this project of “Picture a day like this” I felt that it would be crazy not to go for it. There is an amazing cast involved, George Benjamin is a great composer who really puts so much effort into getting to know the vocality of the singer that he’s writing for. I trust him and I can’t wait to bring his music to life.

Photo by James Bort © Warner Classics

-interview by Eugenia Forteza