Making Waves in Opera and Beyond: Emilie Kealani on her Multi-Cultural 'Kapwa' Concert
On November 15, 2024, Curtis Institute of Music will present 'Kapwa,' a multi-disciplinary concert program featuring works by Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander composers and artists. The event is spearheaded by Emilie Kealani, a soprano currently in the last year of her Master's program at the school. The last few seasons have seen Kealani appear in productions with the Glimmerglass Festival, as well as engagements with companies abroad such as Staatsoper Stuttgart, or more locally with Opera Theater of St. Louis.
360° of Opera had the opportunity to speak with Kealani ahead of the performance, and get a deeper sense of what drives the artist as well as the passion project.
Tell us a little about your background as an artist, when did you know you wanted to sing opera?
My name is Emilie Kealani, I’m a Filipino-American creative from San Francisco, CA. Growing up, my family danced Hula and I was self-taught on the ukulele which then inspired me to sing in school plays, choir and SFArtsEducation Project, a youth musical theater company. I learned an art song and aria to audition for my high school, thinking that I would eventually switch back to the musical theater track, but I fell in love with classical music. I graduated at the age of 16 and attended the Manhattan School of Music for my Bachelor of Music degree. I’m currently at the Curtis Institute of Music, singing Cunegonde in our spring opera Candide and graduating from the Master’s program in May!
What was the inspiration or unifying theme behind your upcoming ‘Kapwa’ event? How did you go about curating the program, and what are some of the things you've learned along the way?
What started out as my Master’s project quickly became a passion project and spark for advocacy that I’m hoping to work into my career as a creative in the arts. ‘Kapwa’ is a word in Tagalog which means ‘to embrace in shared identity’ and I’m hoping it’ll be a space for us to create community through music. In lieu of ticket sales, we’re encouraging people to donate to the Hawai’i Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund which helps the communities affected by the Lahaina fires.
This is my first time curating a community event and I’ve learned a lot along the way. In my career so far, I would say that I’ve always been on the performing side. I’ve never been blind to the production side, knowing that so many people come together to make opera and projects like this happen, but never truly understood all the moving parts. Through this project, I’ve learned to curate musical selections, create a cast of artists, write grant proposals, promote the show through marketing, interviews/collabs, posters, stickers and so many more skills. I’m excited that I’ve unlocked this other side of my artistry, widened my network and am so proud to present our first ‘Kapwa’ show on November 15th at 5pm in Gould Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music.
The event is said to blend fashion, multimedia, and cultural pieces as well as classical voice and instrumental works. What are some of the things audiences can look forward tothat they wouldn't see at a standard recital?
While our training is rooted in the Western Classical Music, this program explores and highlights Asian and AAPI artist ofBengali, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaii, Indian, Japanese, Koreanand Tongan communities with musical selections in Bisayan, Ilocano, Hawaiian, Hindi, Mandarin, Tagalog and English. Our program features many new works by living composers, two of which were specifically commissioned for ‘Kapwa,’ and will have their world premiere at our show. I’m hoping audiences will feel a sense of community and learn more about the beautiful music and cultures that aren't widely represented in standard recital programs.
Emilie Kealani as La Calisto at The Glimmerglass Festival. Photo Credit: Brent DeLanoy
You recently performed the title role in 'La Calisto' with Glimmerglass Festival, what were some of the challenges and rewards of the production? How did it compare to your experience in last year's festival as Musetta in 'La bohème?'
Singing the title role in La Calisto at the Glimmerglass Festival has been one of the most rewarding and life changing experiences of my career thus far. I’m so grateful to the GlimGlam Fam for their trust and support in such a big mainstage role, especially as a young artist. The show came with challenges, specifically for me I struggled with Calisto’s character arc. The baroque plot has so many cases of mistaken identities which brought my character on a rollercoaster of emotions. Not to mention that the Calisto storyline was one of many stories within the opera. I really had to sit down with my score and detail what was happening in each scene, but in words that I can relate to instead of the direct Italian to English translation. I wrote down key adjectives that would help me portray what she was feeling on a deeper level, understanding that she started as an innocent, young huntress and by the end was left alone to burn among the stars for eternity. I also love making Spotify playlists for some of my roles, consisting of songs from different genres (pop, r&b, hip hop, etc). I would listen to it on the commute to the opera house or in my dressing room and I found that it helped me relate her experiences/feelings in a modern sense.
I also had the most amazing time singing Musetta in ‘La bohème’ the previous season. She’s such a feisty and vibrant character that shows her real heart as we get into the tragedy of Act 4. I came up with a crazy cackle for her that came out differently on every entrance and I loved hearing the laughs from the audience. That production is very memorable for many beautiful reasons but I also had to tackle a big hurdle. On our fifth show of our thirteen-show run, I tore my ACL and Meniscus during the Act 2 parade scene. Alicia Russell Tagert sang the role beautifully, jumping in mid-opera, continuing the run until I was able to join the cast again for our ninth show. It was devastating to go through the recovery process but surprisingly, my first show back was my best run. I essentially had to re-learn how to walk in a way that supported my knee so finally stepping back onto the raked stage, I was very aware of my body, acting choices, and the voice came with it. A reminder that truly anything can happen with live theater.
You're currently working on a few new operas with Opera Theater of St. Louis for their New Works Collective, what can you tell us about the project at this time?
I’m so excited to be singing in the New Works Collective with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in the world premieres of ‘Family Style’ by Meilina Tsui and Melina Tien, ‘Kandake’ by Tim Amukele and Jarrod Lee, and ‘Black Coffee’ by Blake Hernton (Concert Black) and Alicia Revé. It’s inspiring to be part of these new works and in rehearsal rooms with other AAPI and BIPOC artists. It’s a new experience for me to be part of a team that is actively creating, curating and developing the works throughout our residencies. It’s exciting and fun, teaching me to adapt and stay flexible.
Having sung works from the Baroque era to the modern day, do you have a preferred repertoire? What draws you to the roles you embody?
I’m drawn to romantic and bel canto music although I have so much love for all eras of music, even beyond the classical canon as well. It’s so fun finding the intricacies of every character: what makes them tick, what makes them blush, what makes them snap...It’s an important step in my process to analyze the character. I find that it helps me create a connection andunderstanding of who they are, why they sing the arias they do, and feel the emotions they feel.
With newer works finding a greater place in the repertory of larger companies, how do you see the next few years in terms developing new works for AAPI and BIPOC audiences? What might be some of the obstacles, and what kind of impact do you think can be achieved?
I’m very hopeful that new works will continue to be developed highlighting AAPI and BIPOC communities. We’ve seen many beautiful, thought-provoking operas in the past years but there is still so much work to be done. I think the impact would be huge and it is important to have representation on stage and in opera. As a kid, I looked up to many Asian artists and women of color. It’s inspiring to see people that look like me who are excelling in the industry. I hope one day I could be that role model figure to youth finding their way, developing their artistry and thinking about a career in the arts.
Do you have any message or advice for younger artists just starting to find their voice?
It may sound a bit cliché but I’d encourage younger artists to be confident in themselves, celebrate the unique qualities they bring to the table and to be kind: “live with the Aloha spirit” as my family would say. This year has been a year of growth for me. Professionally, personally, spiritually, mentally. A big change I made was stepping away from labeling myself as “only a singer”. Being in school and so dedicated to our training, we sometimes find a way to put ourselves in a box but I think it’s so important to give flowers to every part of your creativeness. Yes, I’m an opera singer, but I also love singing musical theater, pop, jazz, r&b and Hawaiian music. I play the ukulele, guitar, I like to dance, cook, bake, draw, paint and I work in the music library. Through ‘Kapwa,’ I have found a love for advocacy and am able to embrace my identity as a Filipino-American woman. I’m proud of the person and artist I’m becoming and I hope thatother artists will go through that journey of self-reflection too.
- interview by Logan Martell