Ten Questions with Melody Moore

Ten Questions with...

Melody Moore, soprano
Tosca in Tosca

1. My favorite thing about being a singer is:

- being able to express what I cannot express in daily life and daily conversation.

2. The greatest challenge in being a singer is: 

- keeping stability in health and keeping a quiet mind.

3. A live music performance I’ve attended that I will never forget is:
  - Rufus Wainwright’s Judy Garland Show.

4. A few of my favorite films are: 

 - The Hours, Dogville, and any Lord of the Rings movies.

5. Three things I can’t live without are:
- books, hot baths and my stuffed bear, Brutus.

6. My number one hobby is:
Cooking.

7. If you could perform with any singer, retired or deceased, who would it be?

- Renata Tebaldi.

8. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
Neuroscience or Quantum Physics or Chef.

9. What role do you wish you could sing that you could never sing because it’s the wrong voice type/gender?

 That’s why I’m lucky, I get to sing exactly what I love. 

10. Describe your favorite moment on stage. 

- When I went on for Gheorghiu on opening night of Tosca at San Francisco Opera, I could literally feel the grain of the fabric on the dropcloth below my feet. I could feel electricity surging through my body. I didn’t sleep well for three days afterward. Absolutely exhilarating. 

Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).

I don’t desire a specific question, but I would love it if someone actually understood that- although our lives as singers may seem exciting and glamorous - we pay a price. We often do not get to SEE the wondrous surroundings in cities where we sing because we are in rehearsal. We often are away from our homes and families for extended times and we live lonely lives at times. I wish, sometimes, that there was a broader space for that understanding.

See Melody in Madison Opera's production of Puccini's Tosca November 1 & 3 in Overture Hall. Tickets start at just $18– why wait?