UGA Opera Theatre Student Spotlight
Kelsey Fredriksen
Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia
UGA program/major: Voice Performance
Year in school: Senior
What is your earliest musical memory? My parents played “Hooked on Classics” for me at some very early age. This was a CD of Classical music hits (like Beethoven’s 9th) on synthesizer with an 80’s technobeat and clap machine added.
Does anybody else in your family work in music related business? Yes, my uncle is a professional pianist.
Do you play any other musical instrument? The saxophone
Do you have any experience, as an audience member, that influenced you as a musician? I remember watching Madama Butterfly while in High School and that’s when I fell in love with Puccini (and now I’m obsessed!).
When did you start considering vocal performance? My last year of high school.
What do you consider as a milestone in your performance career? Well, so far…performing The Queen of the Night in UGA’s production of The Magic Flute last spring was significant. I was stressed- her arias are well known, critiqued, and it ‘s got the high F’s. But now, since I did it in performance- there are no notes that seem “high” or scary to me anymore! It has taken a lot of performance anxiety away.
What was your favorite scene in past UGA Opera Theatre productions? One of my favorite scenes to watch was from when we did La Bohème here (at UGA) - act I when Mimi meets Rodolfo; it’s a really sweet moment. My favorite scene to be in was act II of Bohème when I was singing as Musetta and making trouble for poor Marcello!
What is your favorite scene in the next UGA Opera Theatre production? I will be watching it as an audience member, but I will be looking forward to Carmen’s Seguidilla in Act I.
Do you have any hobby? I like to do Martial Arts (Wing Chun Kung Fu)
If you could be or do anything else – what would it be? I can’t really imagine life not being a singer. But, if I had to choose, I would like to intensely focus on martial arts and do something in that field (stunt double?).
If you could go back in time, when and where would you like to live? The early 90’s. I’d go back to them and enjoy everything in the society I grew in with an adult perspective. But in a different part of America. Or….mid-late 1800’s in Italy and hang out with all my favorite composers and experience the way they lived.
If you could have dinner with five famous people from history, who would they be? Giacomo Puccini, Thomas Hardy, Bruce Lee, Carl Sagan, and Rosalind Franklin
What is your dream opera role? Madama Butterfly.
Your career goals: To make beautiful, memorable, moving music. To collaborate with colleges with whom I share mutual respect with. To preserve opera and share the art with many people. I would love to travel a lot.
Is there any interesting opera backstage story you would like to share? Too many! There’s so much camaraderie here… I love when everyone is backstage crowded in the dressing rooms in our costumes, listening in to what’s going no stage, playing cards, laughing, joking, etc.
What one word would you use to describe yourself? Enthusiastic
Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia
UGA program/major: Voice Performance
Year in school: Senior
What is your earliest musical memory? My parents played “Hooked on Classics” for me at some very early age. This was a CD of Classical music hits (like Beethoven’s 9th) on synthesizer with an 80’s technobeat and clap machine added.
Does anybody else in your family work in music related business? Yes, my uncle is a professional pianist.
Do you play any other musical instrument? The saxophone
Do you have any experience, as an audience member, that influenced you as a musician? I remember watching Madama Butterfly while in High School and that’s when I fell in love with Puccini (and now I’m obsessed!).
When did you start considering vocal performance? My last year of high school.
What do you consider as a milestone in your performance career? Well, so far…performing The Queen of the Night in UGA’s production of The Magic Flute last spring was significant. I was stressed- her arias are well known, critiqued, and it ‘s got the high F’s. But now, since I did it in performance- there are no notes that seem “high” or scary to me anymore! It has taken a lot of performance anxiety away.
What was your favorite scene in past UGA Opera Theatre productions? One of my favorite scenes to watch was from when we did La Bohème here (at UGA) - act I when Mimi meets Rodolfo; it’s a really sweet moment. My favorite scene to be in was act II of Bohème when I was singing as Musetta and making trouble for poor Marcello!
What is your favorite scene in the next UGA Opera Theatre production? I will be watching it as an audience member, but I will be looking forward to Carmen’s Seguidilla in Act I.
Do you have any hobby? I like to do Martial Arts (Wing Chun Kung Fu)
If you could be or do anything else – what would it be? I can’t really imagine life not being a singer. But, if I had to choose, I would like to intensely focus on martial arts and do something in that field (stunt double?).
If you could go back in time, when and where would you like to live? The early 90’s. I’d go back to them and enjoy everything in the society I grew in with an adult perspective. But in a different part of America. Or….mid-late 1800’s in Italy and hang out with all my favorite composers and experience the way they lived.
If you could have dinner with five famous people from history, who would they be? Giacomo Puccini, Thomas Hardy, Bruce Lee, Carl Sagan, and Rosalind Franklin
What is your dream opera role? Madama Butterfly.
Your career goals: To make beautiful, memorable, moving music. To collaborate with colleges with whom I share mutual respect with. To preserve opera and share the art with many people. I would love to travel a lot.
Is there any interesting opera backstage story you would like to share? Too many! There’s so much camaraderie here… I love when everyone is backstage crowded in the dressing rooms in our costumes, listening in to what’s going no stage, playing cards, laughing, joking, etc.
What one word would you use to describe yourself? Enthusiastic