b'C E L E B R I T Y S P O T L I G H T I N T E R V I E WMari Moriya Opera SingerWhat operas do you remember listening to in your youth?My first memory of listening to opera was at a performance in Japanese of The Marriage of Figaro. My mother was singing the role of Susanna. I remember I was very excited hearing the first duet by Figaro and Susanna even though I did not understand thewhole story of the opera. And I remember seeing The Magic Flute, Orpheus in theUnderworld, and also a Japanese opera about a mermaid. I went to my mothersrecitals too. Although I was very young, about 5-7 years old, I really looked forward to going to the concert halls.When did you make the decision to become an opera singer? Landing a singing role at the Metropolitan Opera inIt was a gradual decision. When I was in high school, I hadNew York, especially as an Asian woman, is extremely to choose which class to join for the university entrancedifficult. What obstacles did you meet along the way? examination. I already knew and loved opera and I decidedIt is, of course, very difficult to get a role at the Met. to study music through the voice. I was very curious aboutThe standard is so high and the competition is human behavior. By learning the human voicehow itfierce, especially for sopranos. I suppose the chal-worksI thought I might understand more about humanlenges I faced along the way were actually in the behaviorhow the mind works. I would like to have been arounds of the Metropolitan Opera National Council psychiatrist or an archaeologist if I hadnt become a singer. Auditions, as I had to convince the various juries that I deserved a place in the National Final Competition. I took the rather risky make-or-break decision to There are only a handful of include the Queens famously difficult second aria [in singers in the world who can singThe Magic Flute] in my audition repertoire. Its such Queen of the Night. What wasa stand-out aria that I became known for it even your reaction when you learned before I auditioned at the Met for the role.that you got the role?I was blessed with a very wide vocal range, so I was able to be- What was your overall experience like singing at thegin preparing the aria very Metropolitan Opera, and how did that affect your career?early in my twenties and I Any singer is excited about being engaged by the became comfortably familiar Met and the overwhelming prospect of being there with it, though of course its so on the stage where theyve dreamed of performing. full of pitfalls that it demandsI was nervous, of course, but fortunately I had the respect at all times and everyprocess of getting dressed in that amazing Queen of performance is a challenge. the Night costume to distract me in a very practical My first test was to sing it at theway. It was part of the famous Julie Taymor pro-University entrance exam. Then, I was cast to sing Queen of theduction of The Magic Flute, with enormous wings Night in the second year at Mannes. In practice, I concentratedheld up by long wires from above on either side. My on making this technique as consistent and reliable as possible,experience over there was priceless, and it opened so that I could depend on it during performances. the doors to many more engagements as Queen, first around the States and then in Europe.How did you get the role to sing at the Emperors ceremony lastHowever, there is a downside to being one of the November?few sopranos who can sing the role well. The Magic My name was put forward, and the suggestion was accepted.Flute is such a popular opera with audiences and What came out of my performance was a little unexpected. good Queens are in such high demand that sing-I was invited to sing in a couple of very popular TV variety ers can become typecast. It can be very difficult to shows, and my appearances went down well with viewers.break out into other leading roles. I didnt actually These were wonderful opportunities to introduce Schubert tohave the lighter voice usually associated with the huge audiences, people who were never exposed to classicalQueen. My voice is naturally heavier, but very agile, music. I was very grateful for this exposure because my dreamand it was my wide vocal range that allowed me to is to draw more attention to classical music, especially opera, reach those extremely high notes in her second aria in Japan. comfortably.18 visions Summer 2020 Sumitomo Corporation of Americas'