Presented by Equity Bank
If you saw The Barber of Seville last November, then you heard mezzo-soprano Virginia Reed sing the role of Berta in her Lyric Opera debut. For the 2024-2025 season, Reed is one of four opera singers chosen to be a resident artist at the Lyric.
This program is a great opportunity for young opera singers to get more experience performing, make professional connections, and learn how to make opera a career.
“No two days look the same as a resident artist,” says Reed. “The Lyric has crafted a unique program that provides a wealth of resources paired with skill-appropriate performance and outreach opportunities. We four singers receive voice lessons (technical instruction), coaching (linguistic and stylistic instruction), as well as feedback and seminars from professionals in adjacent parts of the opera industry. These are resources whose cost would normally add up very quickly, so to receive them all for free is a tremendous help to us as young singers.”
Reed continues, “We put these skills into practice through roles performed in mainstage productions, as well as in outreach performances such as Opera to Go and our regional children’s opera tour. Having the chance to get stage time in any form, ‘Getting the reps in,’ so to speak, is crucial in feeling comfortable and commanding onstage.”
Next month, Reed is slated to sing the role of Grandmother in Maya and the Magic Ring, an opera for families. Maya discovers a beautiful ruby ring in her grandmother’s possessions. When she rubs it, a genie appears, and before you can say uh-oh, chaos ensues.
And Virginia Reed is just the person to handle it.
How did you become interested in opera?
I was raised in a very musical family and began violin lessons at the age of 5—as well as my family being active in Irish and folk music—but didn’t genuinely look at performing as a career until my first year at Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam). I went to see a Metropolitan Opera Live in HD broadcast of Eugene Onegin at a movie theater. Tchaikovsky’s music, and the passion of the singers—Anna Netrebko and Mariusz Kwiecień at their respective primes—hit me right across the face. I gushed to my voice teacher at the time and she gave me the “permission” I needed to consider a career as a performer. The next year I transferred to Manhattan School of Music, where I completed my Bachelor of Music, after which I did my master’s at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In San Francisco I studied with Catherine Cook, whom I credit with giving me a solid technical foundation as well as sharing her deep knowledge of the industry—every singer needs a teacher like Cathy in their corner.
Since your voice is your instrument, how do you keep it in tip-top shape?
I like to think of singers as vocal Olympians—our instrument is built into us and is not replaceable! I focus on taking care of my body and mind as holistically as possible. Sleep is a big priority to me, as well as getting enough cardiovascular exercise so that I don’t have to worry about losing stamina during rehearsal or onstage. A lot of singers completely avoid certain irritants like caffeine, alcohol, or spicy foods, but it really comes down to knowing and working with your own voice. Personally, I am a major coffee addict!
Since you are from the East Coast, what has surprised you most about living in Kansas City?
Without a doubt the sense of community and civic pride. Before I moved here, I was looking forward to good barbecue, jazz, and amazing sports teams like the Current and the Chiefs. Since moving here, I’ve been delighted by how much people love being KC residents. The community pride is evident whether in planned civic improvements or general community ethos and has made for a really warm and welcoming adjustment.
What are your favorite guilty pleasures—in music or in food?
This is a tough one! I try not to feel too guilty about enjoying things—life is so short and dessert is delicious! I do have a major sweet tooth but can usually justify my baking habit by bringing treats to rehearsal to share.
Musically, I am a diehard Wagner fan, despite having a voice that will likely never be appropriate for his music—perhaps in this case the grass is greener on the Wagner side.