Heidi Stober Sings at Opera Theatre St. Louis

BY: LUCAS HUDSON

Soprano Heidi Stober is rapidly gaining recognition for her beautiful voice, exquisite musicianship and exciting presence on the operatic stage. She has received high praise for performances with New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera. Recognition and awards for Ms. Stober include first place winner of the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, the Stephen Shrestinian Award for Excellence for her performance in Boston Lyric Opera’s Die Fledermaus, and the Kolosvar Award for her performance in Agrippina with New York City Opera. She is also a 2008 Sullivan Foundation grant winner.

Heidi brings her talents to Opera Theatre of St. Louis, playing Aminta in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Il re pastore (The Shepherd King). Opening night is Sunday June 7at 7 p.m., and Heidi performs five more times through Friday, June 26. Heidi took some time to talk to the Vital Voice about her career, her role, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, piloting the friendly skies, beer snobbery and relaxing with Lady Gaga.

 HS: My piano background helps with learning roles. I can learn roles very quickly. Even though I was not studying opera before college I was playing Mozart on the piano, so when I sing a Mozart role, things just harmonically make sense.

HS: Yes it is, and I am looking forward to it! My connections to Opera Theatre St. Louis are Stephen Lord and Jim Robinson. My very first professional role while in graduate school at New England Conservatory was with the Boston Lyric Opera and Stephen was the conductor of that particular show. A couple of years later I was a young artist with the Houston Grand Opera and James Robinson was the director of that opera- Daniel Catan’s Salsipuedes. I have worked with both of them a number of times and I adore them as conductors and directors. James Robinson is the Artistic Director at Opera Theatre St. Louis and Stephen Lord the Music Director there.

HS: We are performing Il rè pastore (The Shepherd King). It’s interesting because my role, Aminta, is actually a "pants" (male) role. Aminta was raised by a shepherd who had no idea the child is the rightful heir to the throne and Aminta fights with his newly found status as a king because of the love of a woman and a love of the simple, pastoral life. However, this won’t be a standard opera. There will be a "play within a play" that will reveal why I am playing a traditionally male role and still "marrying" a woman. The twist is most interesting and you will have to come see the show!

HS: I can speak to the U.S. versus Germany. I do sense that there are just as many enthusiasts and opera lovers in the U.S. as there are in Germany and Europe as a whole. Oftentimes, we think Europe has the first and last word when it comes to championing opera, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Percentage-wise, there are more opera houses in Europe, but there is just as much passion and support in the United States. Financially, over here in the States, we rely on the generosity of individual patrons. In Germany, opera houses are largely funded by the government. There are a lot more dinners here to thank the donors, and in my experiences singing in Germany, that doesn’t happen as much because of state funding.

 HS: Dying? *laughs* Definitely Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. There are some Handel roles that I really would like to do. Down the road as my voice grows and develops, I’d like to play Konstanze in Mozart’s Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, and I look forward to playing The Countess in Pierre Beaumarchais’ The Marriage of Figaro. Now, I feel lucky being able to perform and sing a wide array of roles.

HS: Hmmmmm! I think my first Handel role was the most challenging- which was being Poppaea in his Agrippina. You have to be very clean with your singing, very precise with the coloratura Handle writes, and it can be very, very challenging. It was also my first time singing in New York City, so I dealt with all of the nervousness that goes along with being on a stage that big.

 HS: I’d be a pilot. Yea!! It’s funny you ask because recently, I’ve been thinking to myself "I need to get my pilot’s license," so I just might do that. See, my dad is a pilot and my brother is a pilot and I absolutely love flying! I’ve never gotten sick either—even in acrobatic planes. So yes, I’d be a pilot.

HS: Oh, I listen to lots of different things. The only thing I don’t listen to is country. I listen to anything from Coldplay to Maroon 5 to Lady Gaga, Simon and Garfunkel, Lauren Hill….I love opera but sometimes I need to have a musical release and listen to popular music I like and music my siblings introduce me to.

HS: *hearty giggle* Well, do I have to love Budweiser now that I’m coming to St. Louis? I’m a good Wisconsin (Miller) girl, I absolutely love beer, but now that I live part-time in Germany, I’ve gotten used to their beer. My younger brother always calls me a beer snob now and I just laugh. I love Fat Tire, Newcastle and I love Microbrews. If I am at a Cardinals game, I’ll drink a Budweiser, but I generally prefer darker beers. Concerning karaoke, I have to say that I have good opera singer friends who thrive on signing karaoke at random bars, but I am more of a spectator. I might dabble more in karaoke, but traditionally, I have been a spectator.

HS: Thanks for the interview and I hope to see you and your readers there.