Emily Secor: Madison Opera’s student matinee fosters a full circle experience

Madison Opera welcomes the return of their student matinee performance on April 26 after a three-year hiatus. The company will present one of most well-known operas of all time, W.A. Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. For four decades, thousands of Wisconsin youth have been introduced to opera by way of this program, a mission put on hold in 2020.

For soprano Emily Secor, the matinee was her first encounter with opera, and one that would impact her career trajectory. Originally from Westfield, Wis., her high school choir program attended Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata at Overture Hall in 2011. She was completely taken by the grand scale of everything; from the larger-than-life characters to the elaborate stage sets and costumes, not to mention the massive vocal power.

“I had never heard anyone sing like that before,” said Secor of the singers, who skillfully project their voices over an orchestra with great beauty and without amplification.

Raised in a family of musicians who encouraged her vocal studies at Luther College, Secor had intentions to become a music educator. But once again opera seemed to be calling her name, this time in the form of an “Introduction to Opera” interim course. From there she was hooked, and in pursuit of an operatic career, she went on to complete a Master’s degree in voice at University of Northern Iowa. Then, just eight years after her student matinee experience, she was performing the role of Annina in none other than La Traviata in 2019. In the upcoming production of Figaro, Secor will be a cover (understudy) for the lead role of Susanna.

Secor is very thankful for this “full circle” experience with Madison Opera and Overture Center.

“To come back and sing with my home company is a really big deal and really heartwarming. It’s lovely to know I had connections when I was younger, and now see the inner workings and incredible group of people that make these productions happen.”

Besides an average audience age in the teens, what is different about the student matinee?

“For most students, it is their first time ever experiencing live theater, let alone opera. There is not as much pretense or expectation because it’s so new,” says Secor, “Their reaction to everything is so raw and unfiltered. It’s both surprising and exciting as a performer because the feedback that you’re getting is so different.”

Secor loves the “electric energy” of the student audiences as they become invested in the characters throughout the show, cheering when the villain gets foiled, or the estranged couple reunites.

“When telling a story in a language that most of the kids wouldn’t be speaking at home, it’s an assurance that they are understanding what’s going on and that we are telling the story well.”

With her private voice students, Secor enjoys exploring the question “What is pop music?” While Mozart (1756-1791) and Verdi (1813-1901) may seem worlds apart from Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, their operas were the popular music of their era. The opera was a social engagement, a place to see and be seen.

“I think it’s really fascinating for students to see that throughout history, humans still have the same kind of lives. They are dealing with same struggles, heartache, loss, anger, jealousy…they still can relate to it, even though the person on stage may be wearing a gigantic powdered wig and a bustle,” she chuckles.

Marriage of Figaro, a light-hearted opera buffa (comic opera) with humorous and relatable characters, is an ideal choice for the student matinee. Those unfamiliar with opera will be delighted to hear iconic musical moments that have found their way into Hollywood and pop culture. Shawshank Redemption fans will recognize “Sull’ Aria,” a famous duet prominently featured in the film. Little aware as kids, Looney Toons were infusing our Saturday mornings with operatic drama galore.

With subsidized ticket prices, schools can reserve seats online before April 12 to provide a unique learning experience for their students at a state-of-the-art performing arts venue. Integrating vocal and instrumental music, stage acting and sometimes even dance, opera has many avenues to explore. The combination with costume design, literature, history, acoustics, lighting, set design and technical operations blurs the line between art and science.

“There are so many facets of opera that you don’t see on the stage, and so many opportunities in this career field,” says Secor.

With a laid-back approach, Madison Opera creates a window into their world, no neckties or fur coats required. Educators are provided with a FAQ sheet to share with their classes, and atypically, the stage curtain is left up during intermission so students can observe the stagehands at work.

“Stigma can prevent people from discovering. For some people it’s an acquired taste. And it may not be your cup of tea, but that’s okay too,” she says, emphasizing the value of going beyond our comfort zone and familiar experiences.

The spring opera will be led by guest conductor Stephanie Rhodes Russell, who first conducted in Madison at the 2021 Opera in the Park and who will mark her first fully staged conducting engagement in Wisconsin’s capitol city.

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