I perform in opera houses in the centres of big cities. We live in 20 acres of forest. You need that space to recover and renew. – Sondra Radvanovsky
We live in a very disposable society, and people want everything right away, but unfortunately, vocal technique doesn’t come overnight. – Sondra Radvanovsky
I absolutely love Canada, and I wouldn’t live anywhere else. It’s half American and half European, and I really enjoy that. And the people are just fantastic – nicer than any people in the world. – Sondra Radvanovsky
When you do a ‘messa di voce,’ that means you start soft, you crescendo into loud – and then you go back to soft again. Some people call it circus tricks, but in bel canto, it’s really written into the music. – Sondra Radvanovsky
I would have to say that my very first encounter with the arts was when my mother bought me my first record player when I was six years old as well as a Karen Carpenter record. – Sondra Radvanovsky
Singing bel canto is like walking on a tightrope – especially with a larger voice like mine. – Sondra Radvanovsky
Temperament can really take a toll on the voice. If you get tight in your body with the acting, then you can get tight in your voice. And then you can get tired, and you can damage yourself vocally. – Sondra Radvanovsky
When I teach master classes, I tell young singers if the foundation isn’t good, the house will crumble. – Sondra Radvanovsky
When I was signing up for the University of Southern California’s music program, I flipped a coin to decide my major. If it came up heads, it would be flute – tails would be voice. – Sondra Radvanovsky
Even when I’m not onstage singing, there’s always music going on in my head. It’s a curse and a blessing in a way – it’s sitting in bed at night, trying to go to sleep, while the music keeps playing in your head – especially when you’re trying to learn something new and you’re trying to memorize it and get everything. – Sondra Radvanovsky
You went to your first Broadway play or musical at some point, right? Come to opera. – Sondra Radvanovsky
Artists shouldn’t deal with business stuff; that’s not what we’re trained in, and most of us aren’t good at it. – Sondra Radvanovsky
I love the tragic side. I don’t do ‘happy’ onstage. I like the dark, the disturbed. – Sondra Radvanovsky
It’s the worst feeling, coming back after a performance when you are on a real high, and you go back alone to an apartment or a hotel room. People think we sit in hotels and eat bon bons. But the lifestyle can be very stressful. – Sondra Radvanovsky
I’m going to the gym and really taking care of myself and trying to stay fit, eating properly. – Sondra Radvanovsky
Temperament and tightness often go together. But if you’re tight, you can’t sing. So I have to have that tension in my body but not in my voice. – Sondra Radvanovsky
