Cuban-American soprano Elena Villalón stars as Glauce in the Met Opera’s upcoming run of Cherubini’s “Medea,” an opera based on the classic Greek tragedy. The production by David McVicar has only been performed at the Met once before, during the 2022-23 season.
Elena made her Met debut in 2024 as Amore in “Orfeo ed Euridice” and won the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition in 2019. She also sang the role of Nuria in the Met’s 2024 premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s “Ainadamar.”
“Medea” opened at the Met on October 30.
The soprano hails from Austin, and I chatted with her about her favorite memories from growing up down south, her role models in business and more.
My favorite opera that’s not my own is:
I’m lucky to perform a lot of repertoire that I love, but in choosing something I don’t sing, I would say Jenůfa (on stage at the Met from November 16). Linguistically it’s unique; Janáček wrote the music with the pitch and rhythms of spoken Czech, and even as a non-Czech speaker, I feel the richness of character and culture. It also subverts what we expect of tragic opera. Instead of ending in judgment or death, it finds forgiveness, transforming tragedy into something transcendent.
My pre-performance ritual:
I don’t have much of a pre-performance ritual. I will go about my day, though I will limit physical activity to save energy for the evening, and I do need a big, balanced meal before a show!
After a performance, I..
Go to bed!
My favorite kind of operagoer (does what):
Enjoys their night out at the opera! They clap when they want to, wear what they want, and know when to cough (hint: not during the quiet parts of the opera, free rein in the louder parts).
My role model in business is:
Anthony Roth Costanzo. Somehow, he has more hours in a day than the rest of us. Alongside an international singing career, he produces his own projects and runs Opera Philadelphia as general director. I admire his passion, creativity, and skill in broadening what opera can be and who it is for.
In that same vein, I would also say Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. I read his book Hit Refresh, in which he discussed transforming a stagnant culture into one based on curiosity and learning. Both he and ARC work to transform legacy institutions by changing culture rather than the product. I think opera has a lot to learn in that regard.
The best piece of career advice I’ve gotten is..
“Go where you will sing the best.” I got this advice early on when choosing between young artist programs, and I still use it to decide between contracts. Many factors shape a career, but in opera, ultimately, the voice is the key to every door. Protecting and developing it should be the primary objective for any singer.
The advice I have for first-time operagoers is to…
Try a few operas before deciding you don’t like opera. Classical music is so vast, spanning centuries, and the styles of music and dramaturgy vary enormously. I suggest trying a few different eras, or languages, the way we try different films or artists. We don’t give up on movies because we disliked one, so let’s not do it with opera! You may be surprised by what moves you.
Get the most out of an opera by…
Eat, drink, do whatever you need to sit comfortably for a couple of hours. Opera houses aren’t movie theaters where you can snack through the show (yet), so savor the live experience. For all the anxieties about tech and its ever consuming and reaching role in our life today, I think the chance to luxuriate in events that ask us to be fully present is precious. Those moments are where humanity is at its best.
The restaurant I love most near the MET is…
Le Botaniste! It’s nourishing and healthy food while being filling as well. It’s fresh and quick and has something to please everyone. The young coconut ceviche has a real grip on my wallet.
The morning after a big performance, I…
Take it easy. My body is tired, but my mind usually feels active and capable, so I will do things like study music, or taxes, or any of the admin it takes to organize a freelancer’s life.
My preferred way to destress is to…
Keep busy! Diversion is a tactic that is used often for toddlers, and it’s equally applicable to adults.
Perspective also matters in a career in classical music. As an anecdote, I once spent the afternoon with a babalawo of the Santería religion in a remote town in Cuba. She showed me their altars, the shackles of the freed slaves who founded the congregation generations before, and the place where they sacrifice animals to give their people strength. I asked if she would sacrifice a chicken for me. She said, “Your problems aren’t big enough to sacrifice a chicken.” I think of that whenever tensions run high at work.
The destination I love to travel to most for work is…
Home is the obvious answer, it is a treat to sleep in my own bed! Otherwise, I love to travel to places with excellent food, and uniquely characteristic or adventurous things to do. For me, Los Angeles is one of those places. In my spare time when I am in LA, I eat all the tacos, relax at my mecca, the Wi Spa, and most recently, went spearfishing in the kelp forest off the coast!
My favorite spot in my hometown is:
The lake. I grew up in Austin, TX, and instead of having a car-dad for a father, I had a boat-dad. We spent our childhood swimming, sailing, scrubbing hulls, and gunkholing. Learning to navigate the water, which can be a dangerous place for kids, gave me a lot of confidence in life. All I’ll say is, if you can sink your dad’s boat while he watches from the shore, bail it out with your own two hands, and live to tell the tale, high notes in front of thousands of people feel a lot less scary.
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This article was originally published on Forbes.com
