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In the right place: Nadine Sierra presents her touching debut album There’s a Place for Us Nadine Sierra’s clever selection of old and new songs from North and South America for her Deutsche Grammophon and Decca Gold debut album, expresses a love of connecting people, no matter their Nadine Sierra © Paola Kudacki
backgrounds or beliefs, reflects on her family history and portrays America’s musical versatility.
N
adine Sierra is one of the top young opera singers of our time. The American soprano, celebrated by critics and audiences alike for her performances
at the world’s largest opera houses, recently won the Beverly Sills Artist Award 2018 for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. For her debut album with Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, There’s a Place for Us, Sierra worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Robert Spano to create a multi-layered album that proves her to be a confident and modern young artist
people’s ears – I wanted to just give people who listen to it a
who not only wants to make an impression musically, but
little bit of hope. I wanted them to know that if they do feel
also wants to stimulate the audience to reflect on the beauty
neglected by certain individuals, or if they feel shunned and
of the music as well as content.
ashamed by certain people who have great responsibilities
When asked about the album in a recent interview, she commented: ‘I always knew that on my first album, I didn’t
and leadership in this world, that they’re not alone. ‘I too understand what it is to be singled out… My
want to just create something that was like, “here are ten
mother is from Lisbon and my father’s side of the family also
arias that I’ve done in my life and here’s a pretty picture of
came from elsewhere. As we all did. My grandfather basically
me on the cover and that’s it!”
swam here from Puerto Rico. So, I just wanted to send out
‘Anything that I do, anything that I produce – if it’s an
a message that no matter what the dilemmas we’re facing
album, a concert or a recital – I have control over... So, I
today are, there will always be, at the end of the day, a place
always wanted the album to be a project that was more about
for everybody.
how being an artist can affect a bigger message. If there’s
‘Leonard Bernstein was an advocate for that as well. He
something that’s happening in another person’s life or in
was actually a person, especially in the 1950s and ‘60s, who
society or the community, I try to address that through art.
was not liked politically. He was a social activist who used
All over the world, music is something that has been used as
pieces of music to talk about those things. He wanted to
a form of protest or as a thing catering to a more powerful
make people actually discuss those issues after listening to
message than just itself alone.
his music and he wasn’t afraid of that. That’s how I want to
‘There’s a Place for Us is an album that I wanted to create
be as an artist. I don’t just want to show a certain kind of
to, yes, show myself as an artist. But with the things that
surface façade. I want to show everything else behind that.
we’ve been presented with in today’s world, especially in this
Because to me, it means something and I’d rather be that
country (America) – with certain messages being sent out into
way than the opposite.’ CF
88 / Creative Feel / November 2018
