LA TRAVIATA

OPERA CAROLINA’S 73RD SEASON WILL RETURN WITH A FOCUS ON ICONIC WOMEN IN OPERA, AND A DAZZLING PERFORMANCE BY ONE OF CHARLOTTE’S OWN LEADING LADIES.

By Katelyn Rutt

Although April will mark her professional debut as Violetta, Melinda Whittington is no stranger to La Traviata. The plot follows the tragic romance of the courtesan Violetta and upper-class Alfredo, and the struggles of love amidst societal and familial pressures. The role was actually one of the soprano’s first at Brevard Music Center—but it’s been 11 years, 25 operatic productions, and more than a hundred performances since.

“Probably more than any other character I’ve portrayed, Violetta is just so real, so complex,” Whittington says. “My voice has grown and changed so much since then, especially after having two children, so I wasn’t sure what it would feel like to come back to it.”

Whittington says the role is seemingly written for two different sopranos. Act 1 is suited to a lighter, coloratura soprano with long runs of fast-moving and stratospheric high notes. Acts 2 and 3 feature a heavy orchestra and require sustained sound and intense stamina.

“Violetta has such depth, both dramatically and vocally,” Whittington says. “I am naturally more of an Act 2 and 3 Violetta, so Act 1 is the most challenging for me.”

Even so, the vocalist tackles unfamiliarity with her trademark gusto and passion for storytelling through song.

“My favorite part is probably the opening of Act 3, where Violetta is on her deathbed, re-reading the letter from Germont followed by the gut-wrenching aria,” Whittington says. “It's fun to play with lots of vocal colors, and the melody's interplay with the oboe is so beautiful and haunting.”

Whittington first joined Opera Carolina after finishing her master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The company served as a launching pad for the vocalist, providing chorus openings and small roles. Soon, Whittington began auditioning for Opera Carolina’s leading ladies and eventually accepting travel opportunities—like singing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera as one of 20 semi-finalists from the country and performing at the Wolf Trap Opera.

“My fourth role, singing Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, was one of my dream roles and was actually one of the three productions in which I had been a chorister when I first came to Charlotte,” Whittington says. “I could remember looking at the woman who played Tatyana back then with stars in my eyes, dreaming of making my own career happen. And there I was on the same stage, same opera, and same production of that opera even.”

What’s more, the Tatyana performances were over Whittington’s very first Mother’s Day weekend with her newborn son Isaac.

“Singing a very challenging leading role while feeding and waking every few hours each night is definitely not for the faint of heart,” Whittington says. “But it gave me such a sense of accomplishment to know that I could do the balancing act I've always dreamed of—being both a performer and a mother. My husband and son were even able to be backstage with me and celebrate after. Isaac was in an ‘I <3

opera’ onesie of course.”

Whittington says her close-knit relationship with Opera Carolina allows her to take on at least one local role per year—providing the soprano with a break from her grueling travel schedule. But no matter where her journey takes her, Whittington says she is always excited to return home.

“For a decade now, Opera Carolina has been my home company,” Whittington says. “Every time I get to sing with my OC family, it's a privilege and a joy.”

See La Traviata live at the Belk Theater on April 20, 22, and 23. Tickets can be purchased at operacarolina.org.