Check out this wonderful article by Bryan Buttler in PhillyMag about my upcoming performances of La Traviata with the Opera Philadelphia. Bryan was a joy to talk with!
"Clearly, Oropesa's parents, both Cuban immigrants, instilled the love of music in their daughter early. But despite the influence of her opera-singing mother, Oropesa never wanted to sing professionally: She wanted to play the flute, and studied the instrument for 12 years, from fifth grade all the way through most of her college education, where she concurrently studied voice. It wasn't until several of her vocal teachers told her that her voice would be the ticket to her success that she gave up the flute. However, those years with the flute were not wasted."