Sunday, November 20, 2011

Simone Osborne

In 1888 the famous soprano Adelina Patti became sick and at the last moment she was replaced by Rumanian Hericlea Darclée as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at the Opéra. She became an overnight sensation because of her powerful voice.

In Sept 2008 I photographed the multi-ethnic soprano Simone Osborne in my studio and I found out that she had flipped hamburgers and served ice cream cones at a local Dairy Queen in order to pay for her singing lessons.

Soon, November 26 and until the 29th she will be Juliette at a Vancouver Opera production of Charles Gounod’s romantic opera.

Judging from what I remember of my session with Osborne I can predict that many in the audience will swoon at her performance, and who knows she just might pull a Rumanian and become and overnight sensation, too!

Vancouver Opera

A corner of the Paris Opera