Help Isabella sing at Chicago Summer Opera!
Donation protected
Hello all! I am so excited to have been cast as Goffredo in Chicago Summer Opera’s production of Handel’s Rinaldo! Chicago Summer Opera is a fantastic training program for young artists. Participation in programs like this is an important step for any emerging professional singer. I will have opportunities to make valuable connections with industry pros and get to work with world renowned opera stars in masterclasses and lessons. I will attend seminars and classes about the music industry, making a career in both the US and Europe, opera auditions, character development and more. Some of my personal goals also include exploring graduate programs in the area, and performing in my first opera outside of my home state.
I will receive coaching and role preparation training as I develop Goffredo, Rinaldo’s stern but sincere mentor and the captain general of the first crusade. Rinaldo is a story about love, war and redemption. The plot follows real historical figures (Goffredo is based on Godfrey of Bouillon) but has elements of the fantastic…evil sorceresses, sirens and magicians. Many of the roles in Rinaldo were written for castrati singers, or to be performed en travesti. These “pants roles” are very commonly performed by Mezzo-Sopranos, and I have enjoyed playing a variety of male characters in opera, including Sesto in Giulio Cesare, and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. Goffredo is one of these roles. I love the acting challenge of playing outside of my own experience, as well as the subversion of gender-norms that happens when a woman gets to play the crusader general. Participation in this program will help continue to develop my understanding of baroque opera style and ornamentation. This is also a special role for me because the first opera aria I ever sang was from this role. Since I sang this at age 16, I can promise that it will be way better this time around!
While this is a wonderful opportunity, the reality is that young artist programs are expensive. I am a very involved full-time college student and will not be able to cover all of the expenses without your help. For those of you who don’t yet know me, I am a senior at Pacific Lutheran University where I am heavily involved in opera and choir. I work as a consultant in the university writing center. I also perform with local opera companies and take on church choral singing jobs. Additionally, I am studying abroad at a music program this semester in Vienna, Austria. While a fantastic educational opportunity, this is another expensive experience.
For this opera program, I am responsible for tuition, housing and travel costs. I was offered a generous partial tuition scholarship from Chicago Summer Opera, but I have a long way to go in raising the funds to cover everything. I am asking for your help to raise the money to get me to Chicago! If “supporting the arts” was one of your New Year’s resolutions, then this is your big chance! The time is now!
All jokes aside, I really would appreciate any help you can give me. Even a small donation will help me with travel and living expenses during the program. I am also intending to host a benefit recital when I return from Vienna. More to come on that soon.
This opportunity is the start of a new chapter for me as I prepare to enter the professional world of classical singing. I am so thankful for your support. I have attached some videos of my singing below. Please enjoy and consider :).
Singing Videos:
Seguidilla (Bizet) - Isabella Daltoso
O mio Fernando! (Donizetti) - Isabella Daltoso
Must the Winter Come so Soon? (Barber) - Isabella Daltoso
Chicago Summer Opera Website:
Rinaldo at Glyndebourne Opera
Rinaldo at Glyndebourne Opera
Pictures of me :
Duetting with Arthur Keast at his benefit recital
Junior Recital
Scene as Carmen
Scene as Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito
Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte
Backstage with the cast of Giulio Cesare
Sesto in Giulio Cesare (with Rae Hyra as Cornelia)
Backstage at Vashon Opera’s Cavalleria Rusticana
Ruth in Pirates of Penzance (with Hugh Davis as the Pirate King)
Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus
Grasshopper in The Cunning Little Vixen (with Maria-Viktoria Kovalsky as Cricket)
Praskovia in Vashon Opera’s The Merry Widow
Organizer
Isabella Daltoso
Organizer
Vancouver, WA
