Today we’d like to introduce you to Melisa Bonetti Luna.
Hi Melisa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always wanted to be a singer, but I didn’t know I would end up being an opera singer. Because of my heritage, I grew up exposed to a lot of Latin music, including ballads and boleros, but also a lot of salsa, merengue, and bachata. Because of my NYC roots, I also listened to a lot of Hip Hop growing up, which was thriving in the 90s in NYC. I was lucky enough to get accepted to the FAME school, LaGuardia, where I was exposed to other genres I had never listened to before. There I learned about jazz, opera, musical theater, gospel, art song, and so forth. I was encouraged by the school to audition for a degree in classical voice, which led me to further education at Queens College for my Bachelors in Vocal Performance, and then to the University of Cincinnati for my Masters in Vocal Performance. After my education in university, I started working for opera houses and orchestras national and internationally.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a traveling musician, of a very difficult art form is not easy. There is a very high standard that you have to maintain when it comes to the quality of your voice, the memorization of large scores, the perfecting of diction in various languages. The voice is the only flesh instrument. While you undergoing lots of travel, attending industry events, singing countless hours of rehearsals and practice, you must prioritize taking care of your voice above all. It is a difficult balance, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love that singing has granted me the opportunities to travel and experience so many different cultures and ways of living.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize mostly in classical singing, but fortunately for me, classical singing can mean many things nowadays. Classical music and opera is in a time of creative abundance in which a lot of genre- fusion is happening. There is a world of contemporary music that is flourishing in the vocal arts that gives me liberties to not only be an interpreter, but also a creator. To tell stories that resonant with me and my culture, and to also explore and experiment with new ways of singing, while still having the opportunities to sing some standard repertoire that I also highly respect.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
ForScore is an absolute must for my line of work. I download all my scores on there, and make notes as needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.melisabonettimezzo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melisabonetti/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melisa.bonetti/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtek4wUI6glp4q2F1iyyOZA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/melisa-bonetti
Image Credits
Primary photo- The Opera Next Door’s Carmencita at the Lincoln Center Rubenstein Atrium, photographer Lawrence Sumulong