We were lucky to catch up with Natalia Santaliz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Natalia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
When I graduated from my Masters I had a whole plan in my head of what my personal and professional life would looked like. I had goals and dreams that where not necessary realistic. When I realized that none of these plans where becoming a reality I experienced for the first time the -not so fun- aspect of being a freelancer. It made me question my decisions and wonder how my life would looked like if I had a regular job. I quickly realized that while transitioning from school to work life might be rough, I was my happiest self working in the creative industry. I had my support system with me, so decided to go back home and work on projects that I’ve always been passionate about and before I knew it I was making a living from music. My life is very different from what I once imagined but I wouldn’t have it any other way, as it made me grow as a person and as a professional.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started studying music at the Escuela Libre de Música of Mayagüez when I was around 10 years old. This school awakened my love for music and helped me create a practice discipline. I did my undergrad at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico where I had the chance to learn not just about opera, but also about latin jazz and contemporary music. In 2018 I graduated from my Masters at Mannes, The New School in NYC and I’m currently part of the talent agency Muse Artists International. I work as an opera performer and my favorite part of this job are the costumes! I always try to document my -becoming- process as it reminds me to when I was a kid, I used to play and pretend to be somebody else. This memory keeps me grounded and reminds me to always be grateful to do what I love.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
As a traveling worker, one of my favorite parts of experiencing a city is trying new things. Boxing, pottery class, art galleries or bar hopping? For many people opera and the classical music events are a foreign world. I encourage everybody to give themselves the chance of participating of all the special events the companies provide. Open rehearsals, student discounts, kid’s performances, meet and greets, Q&A sessions. Most of these events are curated for YOU!
On the other hand, I encourage music companies to keep creating these events, to join forces with local organizations in order to grow a wider and inclusive audience.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is sharing my art form with people that don’t know anything about opera. It is always a true joy to introduce opera to them, specially kids! They bring so much energy and loud reactions to the performance. Every time somebody visits the opera or theater for their first time, I hope they feel welcomed and I hope they have a lifetime experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nataliasantaliz.com
- Instagram: Natalia Santaliz
- Facebook: Natalia Santaliz
- Youtube: Natalia Santaliz
Image Credits
Photo 1 by Lucas Garron Photo 2 David Allen Photo 3 Damelys Mendoza Photo 4 John Márquez Photo 5 Eric Woolsey Photo 6 Elisa Torres