Erika Person

WELCOME!! I'm an opera singer turned empowerment coach, helping singers and others to find their unique voice and share it with the world. A natural storyteller, I love helping others connect to the words and to share their stories. I also know a thing or two (or seventeen!) about fear and feeling DISempowered, which is precisely why I do this work. My personal experience of finding my voice has led me here, and if you're looking for your voice, seeking your truth and how to express it, longing to be more involved in your community or even in a position of leadership but shy about speaking in public, it would be my distinct pleasure and privilege to help.  

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While "finding your voice" & "speaking your truth" sound very serious, this process has to be fun. By cultivating and embracing a sense of play, we're able to see what's possible. I'm here to tell you, YOU ARE FULL OF INFINITE POSSIBILITY. So don't be surprised if I bust out kazoos, balloons, or tongue twisters! We have to get out of our heads and connect to our bodies to find our Empowered Voice.

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If you're tired of muting yourself when what you really want is to SING!, or of hiding when what you really want is to SHINE, or of believing that your voice doesn't matter, or if you want to be more confident about introducing yourself to people or you want to nail your next presentation at work, I'm here to help. Visit my STUDIO page for more info!

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-- Erika

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About my singing career...

I spent more than 20 years as a professional opera singer, in repertoire ranging from operetta to bel canto to contemporary American opera, and was noted for my authentic dramatic presence and connection to the text. I sang all across the U.S. (from Washington to Key West to New Hampshire and everywhere in between), in Canada, and the UK. Most recent performances include Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus on Martha's Vineyard and Edith in The Pirates of Penzance on tour with the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP). In 2016, my last season in NYC before returning home to California, I performed the role of Crispissa in the world premiere of Deborah Mason's The Rape of the Lock, sang my first Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, made my New York City Opera debut in the ensemble of Aleko and Pagliacci, performed as the alto soloist in the Beethoven Mass in C with the New York Choral Society, and sang the role of Roanne Taylor in a reading of Emmett Till by Mary D. Watkins and Clare Coss. The 2015 season brought performances of the title role in Iolanthe and over a dozen performances as Edith in The Pirates of Penzance with NYGASP, appearances as a featured soloist in Angeline and Her Tattooed Man with the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project (VHRP) Live, as Drusilla Kronensprech in Impresario Now! in Massachusetts and Key West, and as Lady Tippins and Pleasant Riderhood in Larry Gelb’s Our Mutual Friend at the Actors’ Temple Theatre, among others. I was a finalist in the National Opera Association’s 2015 Carolyn Bailey & Dominick Argento Voice Competition, and received the 2014-15 NYGASP Isaac Asimov Award for Artistic Excellence for my work in the Gilbert & Sullivan repertoire, having performed the roles of Iolanthe, Phoebe, Tessa, Pitti-Sing, Edith, Lady Angela, Dame Hannah, Lady Sophy, and Cousin Hebe.

 

Some of my favorite performances were at the Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, at the New York City Center, Symphony Space, Madison's Overture Center for the Arts, Wolf Trap, with Indianapolis Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Opera Orchestra of New York, Annapolis Opera, Opera Delaware, Opera Saratoga, and Salt Marsh Opera, among others. Favorite roles performed include Adalgisa (Norma), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Mercédès (Carmen), Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Stéphano (Roméo et Juliette), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Meg Page (Falstaff), Second Lady (The Magic Flute), and Maddalena (Rigoletto). 
 

I maintain private voice & piano studios in Pasadena, I'm on the faculty at South Pasadena Arts & Music Academy, and am the owner of The Diva Digests. I am certified as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC and am a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.