Vocal Arts

Lisette Oropesa: Opera Star

Cuban-American Lisette Oropesa is a highly acclaimed and in-demand operatic soprano known for her exceptional vocal skills and stage presence. She speaks 5 languages and excels in a wide range of operatic repertoire, from Baroque and Mozart to Bel Canto and French composers. Her outstanding performances have earned her enthusiastic global recognition, and she regularly stars in productions in the world’s greatest opera houses, from New York’s Metropolitan Opera to London’s Royal Opera House, Vienna’s State Opera, and Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, among many others. In addition to her successful singing career, Lisette is also known for her dedication to health and fitness. She is an outdoor enthusiast and devoted runner who has completed several marathons, and been featured in major fitness publications such as Runner’s World Magazine. She’s followed a fully plant based diet for the past 12 years. Lisette is also a mentor and role model to young singers, giving masterclasses and lectures at universities and young artist programs around the world. She is active on social media, and she and her husband Steven personally curate her website and all her platforms. Her most recent solo album, “French Bel Canto,” released on the Pentatone label, has achieved major critical acclaim, and has been one of the top selling classical opera aria albums since its release.  

 

Peter and Lisette talk about what it's like to perform opera on the world's greatest stages, industry biases, obesity vs. health & fitness, pros and cons of social media, taking a stance on politics and religion, vocal technique, role preparation, and much more. Please welcome Lisette Oropesa.

Analysis Essentials Series: ”We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto

One of the most popular Disney songs ever made -- I couldn't resist jumping on the reaction bandwagon when this first came out. However, I added a lot of analysis to the music, singing, voice acting, etc. as usual, and it has resulted in one of the more popular analysis videos on my channel. Please enjoy the analysis. 

Jonathan Young: Covered In Metal

Jonathan Young is a singer, songwriter & music producer who independently grew to a fanbase of over 2 million fans with his viral music videos, reimagining songs from nerd culture, writing fantasy-themed power metal music, and collaborating with iconic brands like Dragonball, Beyblade & Magic: the Gathering. In addition to his own discography, Jonathan also runs a production company that offers services & consulting to other music content creators.

 

Peter and Jonathan talk about everything from music composition to the evolution of YouTube to rock belting. Please welcome Jonathan Young.

Matt Sallee: Bring the Bass

Above all, Matt Sallee considers himself a team player. His instantly recognizable bass tone rumbles straight from the soul as a strong and supple foundation for collaborators to shine just as brightly as he does. The show-stopping vocalist, artist, and member of Pentatonix instantly captivates in any arena—whether on the stage of a legendary venue or solo in the recording booth. As such, acapella represents not only a creative, but a personal and spiritual calling for him. He made his debut with the group on the platinum-certified A Pentatonix Christmas: Deluxe in 2017, which boasted highlights such as “How Great Thou Art” featuring Jennifer Hudson. His voice boomed on a trio of successive Billboard 200 Top 10 albums, namely PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I [2018], Christmas Is Here! [2018], and The Best of Pentatonix Christmas [2019]. Plus, he lent his songwriting to The Lucky Ones [2021] in addition to performing on Evergreen [2021], which garnered a GRAMMY® Award nod in the category of “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.” Outside of music, he remains an avid basketball and football fan and dedicates as much time as possible to his family.

Peter speaks with Matt about his musical upbringing, what it's like being a part of Pentatonix, the pressure of filling the shoes of Avi Kaplan, misconceptions about the bass voice, being a versatile artist, gratitude, and much more. Please welcome Matt Sallee.

Analysis Essentials Series: Marcelito Pomoy | ”The Prayer” (Live On the Wish 107.5 Bus)

Next up in the Analysis Essentials Series is Marcelito Pomoy's performance of "The Prayer," live on the Wish 107.5 bus. Marcelito seamlessly transitions back and forth between the lower and higher parts of this song, navigating his high falsetto with complete ease, to greatly impress millions of viewers. Please enjoy this iconic performance, and Peter's vocal analysis alongside. 

Ekaterina Shelehova: Opera and Beyond

Ekaterina Shelehova is a singer, performer, and composer who started her career at an incredibly young age -- 4 years old! In 2013, she released her debut album MOONLIGHT (Katya), which can be found on all streaming platforms. A Masters Graduate from Conservatory Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Ekaterina has performed all over the world (China, Mexico, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and more) with lyrical repertoire, as well as her own compositions. She has made numerous appearances on TV, including a mainstream show in Beijing, the show Nessun Dorma in Italy (where she shared the stage with Ted Neely, the original Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar), and the show I Soliti Ignoti, a popular show in Italy. This led to her viral performance on Italy’s Got talent, where she presented her own unique composition, which has garnered over 500 million views online. She also participated in Bulgaria’s Got Talent, where she performed her original tracks, which exploded online as well. These performances brought her to exciting new experiences, composing of the soundtrack for The Tempest, an Italian movie based on Shakespeare’s play of the same name, and becoming the lead vocalist for a world-renowned music group, ERA. Since then, she has released an EP, and is currently working on a full album. Besides singing, Ekaterina can speak fluently in 4 languages (English, Italian, Spanish, and Russian), is a former gymnast (8 years) and is an avid fitness enthusiast. She loves studying psychology and adores animals.

Peter and Ekaterina discuss her life plans before going viral, training as an opera singer, pros and cons of being social media famous, life outside of music, goals for the future, and much more. Please welcome Ekaterina Shelehova.

Elizabeth Zharoff: The Charismatic Voice

Elizabeth Zharoff is an internationally acclaimed and world renowned opera singer, music producer, AI voice for self-driving cars, YouTuber and proud mother to a beautiful boy.  She has degrees in music and voice from Oberlin Conservatory, Berklee College of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music, has sung in over 18 languages across Europe, Asia, and North America, and produced music for over 20 video game titles.  On YouTube, she has amassed over 1.3 million followers analyzing voice across multiple genres, with over 240 million views and 30 million watch hours, focusing on vocal technique, performance and music composition.

Elizabeth and I had a wonderful conversation about her musical training, career as an opera singer, transition in YouTube and all the success that followed, vocal technique, and much more. Please welcome Elizabeth Zharoff.

Analysis Essentials Series: Dimash | ”Stranger”

The episode that launched Peter's career as a musical analyst on YouTube, and the most popular video on his channel until being surpassed this year by Diana Ankudinova's performance of "Can't Help Falling In Love." Dimash's performance of "Stranger" solidly planted his flag as one of the world's great vocalists, and this episode was Peter's first exposure to Dimash, having gotten hundreds (if not thousands) of requests to analyze his voice. Please enjoy this deep vocal analysis of Dimash Kudaibergen's live performance of "Stranger."

MALINDA: Find Your Niche

Malinda is a NY/DC based singer, songwriter and actor with a mission to make community through her art. Her debut EP, Love Letter, and her subsequent singles draw influence from folk, pop, and jazz. With the advent of her own music, Malinda is quickly becoming known for her strong sense of vocal storyline, balancing her pure (to quote her fans) “angelic” tone with a more powerful raw belt.

She began her career as a professional actor in regional theatre, including originating the role of Ella in Ella Enchanted: the Musical and winning a Helen Hayes award for her portrayal of Girl in the DC regional premiere of ONCE.  Her original work is a creative exploration of what it is to be a young person in our world today. Dubbed a “social media luminary” by the Washington Post, her YouTube content ranges from little conversations, to quirky tunes, to fully produced original music videos.

Malinda’s two Celtic EPs, The Folks I Love and Sea to Sky, both hit #1 on the iTunes World Music Charts.  Her debut original album and accompanying visual album, “It’s All True” debut in Cinemark movie theaters across America and she is now headed out on a full US tour.

Peter and Malinda had a wonderful conversation about how to find your niche in music, establishing a unique brand, her life, career, passions outside of music, as well as MALINDA's daily and weekly routines to stay sharp, happy, and productive. Please welcome Malinda Katherine Reese.

Glenn Miller: The Bass King

Glenn Miller is well-known throughout the United States for his unique basso-profundo voice, specializing in Russian liturgical choral repertoire, which began with singing and recording the Rachmaninoff Vespers in 1989 as a member of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers. To date he has performed this work well over 100 times across the country and has made five recordings of the work.

He has performed and recorded regularly with Conspirare (Austin) and was the featured soloist on this ensemble’s recording which was awarded a Grammy in 2014 for best choral recording, “The Sacred Spirit of Russia,” performing Chesnokov’s “Do not cast me off in my old age,” a choral concerto for basso profundo. It is thought that Miller’s recording was the first of the original ending of the work, which requires the singer to sustain a low G1 (the lowest G on the piano).

Glenn is widely respected and regarded as not only one of the greatest basso profundo singers of today, but of all time. He inspires young bass singers and musicians around the world, and believes at all moments of practice and performance that serving the music is the ultimate goal. Peter and Glenn discuss his career, approach to vocal technique, what makes his voice so rare, favorite performances, repertoire, what Glenn hopes to accomplish as he moves forward in his career, and much more. Please welcome Glenn Miller.