Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Krawczyńska.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Abigail. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in a very musical household, both my parents and sister sang, and my dad was a church choir director, in his spare time, so music lessons were not really an option for me. I was fortunate to find an excellent teacher in my formative high school years, and he helped guide me on my path into studying vocal performance in college, at Bowling Green State University. It shocked everyone, including my own mother that I wanted to go on and pursue a master’s degree. She thought for sure that I would tire of the constant hustle, competition and hardships of being a musician, but I prevailed and to Boston I came to acquire said degree. After graduating from the New England Conservatory in 2011, I have learned (but not mastered) the delicate skill of balancing numerous day jobs, singing as many gigs as possible, and being a crazy dog-mom to my corgi, Sheldon Schmitz.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As a soprano, my biggest struggle is just getting stage time. In the opera world, the male roles vastly outnumber the female roles, and ironically, the pool of women vastly outnumbers the pool of men. This means that a female generally has to work twice as hard as her male counterpart, but she still may not be cast because the sheer number of competitors. This injustice is being noticed by many in the field, and some organizations are working toward programming more works that feature females, but it is a long road ahead.
Another obstacle that I recently dealt with was finally finding “my voice” after a years of little to no work, post-graduation. In this career, having a team that truly supports you, but can also be constructive, is crucial. However, finding people you can trust, but who also know what they are talking about is a huge challenge. I was fortunate to find my current teacher, Barbara Quintiliani, in the fall of 2015, and since then, not only have I found the repertoire that suits me best, my job offers have multiplied.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Soprano and Co-Managing Diva at Opera on Tap Boston – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Opera on Tap Boston is a fantastic organization that works to make opera more accessible to the masses by bringing the art form into bars, restaurants, public parks, private residences, and more. Our mission is to spread our passion for opera, by giving the audience a more relaxed atmosphere to enjoy it in. We have also recently been working on empowering our female singers and programming more shows to feature them, and also feature works by female composers. There are some pretty amazingly talented women in the Boston area who do not get a lot of stage time due to the supersaturation of sopranos, so we try to give them as many opportunities as we can. This past March we did a comedy/opera night called “A Diva’s Guide to Dating” at Club Cafe, and it was one of the best shows we have produced.
As a performer, I specialize in giving heartfelt portrayals in more intimate venues. My passion for art song recitals and work with Opera on Tap have been an integral part of this discovery, as well my work with Sonic Blossom, a performance art piece by Lee Mingwei that occurred at the MFA in Boston. My proudest and most meaningful moments were when I could share my voice with people that were just a few feet away. Of course, singing at large opera and concert halls is still an aspiration of mine, but the connection and palpable energy that one feels when singing so intimately is such a thrill. I just closed a production of La Bohème with Boston Opera Collaborative, in which we sang the opera to a crowd of 60 people in the brew house of Turtle Swamp Brewing in Jamaica Plain. The most consistent feedback from the audience was how much they loved being so close to the action. They felt like they were one of the Bohemians! Giving the audience a performance like that is what gets them to come back, always wanting more, because they were more than just a ticket sale, they were a part of the experience.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I have a big change of scenery coming up, as I will be the soprano member of the Cantos de Taos quartet at the Taos Opera Institute in Taos, New Mexico! This integrated and intensive training program, focuses on improving total wellness, technique and artistry for young singers, all at about 9,000 feet above sea level. The quartet performers are generally artists who are already singing professionally, and are chosen to perform concerts and galas across the Taos region n diverse venues. Then in July, I will return to Boston to cover the leading lady, Rosina, in IL barbiere di Siviglia with Boston Midsummer Opera. After that… I will just have to see where the road takes me!
Pricing:
- Opera on Tap shows are often times free, but we also have ticketed events that can range up to $55, but that includes a 3 course dinner!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.operabby.com AND www.operaontap.com/boston
- Email: abby@operabby.com AND bpston@operaontap.com
- Instagram: operabby AND operaontapboston
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AbigailKrawsonSoprano AND www.facebook.com/operaontapboston
Boston Opera Collaborative “La Boheme” April 2018
Image Credit:
Dan Busler Photography, T-Stop Pictures, Chris McKenzie
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