A MIGHTY

BY JENA BUTTERFIELD

At Opera North, Emily Geller sang Ma Moss in “The Tender Land.” Courtesy Emily Geller.

34 WAGMAG.COM OCTOBER 2018

WHEN OPERA SINGER
EMILY GELLER WAS
GROWING UP IN
MANHASSET ON LONG
ISLAND, THE PARTS SHE
REALLY WANTED TO PLAY
IN THE SCHOOL MUSICAL
WEREN’T COMING HER WAY.
“I WAS ALWAYS CAST IN THE
CHORUS,” SHE SAID.
That frustration bolstered her determination to
wrest control of her future away from naysayers and
forge her own path to center stage. “I wasn’t born
with a good voice,” she said. “Teachers didn’t know
what to do with me.”
So, she went out and found someone who did.
“Once I had a teacher that really believed in me,
things changed,” she said. Then in high school,
Geller was accepted into Boston University’s Tangle-
wood Institute for vocal students, a pivotal program
Emily Geller, left, singing Mercedes in “Carmen” at Tri Cities Opera. Photograph by Randy Cummings.
that confirmed her trajectory.
Now, praised by critics as “an effervescent de-
light,” and “delightfully over the top,” Geller has change your technique. Once I learned the correct get results. The teacher she stuck with never gave
made her mark as a mezzo-soprano, performing in technique in how to sing, I got better really quickly.” up on her going to the next plane, even after she
operas up and down the East Coast. For her, opera is an athletic endeavor. didn’t respond or do it right the first time.
Lately, Geller, a resident of Briarcliff Manor, has “I would compare singing to any sport,” she said. Because of her vocal range as well as her act-
been playing roles coveted by so many aspiring “There’s lots of different drills, a lot of things you ing chops, Geller often plays “pants roles,” that of
singers, from Annina in “La Traviata” to Mercedes in work on individually and then put it all together.” young male characters. “Those are usually played
“Carmen” or Suzuki in “Madama Butterfly.” Geller stresses the importance of good support, be- by lower female voices,” she said of contraltos and
In retrospect, her journey to those roles couldn’t ing resonant, being able to tell a good story, singing mezzos. “I have been cast in a lot of comedy roles,”
have happened any other way. at dynamic levels and making sure diction is clear. she added. “People seem to like it so I just keep
“Neither of my parents are musical,” she said. “Being a professional opera singer is like the Olym- doing it.”
“But I was very involved in theater and chorus.” She pics for singing,” she said. “You train for decades. I Geller takes a sensible approach to caring for
knew the stage was where she wanted to be. I start- am still learning to sing.” her voice onstage and off. “If you’re singing tech-
ed out acting first, then evolved into musicals. You That’s one reason she can relate so well to her high nically correctly with low, supported, resonant
only start learning opera when you’re older. Once school students. She sees her role as a voice teacher sound, it’s not necessarily putting a lot of strain on
you get to college you start training on arias. But mu- as critical to not letting great talent slip between the your voice,” she said. “But if you’re singing over a
sical theater and opera are pretty different. cracks. She remembers that it was when she changed long period of time, your voice can get tired.”
“The kind of technique you need to sing over a voice teachers that she got “significantly better.” You won’t find her going mute for long stretches
full orchestra with no microphones is completely What did the teacher do differently? or gargling with warm salt water. “Usually, opera
different. Your body is your instrument,” she said “It wasn’t just one piece of advice,” she said. singers are pretty hardy,” she said. “I just get a
of opera, “Some people are born with larger instru- Voice teachers get good results by not giving up good night’s sleep, stay hydrated and just listen to
ments.” She’s quick to add that weight has nothing on their students. Not in a cheesy, believe in your- my body.” She will try not to yell if ever in a loud
to do with the size. What matters are genetic traits self kind of way. But in that initial moment when environment, though. Her trick is to bring ear-
like the size of the larynx, vocal folds and the length progress is slow. A lot of teachers give up. plugs. “They allow me to hear myself speak.”
of vocal tract. “The ones that had a beneficial effect kept try- Any other routines before Geller takes the
“It’s the technique of voice,” she added. “You can ing different exercises when the first ones didn’t stage?

OCTOBER 2018 WAGMAG.COM 35

 “I wish I could say something really cool,” she
said. “A lot of singers have super-fun routines. I like
to drink coffee before I sing…but maybe that’s just
because I like coffee.
“I do bring my score with me backstage,” she
added, “even though I have everything memo-
rized backwards and forwards.” Directors can al-
ways give last-minute notes.
Is there a particular part she would love to play
in the future?
“I would love to say something that’s a real stan-
dard role,” she said. “I think an obvious answer
would be Carmen” — actually a soprano role that’s
been a showcase for mezzos because of its darker
tessitura. But that’s not the answer she’s leaning
toward. “I’m interested in new, modern operas,”
she said. “A lot of companies do ‘Rigoletto’ by Ver-
di,” she said. “Maddalena is a role (in it) I really
want to do. So that would be the short answer.”
And which opera has moved her to tears?
“When it’s done really well, ‘Madama Butterfly’
makes me cry,” she said. And earlier this year, she
saw “Fellow Travelers,” about a gay love affair set
against the backdrop of 1950s Washington, D.C.,
and the Sen. Joseph McCarthy Communist witch
hunt. That, she said, was “the most I’ve ever cried
at an opera.”
“But I don’t cry when I’m onstage,” she said. “As
Emily Geller singing Prince Orlofsky in “Die Fledermaus.” Photograph by Randy Cummings. a performer, I’ve never cried.”

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36 WAGMAG.COM OCTOBER 2018