This time, Rebecca takes her turn as interviewer. She speaks to the exceptional Lauren McQuistin about her journey through alcoholism and into recovery, and how it has impacted her musical and personal life. Alcohol is such a mainstay of the music industry, classical and otherwise, and Lauren speaks with such honesty and eloquence on this historically taboo subject. The line between what can be seemingly 'harmless' social drinking and potentially devastating alcoholism is extremely fine, and hearing about Lauren's own struggles and subsequent determination to recover was inspirational to say the least.

Scottish soprano, Lauren McQuistin, completed her undergraduate studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before moving to America to pursue a Master of Music at Indiana University. In Scotland she featured as a soloist with BBC Choir of the Year Les Sirenes, as well as performing as Donna Anna in scenes performances. A keen interpreter of Russian music, McQuistin made her Scottish Opera/McOpera Collective debut as Marfa in Shostakovich’s Rotschild's Violin, as well as competing in and winning the Art Song class in the Sergei Leiferkus Competition for Voice in Moscow. Upon moving to America, she performed as Alice Ford and Adriana Lecouvreur in Vaness' Opera workshop, and she made her IU principal debut in 2016 as the title role of Florencia in the Jacob's School of Music production of Florencia en el Amazonas. She then went on to perform Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Bloomingvoce, in Bloomington. During this time she was awarded district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions in St Louis and Nashville. Lauren was additionally the recipient of the Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Prize, whose purpose is to assist in launching the career of a graduating voice student who demonstrates exceptional talent as an artist and promise for professional success.

Find out more about Lauren: https://www.laurenmcquistin.com

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Edited by Stuart Beard

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