Imagine finding your voice...in an opera house! On Sing LOUDER, host Jake Heggie talks with great artists about the high wire act of life an opera singer.

In this episode, two-time Grammy award-winning singer Sasha Cooke shares how she went from hiding her voice, and herself, to shining brightly on the great stages and opera halls of the world. She reveals the process behind a few of her most memorable performances...including how she overcame every singer’s worst nightmare in front of an audience of thousands.

You can find Sasha at www.sashacooke.com and @sashamezzomama on Instagram.

CORRECTION: Sasha grew up in College Station, Texas.

Featured Music:

• Jake Heggie: “Some Times of Day” from The Best Time of the Day
• Hector Berlioz: “La damnation de Faust, Op. 24 - Part IV - Romance de Marguerite”, with the Aspen Festival Orchestra and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra Chorus led by Robert Spano
• Arrigo Boito: “Ecco il mondo” from Mefistofile, performed by Sam Ramey, with the Philharmonia Orchestra led by Donato Renzetti
• Samuel Barber: “Sure on This Shining Night” to poetry by James Agee, with pianist Wu Han
• Gustav Mahler: “Ruckert Lieder: IV. Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft”, with the Colburn Orchestra led by Yehuda Gilad
• John Adams: “Am I In Your Light” from Doctor Atomic, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra led by Alan Gilbert
• Mason Bates and Mark Campbell: “Scene 17: Kan Ji Zai Bo Za Tsu” from The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra led by Michael Christie
• Giuseppe Verdi: “Messa da Requiem”; Sasha Cooke and Angela Meade sing with the Houston Grand Opera Chorus and Orchestra led by Patrick Summers, from the 2017 run at the Wortham Theater Center
• J.S Bach: “Suite No.1 In G, VI. Gigue - Vivace (Instrumental)” performed by Daniel Domb

Producer: Emily Shaw

Story Editor: Nathan Tobey

Mixing Engineer: Seira McCarthy

Sound Recordists: Seira McCarthy, Dylan Williams, Raheem Frederick (San Francisco Conservatory of Music); George S. Rosenthal (The Complex Recording Studio)

Executive Producer: Bob Ellis

Photo by Stephanie Girard

Sing LOUDER is supported by a non-profit LLC promoting public education about the art of singing. Special thanks to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.