Advertisement

'It's unrivalled': Opera singer Joyce DiDonato on why London is the world's best city for classical music

The Kansas-born mezzo-soprano spends most of her time on the road - 2016 Gisela Schober
The Kansas-born mezzo-soprano spends most of her time on the road - 2016 Gisela Schober

The mezzo-soprano recommends Kansas City’s best speakeasy and recalls a bizarre trip involving a night bus and a chicken.

I spend more time on tour than I do at home

It’s pretty tiring but you get to visit so many places in such quick succession. Last year I toured for 10 months: in three weeks we visited Shanghai, Beijing, Macau, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul and Abu Dhabi.


I almost passed out while gorilla-trekking in Rwanda

We managed to get 6ft away from a huge silverback. He climbed up right beside us and loomed over us to prove his dominance. I didn’t breathe for about 10 minutes, honestly.

164426452 - Credit: Mint Images - Art Wolfe
A gorilla in the Virunga National Park, Rwanda Credit: Mint Images - Art Wolfe


You can’t beat Santa Fe in winter

Slightly north of the city is Ojo Caliente, which has hot sulphur springs. There’s nothing better than lighting a fire and retiring to an outside hammock, having spent all evening soaking under the starry night sky. When not relaxing in a hammock, I like to book a casita at the Four Seasons in Santa Fe.


I’ve learnt to keep foodie friends close

...especially if embarking on a sailing holiday. The Balearic Islands – Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza – are my favourites to sail around. There’s always a captain on-board but rather than hiring a chef, I make sure I invite friends who have a talent for cooking.

CAMALL09 - Credit: cristina arias
The quiet cove of Deia, Majorca Credit: cristina arias


Nothing grates on me more than hoity-toity hotels

...where you have to walk on eggshells. The Conservatorium in Amsterdam strikes the right chord. It’s a converted bank, so it’s very spacious, with rooms that are modern but unpretentious. And don’t get me started on the breakfast – the best cantaloup in Europe.


Alinea in Chicago is one of the most imaginative restaurants in the world

Last time I was there, they set the table with these beautiful flags decorated with pressed flowers, or so I thought. They turned out to be rice papers for our spring roll starter. Dining at Alinea is always a creative and participatory experience.


Speakeasies and jazz clubs are back in vogue in my hometown of Kansas City

My favourite is The Green Lady on Grand Boulevard, which is a glowy, candlelit bar where they serve cocktails and where locals perform classic Kansas City Jazz.

For a real party there is nowhere like Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

I personally recommend the Solarium. It’s a three-storey nightclub with live salsa and bossa nova bands where you can dance the night away.


I treasure the photographs I take on my travels, far more than any souvenir

If it doesn’t fit into one of my two suitcases, I don’t need it. Opera gowns take up a lot of space in a suitcase. Every taxi driver who picks up my cases says: “Oomph, these are big.” And I say: “Really? I’d no idea!” I wish I didn’t have to carry so much luggage, but the gowns and the scores take up more space than one might imagine.


My worst trip involved a night bus and a chicken

...during my first audition tour, 20 years ago. I was supposed to be in Seville for a 10am audition, but I missed my connecting flight in Madrid, so hopped on a night bus instead. During that journey a man fell asleep on my shoulder and a chicken caused havoc in the aisle: it was like something from a Pedro Almodóvar film. Eventually, I reached Seville at 4am. I didn’t get the job.

588750323 - Credit: © Brian Jannsen / DanitaDelimont.com/Danita Delimont
The Jardin des Tuileries in Paris Credit: © Brian Jannsen / DanitaDelimont.com/Danita Delimont


If only I could relive the years I lived in Paris

...after I moved there in 2002 to play Rosina in The Barber of Seville at the Paris Opera. My life then was like a movie: I spent my afternoons sketching fountains and statues in the Tuileries Garden and strolling along the Seine.


Taking a shower mid-flight was surreal

I was flying with Emirates, of course. I’d never flown with them before but somehow they manage to make it feel like you’re not even flying. I also love United Airlines – I’m officially a “Million Miler”, as of this year – but my least favourite airline is Ryanair. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that.

ARP3641521 - Credit: 2013 AFP/CARL COURT
Joyce performs at the Royal Opera House in London, 2013 Credit: 2013 AFP/CARL COURT


London’s classical music scene is unrivalled

...and I’ve travelled around quite a bit. There’s such a variety of stuff happening there, from recitals at Wigmore Hall and huge concerts at the Royal Opera House to the Barbican, which hosts all kinds of extraordinary and experimental visiting residencies.


Concertgoers in Asia behave very differently from Europeans

In Abu Dhabi they’ve warned me that the show will start much later than planned because they are expecting a lot of sheikhs to arrive by helicopter, at their leisure. Asian audiences tend to be quite reserved and deferential, until the very end when they explode as if it’s a rock concert.

Interview by Susan Gray

Joyce DiDonato’s latest album, Songplay, is out now