Young Singer Brings New Hope To Opera

Though opera audiences seem to be growing older, new hope for young people’s love of
this art form emerged at Opera NOVA’s Spring Fling in Arlington on April 29.

Mina Swaminathan, age 15, of Gaithersburg, made her Opera NoVA debut, singing Giovani Paisiello’s “Se Tu M’ami. Mina, who attends Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts in Washington, is launching a Girl Scouts project to “Open up to Opera” on a nationwide scale.

And one spectator, Jenna Francesca Goldberg, age 8, said she was impressed by the lovely voices of the
singers, “especially when they sang high, high high.” An aspiring actress, she often takes the lead role in her school productions.

These girls seemed to be carrying out Opera NOVA’s mission of spreading this high art form from the costly
opera houses frequented by older, rich people to newer, more diverse audiences
at low cost.

Peter Fallon, a candidate for County Board, noted Opera NOVA’s long contribution in introducing young
students to a theater production by professional vocalists of an opera designed for them. “It has democratized access to its performances by building new audiences of seniors and those who are marginalized in the county,” he said.

Fallon was joined by such speakers as Tom Weiner of the Arlingtones and Kelvin Manurs from Nauck, who
stressed the importance of keeping Opera NOVA as it fills a social need that affects the overall culture of Arlington.

The audience at the National Rural Electric Coopertive Building also heard music from Artistic Director Jose
Sacin, and soloists Jocelyn Hunt, Alex Albuquerque, Grace Gilday, Sissel Bakken, Eduardo Castro, Jenni McGinnis and Annie Gill.

Opera NOVA recently completed a highly successful production of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha” in April and
plans a condensed version of Rossini’s classic Cenerentola (Cinderella) next year, along with concerts benefiting seniors and young people.

Photo of Mina Swaminathan, age 15, of Gaithersburg. Credit: Paul Schomburg