While opera may not be the most popular genre of music among today's youth, many students at Tufts are keeping the tradition alive in the Tufts Opera Ensemble. One of these passionate musicians is BryanaMarrero, a senior majoring in music.
Although Marrero did not initially plan on joining the Opera Ensemble when she came to Tufts, the groundwork for her appreciation of opera was laid early in her life.
"My mom would take me to opera when I was a kid," Marrero said.
Marrero sang in her choir in high school, and she was so passionate about vocals that she considered applying to conservatories before deciding on Tufts.
Marrero's appreciation for music was encouraged from an early age by her hometown as well. She grew up in Austin, Texas, a city renowned for its vibrant music scene. As a result, she was exposed to all kinds of music as a child.
"[Austin is] the live−music capital of the world. I went to concerts every weekend I could; that's what interested me in performing as a kid," she said.
Not only is the music scene in Austin extremely active, but it's incredibly diverse, fostering artists who range from the most conservative to the most experimental.
"It's very quirky," Marrero said. "'Keep Austin weird' is our motto; they do a good job of it."
It wasn't until Marrero's freshman orientation that she became interested in performing opera at Tufts.
"The music is so beautiful; there's this historical aspect to it. The idea that anyone could perform that way was very appealing to me," she said.
Marrero is glad she could fulfill her musical aspirations without committing full time to a conservatory.
"I'm getting opportunities that kids in conservatories aren't getting," she said.
Marrero will be singing in the ensemble's performance of scenes from "The Marriage of Figaro" (1786) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the operetta "Die Fledermaus" (1874) by Johann Strauss II.
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