JEDDAH: The primary recipient of the Andrea Bocelli Basis-Group Jameel Scholarship, French soprano Clara Barbier Serrano, thrilled a Jeddah viewers along with her gorgeous efficiency on the Hayy Jameel stage on Jan. 22.
Serrano carried out arias by composers comparable to Purcell, Handel, Mozart and Puccini, taking the Jeddawi viewers on a particular journey by means of European historical past from the 17th to the 20th centuries, by way of Italian opera, Mozart and ending with French songs, accompanied by a pianist to finish a lovely, intimate recital.
This occasion is taken into account the primary classical music efficiency at Hayy Jameel.
In an unique interview at Hayy Jameel, Serrano advised Arab Information that she was fortunate to obtain the scholarship because it created probabilities for her, together with the chance to carry out subsequent to Bocelli at totally different areas all through the world.
“I had my first efficiency subsequent to Bocelli after I obtained the Bocelli-Jameel scholarship, it’s actually all the time a pleasure to sing subsequent to him,” she mentioned.
“Now I really feel extra relaxed after we’re on the stage collectively. I’m extra relaxed than earlier than as a result of I do know him a bit bit. There may be very good power that he offers on stage.”
The proficient younger singer carried out the day earlier than with Bocelli at one of many Kingdom’s outstanding cultural locations, the award-winning Maraya in AlUla.
“To be on this place on this Maraya live performance corridor was simply unbelievable, as a result of it’s stunning; it’s so magical how we are able to convey this music to the entire world, after which individuals will someway hook up with it,” she mentioned.
As a toddler, Serrano mentioned that she didn’t know a lot about opera. “My household additionally didn’t take heed to classical music, I used to be not notably into it. I used to be listening extra to jazz and issues like that.”
Serrano’s journey into opera started 10 years in the past when she was 16 years outdated. “I performed the violin as a child, and I took so many musical lessons, singing within the choir, and enjoying the violin, I acquired increasingly more within the voice after which my lecturers would inform me, you’ve got a pleasant voice you need to assume solo, and that’s how I acquired interested by opera or extra in lyrical singing.”
“On the time, I hadn’t seen many operas in my life. And it’s a really explicit type of artwork really. Nevertheless, this curiosity within the voice simply led me to apply this type of singing,” she mentioned.
Serrano mentioned that when an opera is carried out on stage a terrific narrative mixture occurs. “Once we are on stage, it is sort of a story and a plot, it is sort of a theater piece being carried out in a music model. The approach and the best way we use our physique to make the sound are very emotional. It’s important to take individuals with you in one thing very private.”
Serrano obtained the Andrea Bocelli Basis-Group Jameel Scholarship in 2020; she was rewarded with a two-year diploma in opera and an opportunity for her to be absolutely immersed within the opera world.
“I’ve been finding out opera classical singing for six years, together with my 4 years of bachelor in artwork and music in Germany, and now I’m doing a particular type of postgraduate research on the Royal Faculty of Music in London,” she mentioned.
Serrano carried out with Bocelli within the 2020 “Imagine in Christmas” live performance on the Teatro Regio di Parma, on the annual Concerto di Natale in Assisi in 2020, and in 2021 on the Teatro di Silenzio in Bocelli’s Tuscan hometown of Lajatico.
The opera scholarship is open to college students from around the globe. Group Jameel, which helps the scholarship, and Artwork Jameel, which runs Hayy Jameel, are sister organizations based by the Jameel household of Saudi Arabia.
The Andrea Bocelli Basis and Group Jameel scholarship had been established in 2019, with the intention of supporting up-and-coming singers to check opera on the Royal Faculty of Music in London. The second Bocelli-Jameel Scholar was awarded to Egyptian expertise Laura Mekhail in 2021.