High notes from the Hill

Aaron Blake as Nadir, a fisherman who returns to his village after a long absence, in the Tulsa Opera production of Pearl Fishers in 2016. Photo by Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World

Flying high, from “Peter Pan” in third grade to “La Traviata” opposite Placido Domingo

New York Metropolitan Opera tenor Aaron Blake knew when he was in third grade at Peninsula Heritage School that he was different from his classmates.

“I just had this kind of mature, more polished sound in my voice. When I would audition for musicals, I would generally get the principal role,” he said.

That year he played Michael in the Greater Los Angeles Children’s Theater production of “Peter Pan.”

“I got to fly and the whole third-grade class came to watch me perform. I thought that was really cool,” Blake recalled.

Throughout elementary school, his stage credits grew, but otherwise, he led a conventional Peninsula kid’s life. He played tennis and football at Chadwick until he transferred to Peninsula High where he sang in the school’s award-winning choir, under the direction of Patricia Maddaford.

He attended Bobby Burgess’ cotillion (Burgess was an original Disney Mouseketeer and a  dancer on the Lawrence Welk Show) and completed over 100 hours of community service for Palos Verdes.  

His theater trajectory did encounter a hurdle, while he was in seventh grade at Chadwick School.

Sarah Coburn is Rosina and Aaron Blake is County Almaviva in last month’s production of “The Barber of Seville” by the Tulsa Opera Company. Photo courtesy of the Tulsa Opera Company

“I was cast as Tony (the lead) in The Boy Friend and then cast in a (non-musical) play. I had a bit of a learning disability and wasn’t able to learn my lines quickly enough.  From that moment on I was actually barred from any leading roles. That was really shocking for me, because that was what I lived for,” he recalled.

Two years later, Blake stage career received an unexpected boost when he was cast as Jesus in a Curtains Up! Community Theatre production of “Godspell.”.  

“A family acquaintance heard me sing and said I really should consider training my voice. I was completely untrained at that point. I would wake up in the morning and find my voice was different from the day before. Then I was introduced to my first voice teacher, Annette Smith, who’s an icon in Palos Verdes.”

“I met Annette through Geralyn Glass, one of her former students. Geralyn was giving a recital at St. John Fisher shortly after the production of “Godspell” and invited my mother and me to hear her and my mother ended up sitting directly in front of Annette.

“At one point my mother turned around, not knowing it was Annette, and said, ‘Wow she’s really wonderful,’ and Annette nodded and smiled.

Aaron Blake is Nadir and Sarah Shafer is Leila in the Tulsa Opera’s 2016 production of “The Pearl Fishers.” Photo by Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World

“Once I found out who Anette was I was too nervous to be introduced to her. I was very shy back then.”

“Annette agreed to hear me based on Geralyn’s recommendation. It was very special and kind of a big deal. I remember going over to Annette’s house, the following week for my interview and trial lesson. I was definitely nervous and also excited about learning what training my voice meant. She talked to me for a good 45 minutes, probing me for my commitment to singing before she asked me what I wanted to sing. I was very enthusiastic and passionate. I believe Annette was impressed by my young presence and dedication.”

While working with Smith, Blake began to sense his career potential. “I realized my voice was similar to tenors like Pavarotti and Jose Carreras and Plácido Domingo. And it just turned out that every aspect of my personality, from being detail-oriented, to my love of languages, my creativity, my attraction to Old World culture and music that my mother gave me was part of a career in opera.”

After graduating from Peninsula in 2001, Blake attended Juilliard School in New York City, the country’s preeminent arts conservancy. From there he went to Rice University Shepherd School of Music in Houston for his master.

Last year, was a breakthrough year for him. In February, he reached the finals in the George London Foundation Awards for young American and Canadian singers, earning a $10,000 prize. In March, he made his New York Metropolitan Opera debut opposite the legendary Placido Domingo in “La Traviata.” Then he created the role of Timothy Laughlin in the world premier of “Fellow Travelers” with the Cincinnati Opera, earning favorable review in  New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

More roles and critical acclaim followed. He performed in “Angels in America” in New York, “Romeo and Juliet” in Dallas, “Candide” in Atlanta and “The Magic Flute” in Tokyo.

Blake attributes his success not only to a natural voice and rigid training, but also to his lifestyle.

“I prefer to think of it as personal care choices, which are all about protecting my voice, and the biggest choice is to live cleanly.”

Central to that approach is a Paleo diet prescribed by his mother, a longtime doctor of homeopathy. The diet limits grains, alcohol, and spicy foods, but allows such foods as grass-fed beef and wild caught fish.  

“The idea is to reduce inflammation in my the body so I can stay healthy,” he said.

Morning and evening meditations are also a part of his regimen.  

“As you strive to become a more self-actualized human being, you realize that there’s nothing better than feeling great and taking care of the things that allow to you function as a happy person.”

“Every day is a building block. I want to improve upon yesterday, even if only minutely. I’m always working on ways to make my voice more efficient and improve my consistency so that I’m able to create the same sound every day.”

Blake’s is hopeful for the future of opera, but notes the U.S. lags far behind Europe, where opera has a 500-year tradition.

“In Europe, opera is very alive. Large cities will have multiple opera theaters that are sold out almost every night, because opera was born there and is such a part of the culture.”

“Here, we have the ability to reach a different audience based on our command of social media. Opera is shifting its visual image, as well. Singers are taking better care of themselves. They’re more fit and look like the roles they are singing. And they’re becoming great actors,” he said.

Aaron Blake with his mother Sherry backstage at the Tulsa Opera House in May, following his performance as Candide in the 1956 operetta by Leonard Bernstein.

Blake singled out the Utah Opera as an example he’d like to see emulated.

“They bring opera to every single elementary school in the state over the course of three years. That’s how you end up having opera. Those wonderful voices make an impression on seven-year-olds. Then, when they’re in their teens and early 20s, and can afford an opera ticket, they say, I remember that, and I want to experience that again.”

In the  2018/19 season, Blake will return to the Metropolitan Opera for “The Dialogues of the Carmelites,” make his role debut as Count Almaviva in “The Barber of Seville” with the Tulsa Opera and reprise Tamino with The Komische Oper Berlin on tour in Australia, and New Zealand.  He will make his Lincoln Center Festival debut as Tamino in July of 2019.

But before he to the New York Metropolitan Opera, Blake will join the Los Cancioneros Master Chorale in performing selections from “Dialogue of the Carmelites” during their Holiday Concert at the James Armstrong Theater on Sunday, Dec. 16.

For more on the Master Chorale Holiday Show featuring visit LCMasterChorale.com. For Aaron Blake go to: AaronBlaketTenor.com.

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