Andrea Baker - Mezzo Soprano
The Opera Pod - A podcast by The Feast Collective - Thursdays
Classical, Jazz, Funk and R&B were all embraced in Andrea’s Massachusetts household growing up, and with music already very much in the family, choosing it as a career was an easy decision. From Aspen Music Festival and Eastman School of Music, to studying in San Francisco with Blanche Thebom, Andrea has gone on to work literally all over the world. Known for her distinctive voice, intense artistry, and passion, she is the first African American to sing Fricka, Waltraute, Erda and Second Norn in the Ring Cycle in its Chinese premiere at the Beijing Arts Festival, the first African American Carmen in Australia at the Sydney Opera House and to sing the role of Ortrud in the South Korean premiere of Lohengrin. Andrea reveals the extraordinary moments of her career, from her sudden move to Europe, to the most challenging staging she has battled with, and on to her experience of often being the only black person in a white-dominated space. You can find out more about Andrea on her website here or through her agent here You can learn more about Sing Sistah Sing here, the show she conceived and wrote that celebrates the sound and breadth of the African American female voice. You can listen to Andrea’s incredible podcast and radio work here including her interview with her teacher, Blanche Thebom