PROFILES IN ARTS ACTIVISM ~

Soprano Sarah Wolfson (Photo by Peter Konerko)

Sarah Wolfson

The First Prize Winner of the prestigious Concert Artists Guild Competition, Lyric Soprano Sarah Wolfson performs repertoire ranging from Monteverdi madrigals to hot-off-the-press premieres including Paola Prestini’s song cycle, Cut Him Out in Little Stars, which Sarah presented at her acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Hall in 2008. Sarah has sung principal roles with opera companies including Wolf Trap Opera, Aspen Opera Theater, Opera North, Kentucky Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, and Spoleto Festival USA. She is currently on the faculty of Columbia University, where she teaches vocal performance, and recently received her yoga teacher certification (RYT) from Tias and Surya Little in Santa Fe through Prajna Yoga.

The through-line of Sarah’s multi-faceted activities – concertizing, creating roles, teaching voice and yoga – is that she is a communicator in the very best sense, onstage and off.

Recently, we sat down with Sarah to learn a bit more about her arts activism in action.

How did you first become aware of and involved with Sing for Hope?

I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to perform several times with Camille and other wonderful singers in Houston for “Sing for Hope: An Evening of Art Songs and Arias,” the annual fundraising concert for Bering Omega AIDS Services. It was a gift to see how far Camille had taken her commitment to helping Bering Omega, which had provided terminal phase care for her dear friend, the wonderful tenor Frank Logan, many year ago. I was in awe of the awareness, support, and funds that she was able to raise – over 3 million dollars at last count! That got me thinking about creating an event for a cause that was dear to my heart here in New York City.

Why did you choose to support Bent on Learning, the yoga-in-schools program?

Well, it’s actually twofold. When I first spoke with Sing for Hope about working with a non-profit, I mentioned that working with school children was important to me. I am a proud graduate of the Washington, D.C. public schools, so I’ve experienced firsthand the financial and emotional neglect of inner-city public school students. To be able to call attention to these inadequacies in our own backyard, and find innovative and imaginative ways to open up the lives of these students, allows me to give back to that community in a creative way. Furthermore, in addition to being a singer, I have been practicing yoga for the past six years. The same passion, focus, and mediation that I find in music, I have also discovered through yoga. By introducing yoga and all its benefits (both physical and mental) into the classroom in underserved NYC schools, Bent on Learning is able to open many paths and possibilities in the lives of these students. I truly believe that even the smallest spark of inspiration can lead to great things, and BOL and its teachers are able to ignite that spark for students whom the system often ignores.

How did opera fit in with the mission of Bent on Learning?

Music is about the freedom to find who you are and express who you are. It’s about embracing sadness, happiness, and everything in between. Great singing is about being grounded in your body and being in command of your physical space and well-being. BOL teaches that these are the same benefits that one reaps through yoga and meditation. A great artist and a great yogi are able to have the strength to believe in themselves and what they can contribute to society. The BOL students who receive this message can go on to be healthy, self-confident leaders, who contribute to their communities.

How did the first year of the event go?

I thought the first year would be hard, but it ended up being remarkably easy. I think that at first we were all a little “the blind leading the blind”, but Sing For Hope has worked so hard to make these concerts go smoothly by providing guidelines and guidance. The wonderful Rubin Music of Art generously allowed us to use their jewel box of a theater. Jennifer Ford, Anne Desmond, and Courtney McDonald, the wonderful women who run BOL, were so flexible in their ideas and gave me full creative reign over the concert. I came up with a theme (Dreams of Childhood), which was a great overall theme for building a really exciting concert. Sing for Hope Donor Artists involved included composer Lance Horne, who donated an original composition, “Drishti,” to accompany the slide show, the amazing Imago Duo from Cirque du Soleil to perform, and in addition to all the wonderful singers and pianists, we had drummers, guitarists, a sitar player, and a tabla player! The outcome for BOL was that we raised almost $20,000. We were even fortunate enough to have Moby attend and generously donate $1,000! But most importantly, we raised greater awareness for the amazing work of BOL.

How will this upcoming concert, a year later, be different?

This year BOL has worked hard to create a Host Committee. This has made getting the word out about the concert even easier. It has also brought in more corporate donations from places like Whole Foods, Gaiam, and others. It allowed BOL to structure the event more by naming an Honorary Chair, Donna Karan; and a Host, Gabrielle Roth. I have added more instrumentalists, dancers, and even BOL students to the evening’s performance. I felt it was so important to have the students and teachers be active participants. They are the lifeblood of BOL, and the audience will feel a deeper connection to the organization just by seeing them in person. We’ve already seen so much growth and it’s only our second year!

How has your connection with Bent on Learning evolved over the past year?

Having had such a great success last year, I feel that we have not only worked out all the kinks, but have learned how to think further ahead. We know how exciting it is to create a fundraising event of this type, but we now think beyond the concert to cultivating lasting connections in the community. Working with BOL has shown me how these kinds of concerts can be an important piece of a larger puzzle, and can get people more actively involved in a wonderful cause. I’m honored to be a part of that!

Sarah airborne! (Photo by Peter Konerko)

To read more PROFILES IN ARTS ACTIVISM, click here.