Lisette Oropesa's journey to becoming a celebrated opera singer is a testament to her talent, hard work, and unwavering dedication. From her upbringing in Louisiana to gracing the stages of the Metropolitan Opera and beyond, Oropesa's story is one of perseverance, adaptation, and a commitment to personal well-being. This article explores Oropesa's path to success, her approach to health and fitness, and her insights on the evolving world of opera.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Born into a family of Cuban émigrés in Louisiana, Oropesa was immersed in music from a young age. Her mother, Rebecca, a soprano herself, instilled a love for music and performance in her daughter. Despite her mother's influence, Oropesa initially gravitated towards instrumental music, excelling as a flutist. Before she graduated from Woodlawn High School, Oropesa was in the All-State Band, and when it came time to audition for LSU’s School of Music, she intended to take flute there, too. However, her mother recognized her potential as a vocalist, noting that opera combined her passions for music, languages, acting, and being on stage.
Oropesa initially courted a double major but eventually did stick with voice, studying with tenor Robert Grayson (a New York City Opera vet who also worked with her mother) and adding some technical reinforcements to her strong foundation of talent. “I really started to fall in love with it, and it was like, flute has been really wonderful for me, but I think I can really do this,” Oropesa says.
The Metropolitan Opera and Beyond
Oropesa's career trajectory took a significant turn when she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2005 during her senior year of college. This achievement led to an invitation to audition for James Levine and the company’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. She made her Met debut in 2006 in Mozart’s Idomeneo. Following that, she was the First Lay-Sister in the company’s new production of Suor Angelica and blossomed the following seasons as Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel, the Woodbird in Siegfried, the Rhinemaiden Woglinde in the final run of Otto Schenk’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, and the pert maid Lisette in Puccini’s La rondine.
Since graduating from the Met’s young artist program in 2008, Oropesa has sung more than 100 performances with the Met in addition to appearing on stages around the world. Some of her most memorable performances have included roles in Les Huguenots at the Opéra National de Paris, I Masnadieri at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, La Traviata at the Greek National Opera in Athens, and Enchanted Island at the Met.
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Oropesa's talent and dedication have earned her prestigious accolades, including the Richard Tucker Award and the Beverly Sills Award, solidifying her position as one of opera's leading stars.
The Weight Loss Journey
Oropesa's journey hasn't been without its challenges. She openly discusses her struggles with weight and her commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Throughout her time at LSU, she did start to think about her health and her fitness. Oropesa got a major reality call from the Met. “The first thing they said to me was, ‘The voice is great. You need to lose weight. The voice type is going to put you in a certain category of looks and people,’” she recounts.
Oropesa took the advice to heart: as a light soprano, she spent the first summer working in earnest toward getting a body to match her voice and signed up for a gym membership at the YMCA, starting off with 15 minutes on the elliptical and increasing her time bit by bit. Earlier this year, Oropesa documented her weight loss story for fellow singer Rebecca Fromherz’s blog, Opera Organically, writing of her rationalization: “People lose weight every day, so I know I can do this and I’m ready; I’m young enough that it shouldn’t be too hard. Besides, why would I let something like that screw my career over before it even begins?”
She has completed six marathons and was featured in Runner’s World magazine for her success losing weight through running, yoga and a vegan diet. Most recently, she ran a half-marathon at Disney World in November.
Running and Yoga
Oropesa discovered the benefits of running and yoga as integral parts of her fitness routine. “Running is the best form of cardio. It’s free, you can do it anywhere, you don’t have to have a gym membership, you don’t have to have a machine.” Like her initial weight-loss journey, Oropesa slowly but surely built up a solid foundation that, almost a year and a half later, sees her running regularly three to four times a week with improved mileage and speed and additional weight loss.
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Around the same time, Oropesa also started to practice yoga. “I said, ‘OK, fine, if I can run, I can do yoga. Let’s see what happens,’” she says. “And we go to class, and it was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. I couldn’t do half of the stretches, I sweated like a pig, my arms were shaking, my legs were on fire. [But] at the end, I remember sitting in Savasana [corpse pose], looking up at the ceiling, and I was like, I get it. I totally get it now, man.
Diet and Nutrition
The increase in activity also led Oropesa to overhaul her diet. “When you’re more active, you realize that the things you eat need to be healthier so you can fuel that,” she explains. Now far from gross, greens dominate her dinner plate. What doesn’t come up, however, are diet foods. “I have fruit every day for breakfast and I have it for dessert-I never skip dessert,” she says, adding that she also has one cup of coffee in the morning and the occasional afternoon pick-me-up, though she normally sticks to water and, occasionally, Gatorade after a long run. Another recent addition to her pantry are chia seeds, a tidbit she picked up from Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run, which explores the life and running habits of the Tarahumara Indians.
The Importance of Support
However, what’s most important for Oropesa is having a broad mechanism and resonating through her sinus cavities. There’s a lot to credit to Oropesa’s trim and athletic figure and stamina-she’s regularly told at intermission by the makeup crew that she doesn’t sweat and, therefore, doesn’t require a touch-up-however she’s quick to attribute most of it to the support system. “Motivation is one thing-self-motivation on your own part has to be there,” she says. “But there’s a difference between support and someone telling you that you need to lose weight-that’s not positive. With my fiancé now, it’s the support. It’s ‘Hey, let’s try a different bean today or a different vegetable-let’s look up a vegetarian recipe we can do together.’ It’s wholly different. . . . I’m super happy.
Navigating the Evolving World of Opera
Oropesa is keenly aware of the changes happening in the opera world and the challenges faced by young singers. “Successful opera singers today don’t really fit the profile of what they may have 20 years ago-that idea of someone who is a diva, who always requires a lot of pampering and being looked after. Lisette is one of the hardest-working singers I know, and yes, she has a very natural talent, but that’s never enough to make it,” says Opéra Louisiane general director Leanne Clement, who was also a student at LSU’s School of Music when Lisette was studying there.
She emphasizes the importance of versatility, physical fitness, and a willingness to adapt to new productions that demand more movement and physicality. “Singers are expected to do a lot more than just stand and sing. Of course, looking the part also helps in an industry where the competition is fierce, especially for soubrettes.
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Oropesa also recognizes the need for opera to evolve and become more inclusive, embracing diversity and addressing social issues.
Reflections and Advice
Oropesa's journey has taught her valuable lessons about perseverance, resilience, and the importance of self-care. “But what all the accolades and positive feedback gave me more than anything was a chance to reflect on my journey up to this point, and take the lesson wrapped up in it. It’s never over. There are peaks and valleys. Not every year is going to be glittered with accomplishments. But the accomplishments aren’t the body of a career. A career is a path, a journey that carries on through the good and the bad.
She encourages young singers to pursue their dreams with passion and dedication, while also being realistic about the challenges they may face. “I try very hard when I go to schools to give them a very frank, open, honest dialogue about what my experience has been … so there are as few surprises as possible,” Oropesa says.