Opera star Sarah Coburn relishes bigger than life roles
Oklahoma State University alumna Sarah Coburn has made a name for herself in the world of opera , thrilling audiences across the globe with what has been described as a “ silvery , resonant soprano .”
Coburn is considered a coloratura , meaning she has an agile voice that is capable of elaborate embellishments like trills and runs .
It puts roles like Juliet in “ Romeo and Juliet ” and Elvira in “ I Puritani ” in her comfort zone , she told The Oklahoman in 2016 . She has also extended her repertoire to include dramatic coloratura roles like Violetta in “ La Traviata ,” she said .
But opera is more than beautiful music music and vocal pyrotechnics ; it demands well-rounded performers capable of not just singing , but acting and sometimes even dancing or fighting .
Its dramatic themes run the gamut of the human experience , from the bliss of new love to soul-crushing betrayal and agonizing death .
In fact , many operas tell stories that include all of the above . And the performers do it all while maintaining control of their voices , using them in a way few humans have perfected and singing expressively in languages that are not their native tongues .
Coburn told The Oklahoman she was attracted to extreme characters .
“ I love the fact that Elvira is bananas ,” she said in that 2016 interview . “ She ’ s not demure , so it ’ s OK if things are a little bit out of control . I ’ m not sure what that says about me , but Elvira has become one of my favorites .”
Her repertoire also includes characters like Lucia in “ Lucia di Lammermoor ,” a tale of star-crossed love set in Scotland . Coburn has starred in several productions of the opera in recent years , including a run with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in 2021 .
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STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE