The tragic opera was composed in Italian by Gaetano Donzinetti and its three-act story includes blood feuds , ghosts , betrayal and a scene where Lucia , the main character , “ goes mad ” while performing an aria that gives artists like Coburn a chance to show what they can do , vocally and as actors .
Ellen McDonald , spokesperson for Lyric Opera KC said she will never forget watching Coburn in dress rehearsal , especially the “ mad scene ” in which Lucia enters the banquet hall , holding a sword and wearing a white wedding dress covered in the blood of her husband .
“ That girl was really going for it ,” McDonald said . “ She kept saying , ‘ I need more blood !’ so
“ So you just never know why things happen . That ’ s what I was saying . It ’ s just crazy the way things work .”
— SARAH COBURN followed by a performance at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts .
During the master classes , she worked closely with a series of students , offering critiques and even getting hands-on to demonstrate breath support and projection .
During a question-and-answer session following the classes , Coburn told students that pursuing a career on the stage is not for the faint of heart . She also told them to not consider rejection to be a measure of their talent .
Coburn explained how she wound up making her professional debut with the Florida Grand Opera , due to a set of circumstances no one could have predicted , just a few months after it had rejected her for a resident artist program .
It was the lucky break that helped launch her professional career .
“ I was way too young to even go to New York and start because I was 23 , I was clueless and
PHOTO Michelle Charles the prop master brought out plates filled with fake blood and we set them on the table … She could slam her hands down on the table and get more blood on them without the audience being able to see .”
Coburn , daughter of the late U . S . Senator Tom
Coburn , graduated with a bachelor ’ s degree from Oklahoma State University in 1999 , with the expectation of becoming a music teacher , she has said . She went on to earn a Master of Music degree from Oklahoma City University , a program that prepares students for careers in music education and performance .
She was inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame in 2018 .
In spite of her high-flying career , Coburn finds the time to work with music students .
In January , she returned for a week-long residency at OSU ’ s Greenwood School of Music where she taught a series of master classes , scared ,” she said . “ … people wonder why they get rejected from a certain audition … I got way more rejections than I did acceptance letters ( and ) support , ( for ) years .
“ So you just never know why things happen . You don ’ t know why you don ’ t get the audition . You don ’ t know why they rejected your application … So it ’ s all kind of right timing , luck , fate . It ’ s not a statement about your voice , that ’ s what I was saying . It ’ s just crazy the way things work .”
STORY BY Michelle Charles michelle @ stilwaternewspress . com
PHOTOS Ervin Photography
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