Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Profile of Shannon De Vine, who will perform Escamillo in 'Carmen' with One World Symphony Sunday, September 23, 2012

One World Symphony

Shannon De Vine Profile
Shannon De Vine will perform Escamillo in Carmen, One World Symphony’s 12th season opener on Sunday, September 23, 2012. Previously, Mr. De Vine was a featured soloist with One World Symphony as Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Iago in Otello, Valentin in Faust, Count di Luna in Il Trovatore and Marcello in La Bohème and Captain Balstrode in the critically acclaimed and uncut production of Peter Grimes. Upcoming performances include Pietro in Simon Bocccanegra in March with Placido Domingo at Avery Fisher Hall.

Are any of your family members musicians? If so, what do they do? Any family rituals/routines, talents you’d like to tell us?
-My mother is a successful singer. She has always inspired me to become a disciplined and accomplished musician. Separately, my entire family has musical talent, mostly as singers but some as instrumentalist as well. My aunts and uncles were always my examples as a young person discovering and studying music. I've been fortunate to have music around me from my childhood.

What made you decide to become a musician?
-I had other plans to follow other career paths, but one day discovering music I realized I couldn't "work" without music and singing. Seeing the effect music has on the world is humbling and something I cherish as an artist. I am very lucky every day I get to participate in it and share it with others who love it as well. The most rewarding part of that decision is exposing new audiences to great music. 

What was the most recent book you’ve read?
-Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. It's an insight on the challenges people, particularly artists experience and must overcome in fully realizing their fullest artistic nature and full development of it through diligence and consistency, conquering every aspect and facet of resistance. A great tool! 

When you make some free time, how do you relax?
-I love nature. Walks in the park or anything related to the naturalness of things round me. I find quiet places whenever I can, it helps me get back to me in the midst of the busy and sometime over-stimulating energy of NYC, I think that's vital for me and my creative process. I also try to stay connected to my close friends, helps rejuvenate me also. I love dancing too ... when I can steal a fun night out dancing with friends is bliss. 

Which is your favorite destination you have visited and why?
-This is a very hard call, but I think Istanbul would be my answer in this moment. However, I am a life traveler at heart and some of my favorite places are Rome, Florence, Prague, Barcelona, Vienna, Paris, London and St. Petersburg.   

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
-Certainly one important piece of advice I've received is "there's only one you and since there's only one you you can never be compared", always allows me to be me and stay true to my nature in a business that in recently imposed with so many outside influences.  Another I cherish is, "to whom much is given, much is required" or another way I've heard it, hard work beats talent if talent fails to work hard".

What do you feel is multicultural awareness and how does it affect our work environment and community at large?
-I feel multi-cultural awareness is the understanding of others and their cultures through experience. It's a simple openness to things those things which are different from our specific cultural background but for me it's the interest and pursuit of merging or similarity of those things. I feel it is crucial in our society, especially today. It's the fundamental way we can relate to one another. The world has changed so much and we are so mixed and multi-culturally integrated I think it's imperative now more than ever. There are so many wonderful cultures to acknowledge, the best part is realizing no matter what the genre, style or inspiration or language, music connects all cultures and makes us all instinctively connected to one another. 

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be? 
-I've always thought a lawyer, but I now think it would have to be a career related to music, a voice teacher, agent, or upper level music executive.

You have been an active artist with One World Symphony performing Alfio, Iago, Valentin, Cont di Luna, Marcello, and Balstrode. What was your favorite memory working with One World Symphony?
-I have enjoyed every collaboration with Sung-Jin and One World Symphony. If I had to choose one I think the Conte di Luna in Trovatore is a great highlight for me. Some other favorites are Alfio and Balstrode in Peter Grimes. 

Why would you recommend our public to attend One World Symphony’s Carmen on September 23 and 24, 2012 in New York City?
-One World gives high level performances that are accessible to everyone. It's a great time to connect to opera and live music in a new and contemporary way and in the music mecca NYC. I think the forum is fun, exciting and natural. I would encourage everyone to see the performances of Carmen. It's a great opera and great music and a really enjoyable night of music for everybody, as much for the audiences as for the performers.  

No comments: