How did you become interested in music?
I am one of seven children and our home was always full of music from Classical to Motown. My mom had a beautiful voice and loved to sing and dance. Dad adored it when we all sang. Because we had so many kids, people came to our house often and we were like our own Von Trapp Family from the Sound of Music. “ Okay kids, it’s time to come out and sing!” When I was really young one of my older sisters always had the lead roles in our family recitals and I remember very well looking at her and thinking …”hmmmm that should be my part.” At 21 I was visiting the same sister in Hawaii and she took me to her voice lesson and it was as if I was hit by lightning. I knew I had to sing opera. I didn’t want to leave Washington D.C., so at 26, I attended the best music school at the time which was Catholic University and majored in Vocal Performance.
Tell us about your favorite performances
I was fortunate enough to have the patience to practice daily and work tirelessly on my studies and voice. It usually takes 8-10 years to train a voice to sing opera professionally and I was able to do so in 4-5 years. I believe in making your own opportunities and I often did just that. When I was ready to perform ( after years of private voice lessons, coaching, linguistic coaching and acting, I was ready and I put myself out there auditioning. Starting as a lyric soprano I sang a lot of Mimi’s in La Boheme. There is little better than dying on stage and seeing people wipe their tears to know that you reached them. I sang in Maine, Indiana, Columbus, North and South Carolina, Connecticut and when Washington Opera in D.C. finally agreed to hear me , I sang there a number of times. I had switched fachs to Mezzo soprano and loved playing the pants roles.
Who are your musical inspirations?
My musical inspirations come from artists like Callas, Renee Flemming, Agnes Baltsa, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, Whitney Houston and Barbara Streisand… and my mom and sister! Victoria De Los Angeles many of the older generation of singers like Tabaldi Sherrill Milnes. Acting is so important in opera and Callas inspired me with her acting.
Who are your favorite composers?
I adore Puccini and Verdi. I respect Mozart and its difficulty. If you can sing Mozart you can sing anything.
What are your teaching and performance goals?
My teaching goals are to improve any and all students' voices that come my way. I really enjoy making changes to a voice and in doing so, improve the confidence of the singer. It is incredibly rewarding. Due to an illness I had I cannot sing opera any longer however I continue to sing all other genres ( except rap !) I love singing Barbara Streisand songs and old music theater pieces. It’s kind of like singing happy birthday compared to Opera. What fun!
Patricia Wulf received her BM in Vocal Performance from Catholic University School of Music. She was a soloist Mezzo Soprano with various opera companies throughout the US, including the Washington Opera. Patricia is a private voice teacher and has served as faculty at Catholic University and Shenandoah University.
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