words by
Cindy Hoedel
photo by
Simon Pauly
IN CONVERSATION WITH
Joyce DiDonato
S
heltering in the countryside near Barcelona, the opera diva from Prairie Village tries to sound upbeat in a trans-Atlantic Whatâs App call. Joyce DiDonatoâs liquid voiceâdeeper than expected and scrubbed of any regional accentâsoothes as she talks of improvising and finding joy in the dark days of coronavirus. But anxiety tinged with anger lurks below the placid surface. Her voice has a tell: When she comments on Americaâs failed response to the pandemic, for example, her words slow and then escalate in tempo and pitch, like a finger racing up the piano keys from middle C. You wonder if she is going to sing the next sentence, in fiery aria style. And then, just as quickly, DiDonato gathers her breath and re-centers. Born Joyce Flaherty, the sixth of seven children of a self-employed architect and a church choir director, the three-time Grammy winner and four-time ECHO Klassik female artist of the year, attended St.
AUGUST 2020
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