Soprano Betsy Diaz, 22, at the Palm Beach Opera Competition

The young Cuban-American singer talks about how she prepares to sing in the competition, including listening to Rihanna's "Umbrella" on her ipod before singing Puccini's "Sì, mi chiamano Mimì" on stage. She also discusses what it is she loves about the art form of opera and how she tries to communicate that to the audience. Read more about the up-and-coming soprano's career on her website: http://www.betsydiaz.com/bio.html.

Italian Soprano Conquers Palm Beach Opera as Tosca

Tosca and Cavaradossi (sung by Riccardo Massi)

"The hefty voice of soprano Chiara Taigi brought an unaccustomed depth and worldliness to the role of the renowned singer Floria Tosca...Fittingly, the role of Tosca was taken by a native of the city of Rome. Chiara Taigi’s rich soprano and subtle acting gave Tosca unusual depth and maturity. Rather than engaging in a succession of over-the-top, jealous diva poses, she gave a realistic – within the bounds of the art form – portrait of a woman of warmth, emotional turmoil and frantic courage. Her singing wasn’t always even or accurate, particularly in the first act, as she berates Cavaradossi about the beautiful blonde woman in his church painting. But her 'Vissi d’arte' was a moving, breathing and emotionally committed performance. Her murder of Scarpia, rather than being a moment for shrieking dramatics, was creepily intimate as she murmured to him to die." [Source]