Meet Emily Michiko Jensen | Soprano, Opera Singer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Michiko Jensen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily Michiko, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up, music had been a part of my life either through piano lessons or singing with the San Diego Children’s Choir. My dad was a supernumerary for San Diego Opera for 20+ years, and in that time, he brought the whole family to casting calls for various operas. (I was 8 when I got to super in my first opera!) The following season, we went to see Carmen at San Diego Opera, and I vividly remember seeing a group of children rush to the center of the stage to sing. I had no idea children were able to sing in operas at that point. That moment began an interest in joining a choir and I eventually got to sing the children’s chorus at SDO in a few productions, including La bohème and Turandot. While a member of SDCC, a director had encouraged me to pursue voice lessons. Working with a teacher and vocal coach, led me to applying to & attending the Interlochen Arts Academy as a member of their Advanced Vocal program. I met other high schoolers from around the country who had a passion for music. It was there that I learned one could pursue Vocal Performance as a degree in college.

I attended the Eastman School of Music at University of Rochester for my Bachelors of Music, New England Conservatory for my Masters of Music & Graduate Diploma, and I began my Performance Diploma at Indiana University in 2019-2020. I’m currently an Apprentice Artist at Chautauqua Opera Company where I am covering the title role of Tosca. I will sing the role of Angel More while covering Susan B Anthony in “The Mother of Us All” by Virgil Thomson. At the end of the summer season, I will take part in a workshop of a new opera by Derek Bermel based on the book “The House on Mango Street.”

Pursuing a career in the arts was an easy decision in that it combined many interests: languages, history, & travel to name a few. My studies have brought me to Austria, Germany, & Italy, and I’m excited to see where my professional career will take me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am very excited about the direction of this field. Opera has a long history, and I am proud to be a part of a generation that helps bring about new ideas & important dialogue. There is vital work being done by organizations like the Black Opera Alliance and the Asian Opera Alliance – both coming to fruition during the pandemic. The BOA has led the way, and inspired the creation of the AOA.

From www.asianoperaalliance.com : “Opera is on the brink of resurgence, and while we are hopeful for what is to come, we also want to be proactive in advocating for ourselves and our Asian colleagues, who historically have been neglected.
We are committed to working alongside companies to improve the industry and its current biases and to cast a new generation of role models, to inspire future generations of Asian opera professionals.”
Please visit their website & www.blackoperaalliance.org for more information on both organizations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Whenever I’m in town, I feel like a bit of a tourist in that I want to walk around Balboa Park, go to the San Diego Cat Cafe in Downtown, and head over to Old Town for lunch. One of my best friends (from middle school!) lives in San Diego, so we always make sure to catch up over coffee or a meal & a bit of traveling around the area. My family enjoys dim sum at Jasmine in Kearny Mesa, and the view that comes with lunch at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be where I am today without the amazing teachers & mentors in my life: Rita Shane (who passed in 2014) was a fountain of knowledge. She helped me shape my perspective in what it means to train your voice for longevity in this career. As a young undergrad, I was encouraged to sing what felt right while we rebuilt my technique. She would tell me that there was “more voice inside” that just needed time to develop. I didn’t quite understand what she meant at the time, but looking back she was right.

Lorraine Nubar began teaching me right as my voice was developing. Exactly as Ms Shane has predicted, my voice was growing in size, and Lorraine helped me understand how to train this new sound. She has an incredible ear, and knows how to diagnose technical issues quickly. I learned so much in each lesson and was encouraged to keep exploring the new repertoire my voice could now sing.

While studying with Lorraine, I was also working with Michael Strauss – a brilliant vocal coach based in Boston. I met both of them at New England Conservatory and will always credit them for helping me navigate this time in my vocal development.

When I attended Indiana University, I began studying with Timothy Noble and coaching with Gary Arvin and Kevin Murphy. I took Michael Shell’s Acting Technique for Singers course, and Heidi Grant Murphy’s Opera Workshop class. It was such a welcoming & nurturing environment where I could grow as a complete artist both on and off stage.

The next group of people I want to recognize came into my life during the pandemic. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been employed as a singer during that time. Janna Ernst guided me as a vocal coach, mentor, and friend; I credit her with helping me survive the ups & downs that the pandemic brought on.
Last season (2021-2022), I was an Artist in Residence at Pensacola Opera, where I met a wonderful team of people: Cody Martin, Jerome Shannon, & Chandra McKern offered support and guidance in helping me understand what the next steps in a career might look like. They were generous with their time & advice. The program offered voice lessons with Jason Ferrante, who helped me immensely.

Last, but certainly not least, my family who have supported me on this journey of pursuing degrees, training, audition seasons, and who come visit me on contracts to see performances.

Website: www.EmilyMichikoJensen.com

Instagram: @EmilyMJensen_soprano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyMJensenSoprano

Youtube: Emily M, Jensen

Other: For booking/business inquiries: Stratagem Artists Management – Justin Werner, Artist Manager

Image Credits
Photography by Jiyang Chen Photography, Dan Busler Photography, IU Opera Theater