Interview with
Colleen Daly Eberhardt,
Concert Series
Artistic Director

August 5, 2020

Although Colleen Daly Eberhardt doesn’t come by singing naturally—she was raised in a family of athletes—singing comes to her in a natural way. Musical performance was a calling that Colleen accidentally stumbled upon, singing her first solo at Christmas Eve Mass at the age of eight. In an email interview, Colleen reflects on the dedicated teachers who saw and developed her potential, her introduction to opera, and what roles rank among her favorites and sit at the top of her wish list.

When did you start singing? What generated your interest?

I grew up with parents who were jocks.  I played basketball because I was tall, but we learned very quickly that I was not, shall we say, “athletically inclined.” More to the point, I managed to break my arm by tripping over my own foot while running down the basketball court in a game.  So, I joined the youth choir at my church. Our choir director, Fr. Matt, gave me my first solo: the second verse of “Away in a Manger” at Christmas Eve Mass.  I was eight years old, and I instantly knew I wanted to be a singer.

Did you have a particularly influential teacher or mentor?

I’ve been very fortunate to have had several influential teachers and mentors.  Fr. Matt created a space for me and encouraged me to use my gifts.  My middle school choir director, Monika McCormick, later became my adult choir director at church.  She showed me that taking private voice lessons was an option and gave me my first opportunity to cantor at church, giving me practice and confidence to perform as a soloist.  David Crawford, my choir director at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, MD, encouraged me to pursue singing professionally. 

I majored in Vocal Performance at DePaul University in Chicago, where I worked with one of my operatic idols, Susanne Mentzer. Susanne had performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in a concert at my high school while I was a student there, and gave me a glimpse of what was possible in a classical music career. After graduation from DePaul,I began to study with my current teachers: Liz Daniels, who has taught me almost everything I know about technique, and Diana Soviero, who has elevated me technically and professionally in the operatic and concert world.  I’m hugely grateful to all these individuals for the roles they played in my development.

When did you decide to make music your career?

I always wanted to be a singer, but I started considering it seriously as a career during my sophomore year of high school.  At that time, I was eligible for an advanced placement music program that would occupy half of my junior and senior years’ schedules. Obviously, this was a major commitment, and one I was only interested in taking on if music was going to be my future.  

Why opera?

To be honest, I really wanted to pursue a career in musical theatre.  My voice teacher at the time pointed out that I couldn’t dance and couldn’t belt, but that I DID have an impressive range and an ear for languages.  When I was 17, she pulled out an aria from Puccini’s  “La Rondine,” and it clicked.  I thought, “If opera is where my strengths lie, and I get to perform, then I’m in.” At DePaul, I learned about the art form as a whole and fell in love.

What is your favorite operatic role/most difficult role? 

This is a hard question!  It’s like choosing a favorite child! Favorite roles would have to include Violetta in “La Traviata,” Desdemona in “Otello,” the Countess in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” and Musetta in La Bohème.” Definitely on the top of my bucket list is Tatiana in “Eugene Onegin,” but singing in Russian is such a steep learning curve!! 

What operatic roles are at the top of your “would love to perform” list?

In addition to Tatiana, it’s the titular character of Susannah in Carlisle Floyd’s opera.  I was slated to make my stage debut in this dream role with the Annapolis Opera in March 2020.  Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, performances were canceled just before our final dress rehearsal.  It was extremely heartbreaking to see such an incredible production and all of our hard work get sidelined so suddenly, though we all certainly understood and supported the reasons why.  We were grateful to be working for a company that prioritized the safety of its artists and patrons.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your musical career?

That music truly is a universal language -- I can’t think of any emotion I’ve had in my life that wasn’t best expressed through music!  Equally important, that expression of emotion is exceptionally powerful when experienced communally, through live performances.

What was your last performance before concert halls were shuttered due to the COVID-19 outbreak?

In February, I performed as the soprano soloist with the Carmel (Indiana) Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.  My last operatic performance was in New York City in January as one of the leads in a new opera entitled “REV 23” that was presented as part of the PROTOTYPE Festival, a festival dedicated entirely to presenting new classical music.

If I weren’t a professional singer, I would be…

Probably a lawyer.  My husband Terry says I’m very good at arguing, and that I may have missed my calling…