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Member Spotlight: Julia Portela Piñón - Mezzo-soprano
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Member Spotlight: Ben Knight - Bass-Baritone
We are delighted that British bass-baritone Ben Knight has joined us for this weeks Member Spotlight.
1. How do you describe yourself as an artist?
A multi-passionate creative!
2. What other skills or passions do you have that help shape you as an artist?
I am passionate about connecting to a community and just recently joined a running club in Margate, Kent. It has been utterly brilliant to meet fellow creatives who go to the club and I feel completely inspired by hearing their stories. Being a multi-passionate creative, I am enjoying the variety in my work, whether this is singing, teaching, workshop leading or coaching-mentoring. I need that variety as it is so deeply connected to all my passions.
3. What has been the most memorable and rewarding experience you have had as an artist?
I am part of the Create and Sing team at the Royal Opera House and I am totally filled with joy when I am part of the online culmination days ROH offer schools. It is a chance for schools across the UK who have been using the online resources in their classrooms to join online together and share their work. It blows my mind to experience so many young people, from all parts of the country, from different walks of life coming together and sharing their creations that have been connected to the music and stories of operas! It is this work that really sets my soul on fire!
4. What role, company or performing situation would be a dream come true for you as artist?
My dream role would not actually be performing... My coaching and mentoring work with creatives has completely changed my prospective of how we as artists operate in the industry. So my dream role would be working with all the companies that offer Young Artist programmes across the world and working one to one with them to ensure they are able to find balance in their lives and bring their goals and reality closer together!
5. What do you like most about being a creative artist?
As I mentioned, I love the variety in my work. What also brings me joy as a creative artist is collaborating with artists and finding convergence within our skills to share something that moves audiences. The flexibility of being a creative can have its challenges but also brings great adventure! I get to travel with brilliant colleagues to places I thought I would never visit to share work that is so close to me.
6. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
To not doubt your abilities... I am dyslexic and because of my way of learning being different from others, I experienced a dip in confidence and imposter syndrome at music college which meant that I only applied for one competition or opportunity. That one competition I applied for resulted in a prize and a boost of confidence that I needed, I just would have advised myself to have done that sooner.
7. Three words that are the pillars you shape your career by:
Community, Multi-passionate, Resourceful
8. Support Ben Knight and our Audition Oracle community by attending one of his performances:
Ben will next be appearing in English Touring Opera's 'Under the Little Red Moon' at the Royal Opera House on the 26th of May 2024- tickets are available here https://englishtouringopera.org.uk/productions/under-the-little-red-moon#dates-and-times
You can find out more about Ben by visiting his website www.benknight.org.