Member Spotlight: Mica Liberta-Smith - Baritone

By Audition Oracle – Thu 4 Jul 2024 @ 9:03

This week our Member Spotlight falls on British baritone Mica Liberta-Smith

 
Mica Liberta-Smith - Baritone

1. How do you describe yourself as an artist? 

The Nonbinary Baritone (they/them) – a gregarious, dedicated, passionate and determined singer. 
 

2. What other skills or passions do you have that help shape you as an artist?

As a former fine-dining chef I am detail-oriented, focused and love to cook for my spouse and friends. I have a passion for taking opera to new and different venues and to drawing in new audiences of all ages. Teaching and coaching my students. While travelling and relaxing, I enjoy crocheting and am also a huge table-top role player and board game lover!
 

3. What has been the most memorable and rewarding experience you have had as an artist? 

That would have to be either performing Alidoro (fairy godparent, La Cenerentola) with Barn Opera in Vermont USA in a glorious sparkly costume and inviting all the children from the audience to come onstage with me and 20 joined to cast some magic! Or singing the duet scene as Germont (La Traviata) with a dear friend as Violetta on the main stage of the Wales Millennium Centre with Maestro Carlo Rizzi and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and being congratulated by the Maestro and given “stamps” by the orchestra. It felt like I had “arrived” and I felt genuinely seen and heard by people I truly respect.
 

4. What role, company or performing situation would be a dream come true for you as an artist? 

The dream would be performing Rigoletto, Figaro, Scarpia or Nick Shadow on the stage of one of the world’s biggest opera houses! But also perhaps challenging expectations by taking on gender fluid/nonbinary roles. My main dream is to show it is possible to be yourself and not have to conform to stereotypes to have a career in this industry.
 

5. What do you like most about being a creative artist? 

Having the opportunity to live my life authentically and to do what I love – singing and performing - every day; making things more accessible for trans, queer and disabled performers; and proving to myself and others there is space for trans opera/classical singers. In a nutshell, hopefully inspiring others by being the person I wish I could have seen on stage more openly and in my life when I was younger.
 

6. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? 

You can be you. You are not broken. Keep going and you will get through this and become the person you are meant to be. You are and truly can be loved. 
 

7. Three words that are the pillars you shape your career by:

Authenticity, Love and “Help-someone-feel-something”!
 

8. Where can we support you performing next?

I will be performing the role of Collatinus with the British Youth Opera in the opera The Rape of Lucretia performances 12-15 August with the Southbank Sinfonia at the Thames Tunnel shaft at The Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe. I am the only Solo cast Role for all four shows (with a very wonderful cover!) I feel very privileged as everyone is very talented and also lovely people! The concept is amazing though you will have to come see to know all about it! 

We are in the early stages of setting up Transgress Opera, a new queer and trans-led opera company creating innovative, accessible opera and music theatre in Cardiff and beyond. A mixture of updating staged operas, concerts/ cabaret evenings and showing how accessible opera/classical music can be! We are actively looking for people to be involved on and off the stage or in a supporting/funding capacity to start getting things properly established.
 
Purchase tickets to The Rape of Lucretia here, and to follow Mica's career visit https://auditionoracle.com/singer/mica_smith/