Debra Mayeux
Tri-City Tribune
Cherise Lukow sipped coffee and spoke to her mother over an Internet connection on Skype. This is a common occurrence at the Kirtland home of Becky Lukow because Cherise lives in Paris, France, where she has become a Prima Donna.
Lukow, a 2005 graduate of Kirtland Central High School, moved to Paris two years ago to pursue her dream of becoming a professional opera singer.
Since moving to Paris, Lukow has spent countless hours studying and working to build a repertoire that would leave many young vocalists with a tinge of jealousy.
“I knew if I was going to pursue opera, I needed to take myself out of my comfort zone. … I had to walk the streets that inspired the composers,” Lukow said.
Her passion for opera began in middle school, when a choir director noticed a certain quality in Lukow’s voice. She was encouraged to sing classical songs and work her voice. Opera, however, was not a favorite activity for the youngster. “It was an acquired taste,” she said.
By the age of 16, Lukow was hooked. “I understood where they placed the sound, opera clicked. It made sense,” she said.
She began training after school with Virginia Nickles-Hircock, the choral instructor at Piedra Vista High School. “She helped me take it to the next step,” Lukow said.
What Lukow desired was an opportunity to be the best, and opera gave her that challenge. “In opera, you have to be a perfectionist. There are the languages, the diction. You have to be able to give of yourself, but respect the composers and the musicians,” she explained. “I love that it’s the art of perfection.”
After Lukow graduated, she headed to the University of Texas at Austin, where she took her training one step further. Opera is not just singing; it’s also acting. “When I got into the University of Texas, I started exploring that element,” she said.
Lukow also met world-renowned opera tenor, William Lewis, who founded the Franco-American Vocal Academy (FAVA). “I was one of the first singers in the program,” she said.
FAVA took Lukow to Paris, giving her the first opportunity to perform in France, and Lewis said of her interpretation of Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffman: “Cherise Lukow, whose exceptional beauty, vocal stamina and technical security merit her the doll incarnate.”
It was Williams who recommended Lukow make the move to Paris. She had thought about New York City, but knew she would be up against a thousand other young vocalists in search of their big break. “As a young musician it’s better to get out of the States and come back with a repertoire,” she said.
Lukow did not know anyone when her plane landed in Paris. She didn’t even speak French. “When I got to Paris, people would talk to me and I would hear one big sound,” she said. However, music became a universal language. “It’s amazing how you can speak with another musician because it’s music.”
The big move out of the country was “scary” for her parents, who had lost an older daughter, but they prayed for Lukow’s protection and let her go pursue her dream. “We knew that was where she had to go, but we got Skype and we talk all of the time,” Becky said.
“It is a testament to my parents to let me leave home, and I’ve never felt burdened by it,” Lukow said.
Instead, Lukow has blossomed into an opera flower. She has been accepted into the Santa Fe Opera’s 2012 Apprentice Program and is releasing a CD this holiday season. The Art of Cherise Lukow is 36 minutes of classical vocals and piano music. It was recorded in Paris and the accompanist is French pianist Vincent Balse.
Her Farmington concert will be a CD release party, with a signing afterwards. “I’ve always been supported by the local community,” she said.
Tri-City Tribune
Cherise Lukow sipped coffee and spoke to her mother over an Internet connection on Skype. This is a common occurrence at the Kirtland home of Becky Lukow because Cherise lives in Paris, France, where she has become a Prima Donna.
Lukow, a 2005 graduate of Kirtland Central High School, moved to Paris two years ago to pursue her dream of becoming a professional opera singer.
Since moving to Paris, Lukow has spent countless hours studying and working to build a repertoire that would leave many young vocalists with a tinge of jealousy.
“I knew if I was going to pursue opera, I needed to take myself out of my comfort zone. … I had to walk the streets that inspired the composers,” Lukow said.
Her passion for opera began in middle school, when a choir director noticed a certain quality in Lukow’s voice. She was encouraged to sing classical songs and work her voice. Opera, however, was not a favorite activity for the youngster. “It was an acquired taste,” she said.
By the age of 16, Lukow was hooked. “I understood where they placed the sound, opera clicked. It made sense,” she said.
She began training after school with Virginia Nickles-Hircock, the choral instructor at Piedra Vista High School. “She helped me take it to the next step,” Lukow said.
What Lukow desired was an opportunity to be the best, and opera gave her that challenge. “In opera, you have to be a perfectionist. There are the languages, the diction. You have to be able to give of yourself, but respect the composers and the musicians,” she explained. “I love that it’s the art of perfection.”
After Lukow graduated, she headed to the University of Texas at Austin, where she took her training one step further. Opera is not just singing; it’s also acting. “When I got into the University of Texas, I started exploring that element,” she said.
Lukow also met world-renowned opera tenor, William Lewis, who founded the Franco-American Vocal Academy (FAVA). “I was one of the first singers in the program,” she said.
FAVA took Lukow to Paris, giving her the first opportunity to perform in France, and Lewis said of her interpretation of Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffman: “Cherise Lukow, whose exceptional beauty, vocal stamina and technical security merit her the doll incarnate.”
It was Williams who recommended Lukow make the move to Paris. She had thought about New York City, but knew she would be up against a thousand other young vocalists in search of their big break. “As a young musician it’s better to get out of the States and come back with a repertoire,” she said.
Lukow did not know anyone when her plane landed in Paris. She didn’t even speak French. “When I got to Paris, people would talk to me and I would hear one big sound,” she said. However, music became a universal language. “It’s amazing how you can speak with another musician because it’s music.”
The big move out of the country was “scary” for her parents, who had lost an older daughter, but they prayed for Lukow’s protection and let her go pursue her dream. “We knew that was where she had to go, but we got Skype and we talk all of the time,” Becky said.
“It is a testament to my parents to let me leave home, and I’ve never felt burdened by it,” Lukow said.
Instead, Lukow has blossomed into an opera flower. She has been accepted into the Santa Fe Opera’s 2012 Apprentice Program and is releasing a CD this holiday season. The Art of Cherise Lukow is 36 minutes of classical vocals and piano music. It was recorded in Paris and the accompanist is French pianist Vincent Balse.
Her Farmington concert will be a CD release party, with a signing afterwards. “I’ve always been supported by the local community,” she said.
