Classical Performance-Artist Roxanna Walitzki

Mezzo-soprano Roxanna Walitzki combines the beauty of the human voice with evocative still and video images. Trained in opera, her interest in photography has turned her into a true performance-artist.

Natasha Barbieri: Can you remember at what age you decided you wanted to be a singer?

Roxanna Walitzki: There was always music playing when I was growing up, and I was always singing along. My love of singing grew, and when I was a teenager, I got the idea that I wanted to sing pop music. To facilitate this, my mother enrolled me in lessons with a voice teacher. My first singing instructor introduced me to classical vocal music, and I was instantly enchanted with it – it was so much more emotional, poetic, complex, and expressive than the music I had been listening to. I see that moment as the point of no return for me: I knew I wanted to make music and singing my life, and pursued it with all of the training and dedication that it demands. For a long time, true classical music was the only type of music I wanted to make, but over the years, I’ve stopped seeing a great divide between genres. I hope that my contemporary interpretations of classical music help bring new ears and spark a new interest in something I find so powerful.

Natasha Barbieri: It’s difficult for anyone to hear themselves but what do you think (or have been told) are some of your vocal strengths?

Roxanna Walitzki: I have been told that my voice is very expressive. For me, expression is one of the most important parts of making music. Without expression, sound is just sound, but with it, it becomes music. It has also been compared to caramel.

Natasha Barbieri: Have you always been interested in the visual aspect of art as well as the music itself?

Roxanna Walitzki: I am always searching for ways to express myself, and I feel lucky that I get to switch back and forth between doing so musically and visually. Unlike in music, I’m self-taught when it comes to the visuals. I started playing with self-portraiture many years ago, and have always built outfits and accessories out of whatever I can get my hands on. Both music and visuals have always had a very strong pull on me, and I don’t think I could live without either. I especially enjoy finding ways the two worlds can work together, as when I create artistic music videos and create visuals for live performances.

Natasha Barbieri: Are you inspired by any painters or photographers?

Roxanna Walitzki: Most of my social community is made up of talented painters and photographers, and I am endlessly inspired both by their artistic output, and their creative energy. There is something really wonderful and infectious about how artists view the world with so much imagination, always trying to make it more beautiful and interesting. At the heart of that is my sibling, Redd Walitzki, who is a phenomenal painter. We share a lot of similar fascinations, but have different ways of expressing ourselves artistically. I think our differences are complimentary, and Redd and I have collaborated on countless projects together, ranging from music videos, to their paintings, to photoshoots, and everything in between.

Natasha Barbieri: When it comes to live performances how do you incorporate your love for visuals?

Roxanna Walitzki: For live performances, I create video backdrops from abstract footage I’ve shot, which adds a bit of textural interest to what I am doing on stage. I love avant-garde couture fashion, and so I often create theatrical garments out of unusual repurposed materials. That’s also a way for me to speak about environmentalism, which is a topic I care enormously about. Many of the things we think of as disposable could find a strange new purpose, and for me, transforming them into garments.

Natasha Barbieri: Is there a specific mood or period in music that appeals to you more than others?

Roxanna Walitzki: I tend to be drawn to emotionally expressive music, particularly of the late Romantic era. Darker, more challenging moods often interest me more than lighter ones, and I enjoy finding ways to augment this with the soundscapes and instrumental production I create. I often find an intrinsic connection with German poetry because it can be so harshly beautiful and because it was my first language. I also love the subtlety of the French language when set to softer, impressionistic melodies. Lately, I’ve been very intrigued by baroque music. The song structures are a bit more accessible to our modern ears, and the rhythms are typically dance-like. I have been exploring how to tastefully update Handel and Bach with modern production techniques, which hopefully I will begin sharing soon!

Natasha Barbieri: What are some of your dream projects and locations to film music videos in?

Roxanna Walitzki: I’ve been lucky in that I’ve gotten to work and film in some incredible dream locations already. Redd and I spent the entirety of 2019 traveling and creating artwork together, and we filmed music videos in Croatia, the Canary Islands, and Portugal. I am endlessly inspired by nature – especially landscapes that are a little harsh and uninviting. Sadly those travels had to end with the pandemic, but I hope that one day they’ll begin again. My current dreams are of Patagonia and the Namibian desert.

Natasha Barbieri: In addition to music what other instruments do you play?

Roxanna Walitzki: While the voice is my main instrument, I create every sound that you hear in my recorded music. I play the piano, electric guitar with a violin bow, and create all of the soundscapes and programming. I really enjoy manipulating sounds, and being able to shape every part of the music I create.

All photographs & paintings by Redd Walitzki except “Roxanna-Walitzki-live-1”  by Anthon Smith

To learn more about Roxanna Walitzki visit her official website:
http://roxannawalitzki.com/