By Natasha Barbieri
Juliette is a beautiful and extremely talented mezzo-soprano whose dark, rich voice inspired a chocolate!
Juliette, you’ve studied at various music schools and were able to have a firm grounding in technique, reading and playing music, so much so that now you can not only arrange but compose music. How have these skills benefited you as a singer?
Personally, being an all-around musician has been an invaluable asset to my career as a singer. When I was still at music college, I was able to pay my way by getting choir work as I could sight read easily. Now when I have a lot of new music to learn quickly, I don’t have to worry about learning notes – I can immediately start singing it into my voice. I also think you can spot a singer a mile off who has hardly any musical training – for all the wrong reasons! Conductors don’t like them either and they often request certain singers.
Although you’re still a young artist, you have already performed in several operas. How important to you think it is to wait until your voice is ready?
I think it depends on your voice type and obviously your technical ability but you only get one voice and it’s very sensible to have a teacher or agent who can advise you. It also depends on the size of the theater (somewhere like English National Opera is a lot more work to fill your voice – around 2,000 seats).
You recently created the role of the ‘Flamingo Rock Star’ in the world premiere of the opera “The Birds.” How different is it to create a role instead of playing a character that has been performed hundreds of times before? Do you have a preference?
There is always pressure when you sing a very well-known role because you are immediately setting yourself up to be compared to all the other singers who have previously performed it! Creating a role is fantastic fun, you have no preconceptions of what your character should be like or sound like. Having said that, I am singing my first Dream of Gerontius with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra next month, and despite having intimidated myself by listening to Dame Janet Baker, I am dying to have a go!
How did your recording contract (with Sony BMG) come about? Did you have to audition for them, or had they already heard you sing?
They had heard a recording of me but I had to audition. I was nearly signed by EMI the year before but they decided to go with a singer called Keedie instead!
You’ve been composing music for British television shows and movies for a while now with your husband. You’ve been featured on soundtracks for “Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter,” and “Star Wars – Phantom Menace.” What is the process like when recording music for a movie?
Normally very last minute – the music is the last thing to be sorted out as obviously you cannot cut the music to picture before you have the picture. Having said that, the deadlines really get the adrenalin going which I love.
The whole crossover debate is ongoing. Some critics seem to think classical artists who participate are selling out. On the other hand, you have Paul McCartney winning the Classical Brit Awards. Do you think people ‘are dumbing down’ classical music?
I don’t have a problem with crossover music as such, what I have a problem with is badly sung or badly produced music. This business is still an industry and at the end of the day, it works on supply and demand. If no one was buying Paul McCarney ’s new album, he wouldn’t have won. There is clearly an audience there for crossover so my job as a producer is to make sure it is of the highest quality. There are a lot of working opera singers who do mind when certain crossover artists are described as opera sings when they have never been on an opera stage – I can understand their frustration!
Finally, you recently went back to the studio to record more music. What are your plans for the future?
I have just recorded some more tracks for an international release but I am also working on the soundtrack for a new British movie out next year and producing a fantastic new brass quintet.
Featured in our Fall 2007 Issue.
Learn more about Juliette’s projects: juliettepochin.com
