New Releases: Mira Ormala “Dreaming”

Mira Ormala has built a career as a musical theater soprano. She studied classically at the Sibelius Academy in Norway and then moved to London for more opportunities. She starred in “Love Never Dies” in the West End and then also played the role of Christine in the Norwegian premiere of Phantom of the Opera. “I’m one of those very, very lucky sopranos, who have got to really live my dream in terms of musical theater and performing. I do a lot of concert work. So I travel a lot around the world.” With lockdowns around the world, Mira had time to think about who she was as an artist off the stage. “That’s how the idea for the album “Dreaming” was born and then I wrote a couple of original songs as well during lockdown which I’ve included on the album. I was very fortunate to work together with John-Owen Jones. He sang together with me on the Phantom duet, ‘The Point of No Return.’” She describes her sound as “clean, folky, classical.”

The album was a collaboration with Auburn Music, Joe and Nikki Davison. “Joe and Nikki Davison did a lot of the arrangements that you hear on the album.” Mira tells us, “I wanted to try to find new material for classical crossover versions of pop songs such as Sia’s ‘Chandelier’, and ‘Wicked Game” by Chris Issak… We had some beautiful live-string players on the album. So some of the tracks are really scaled back just with piano and cello, and others are more full-on rock crossover pieces… It’s interesting actually, that the two original pieces are kind of the two extremes of the album. So ‘Dream with me’ is a heavy, kind of 80s Rock arrangement. Whereas ‘Once back in time’ is just scaled back with piano and cello.” Mira felt it was important to include a couple of Finnish and Swedish songs. “I wanted to make it more personal by representing some of my heritage, also on the album. So a very, very famous song ‘Finlandia’, which is almost like the national anthem of Finland, which I’ve combined with ‘Be Still My Soul’. I actually do it in three different languages, so all of my sort of mother tongues, Finnish, Swedish, and English.”

Stream “Dreaming” on Spotify now!

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Natasha Barbieri, Editor

Editor

Creator of Classical Crossover Magazine. For Natasha music has always been closely tied to her faith. At age 18, Natasha made her opera debut playing the part of the mother in Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ with the Eastern Festival Opera. At 20, she was a winner of the 2011 Young Artist Competition at Andrews University. Natasha graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Music. Natasha has released a series of Holiday singles “A Place Called Home” (2020), “One Little Boy,” and “The Perfect Year” (2021). In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Future Classic Women Awards’ show on Men’s & Women’s Radio Station. Natasha is the creator and editor of ‘Classical Crossover Magazine’ a venture that has allowed her to interview many of the top stars in the genre including Sarah Brightman, Celtic Woman, Mirusia, Paul Potts, and more. During the covid-19 pandemic, she created an online concert series for the magazine that has seen her perform in the same line-up as Alex Sharpe, Lucy Kay, Barbara Padilla, Classical Reflection, and more on the virtual stage. In 2022, Natasha was included on the charity album “Stars of Classical Crossover: Christmas” in benefit of the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Charity.