Introduction to Stephanie Doche. 1:16 min. Interview: Raymond Elman + Cindy Sadler. Post-Production: Lee Skye. Recorded via Zoom. 2/17/2023.
STEPHANIE DOCHE was born in Nice, France to an American mother and Canadian father. When she was four years old, Ms. Doche and her family moved to Rochester, New York, where she was raised. She holds dual citizenship in the United States and France-EU.
Doche has rapidly created an important place for herself among today’s rising mezzos. A singing actress of outstanding technical and interpretive skill, Doche (rhymes with posh) has starred in leading roles nationwide, distinguishing herself in diverse styles and repertoire.
A recent graduate of the Florida Grand Opera Studio, Ms. Doche appeared with that company performing as Maddalena in Rigoletto, Narciso in Agrippina, Eunice Hubbell in A Streetcar Named Desire and Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti. Additionally, she was featured as Pamela/Mama in Daron Hagen’s New York Stories and Rosine in Thomas Pasatieri’s Signor Deluso in which she was praised for her “nimble vocalism with deft comic timing.”
In 2023, Ms. Doche is returning to Florida Grand Opera to star in Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.”
The videos below were recorded via Zoom, are organized by Success Factor, and run between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.
EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 0:39 sec.
You were born in France. What is the French pronunciation of your last name?
EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 1:32 min.
What was it like for you to grow up in Rochester, NY, and what was your first awareness of art of any discipline?
SELF-CONFIDENCE: 0:50 sec.
Did people tell you that you had an extraordinary voice at a very young age?
VALUES FIRST-RATE EDUCATION: 1:39 min.
Where did you go to school, and what did you learn that still informs you today?
SERENDIPITY: 2:01 min.
What was the first opera you experienced, and did that kindle your desire to become an opera singer?
UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS OF ART: 2:18 min.
Tell us about the arc of your career.
PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 0:44 sec.
When you are singing in a language foreign to you, does the music enable you to sound more fluent in the language?
CRITICAL THINKING: 0:53 sec.
How did you first hear about the Studio Artists Program at Florida Grand Opera?
SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 1:13 min.
How and when did you find out that you were accepted into the FGO Studio Artists Program?
SERENDIPITY: 1:19 min
And then came the Covid 19 pandemic. How did that impact you?
UNDERSTANDS ARTISTS’ NEEDS: 0:38
Do you have a favorite performance venue?
OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED: 1:59 min.
You will soon perform the role of Rosina in “Barber of Seville” for FGO at the Arsht Center in Miami, Isabella in “L’Italiana in Algeri” for St. Petersburg Opera Company, then Rosina again for FGO at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. How do you juggle that?
CREATIVE FLEXIBILITY: 0:46 sec.
Do you perform other genres of music?
STRONG DRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT: 1:15 min
What do see as your “brand” right now and where do you see yourself going?
SELF-CONFIDENCE: 1:04 min.
For those who don’t know, please define “coloratura.”
STRONG DRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT: 0:45 sec.
What are some of your “dream” roles?
CREATIVE FLEXIBILITY: 2:44 min
You are a beautiful woman, so it’s a bit ironic that you perform a lot of so-called “trouser roles.”
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 2:23 min.
Tell us about your upcoming role of Rosina in “The Barber of Seville.”
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 1:48 min.
How do you feel about performing roles in a tradition that is not always kind to women characters?
CRITICAL THINKING: 0:47 sec.
Are there any roles or operas that you would not want to perform?
EMPATHY: 0:40 sec
What’s your favorite movie?
COMMUNITY VALUES: 2:49 min
What does the South Florida opera community need to do to step up to the next level?
SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 1:00 min.
What’s in your pipeline?
UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS OF ART: 1:47 min.
As a relatively young opera singer, can you talk about the importance of being invited back to perform at opera companies?
COLLABORATION: 1:13 min.
How do you feel about returning to FGO in the leading role of “The Barber of Seville,” after being a Studio Artist for the past two years?
