Return of the Opera Belles
It started in 2010 when soprano Karla Gutierrez, founder and artistic director of the Philippine Opera Company (POC), was thinking of ways and means to connect to the young K-pop-oriented generation, a project that would appeal to them while being true to the POC’s classical advocacy.
Mia Protacio, a friend in design and the arts, suggested that she audition three women singers.
“They would have to be young, presentable, age bracket 24 to 25, good-looking because most of the events were corporate shows and we had to represent their products,” recalled Gutierrez in an interview. Three singers were selected and Protacio said, “Why don’t you call them Opera Belles?”
And thus the name was born.
The project turned out to be a success. “There were lots of corporate events,” said Gutierrez. “Inikot na namin lahat ng mga hotels. They were doing corporate events right and left. They sang pop songs but in a classical way. It’s a mix of classical, rock, pop, and jazz. I wanted something that the younger generation would relate to. They were tagged ‘Princesses of Corporate Events.’”
But the days of wine and roses were soon to end. The pandemic struck in 2020, and everything came to a standstill.
New batch
“With the pandemic and everything, it took me six years to cast a new batch,” said the POC head. “This is the third batch already … Of course, these days, it’s K-pop. The kids are into K-pop so you have to be at par with what they want.”
The third batch of Opera Belles is even younger, being in their late teens. Sheena Bentoy has been performing since the age of 5. Her first notable role was as young Nala in the Asian tour of “The Lion King” in Manila, Singapore, and three cities in South Korea: Daegu, Seoul, and Busan. She honed her musical talents through Atlantis, G-Force Dance, and ABS-CBN Star Magic workshops.
Nicolah Lim is a singer and songwriter, and she contributes original compositions to Opera Belles, including their just-released debut single “In the Mood.” She is also talented in cosplay and drawing.
Daniella Silab majored in Voice at the Philippine High School for the Arts and recently graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance. She is at home in both opera and musical theater, and has appeared in key roles in Pergolesi’s “La Serva Padrona,” “Mayo … Bisperas ng Liwanag,” and the sarswela “Walang Sugat.” Internationally, she has appeared in the Saskatchewan International Film Festival in Canada and ChildAid Asia in Malaysia.
Pop songs
“It’s so hard to cast an opera belle,” Gutierrez said. “You don’t have to be a classical singer but you have to have a classical bumper (transition). You have to look good. Of course, you have to behave properly. And you have to dance—we have choreographers for that, to teach them jazz.”
For this mentor, each singer has an individual voice: “We want to [appeal to] the younger generation kaya pop songs. The problem was that they imitated their favorites … everybody birit (belting). I told them, no, it will affect your vocal cords. We have to educate the younger kids. You have to have your own voice, your own identity. Do not copy anyone.”
She added, “They’re very musical so I make them study on their own. Sometimes I make them practice on their own so they can come up with their own inputs. And then they bond.”
And so the third batch of Opera Belles is on its way, hoping to duplicate or perhaps surpass the success of their prepandemic predecessors. And they have “In the Mood” and a music video, also newly released, to light their way. Break a leg.
