Golda Berkman to Headline Coachella Valley Symphony's OPERA TO BROADWAY - A MUSICAL SPECTACULAR

Young opera soprano Golda Berkman of Los Angeles will be guest artist at Coachella Valley Symphony's "Opera to Broadway - A Musical Spectacular" on Sunday, March 5.

Now in its 24th year, the Coachella Valley Symphony has named the 2016-2017 season "It's Magic" with Maestro John Mario conducting each concert.

Golda made her professional opera debut at just 17 last November performing the role of Lauretta in Redlands Opera Theatre's production of Puccini's comedy, Gianni Schicchi. Those performances were just the latest for the busy singer who has loved opera since she was 4 when she saw Mozart's The Magic Flute. "I was just in awe of the grandiose sets and performers," Golda recalled of the experience. "When I got in the car afterward I was so happy and singing. I knew this was going to be my career.

"My dad always told me that it's necessary to love what you do as a career," she added, and has followed that advice ever since. One needs only to view Golda's YouTube performances to understand she is taking opera very seriously. She has learned a vast opera repertoire of arias in French, Italian, German, Russian, Korean and other languages, and is also a classical pianist and passionate composer.

Golda admits she's not your typical teen. You may not find tunes by Meghan Trainor on her smartphone, but you will see arias by her opera idol, Renata Tebaldi. "She shows the true glamour and passion of opera. She's a beautiful person and artist." Not only do Golda's performances transcend many singers of her age, but so too her composure and emotion. "I feel it is important to learn about the character and translations so you'll be able to connect with the opera and the audience, too, because they may not be able to understand what you're singing," she said.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Golda's debuts at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall at age 15 that caused the most pre-performance jitters; those were felt before an 8th-grade solo recital when she was 12. "I was nervous because I was performing before family and friends," she recalled. "I just remember taking deep breaths in and out and telling myself, 'Everything's going to be all right,' like it was a mantra.

"I may have a little bit of butterflies before I perform, but it kind of helps you and it goes away," she said. "Whenever I perform, I forget it happened because it's really cool because performing for me is almost like an out-of-body experience because I lose myself in it."

Last May, Golda performed at a private event honoring Princess Charlene of Monaco at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. She sang the beloved Brindisi duet, "Libiamo ne' lieti calici," from La Traviata with superstar tenor Vittorio Grigolo at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, and performed scenes from Eugene Onegin with world-renowned baritone Vladimir Chernov. Golda is the youngest grand prize finalist in classical voice in the Los Angeles Music Center's prestigious Spotlight Award competition. She performed a full season of concerts at St. Monica Catholic Church in 2015-2016 in addition to performances with the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra, the L.A. Lawyers Philharmonic and other Southern California orchestras.

In September 2014, she joined Grammy Award-winner Kenny Burrell for the "Giving Back for the Future" concert at Beverly Hills City Hall. At 11, Golda performed the role of Mrs. Jaffet in LA Opera's production of Britten's Noye's Fludde conducted by Maestro James Conlon, who also directed her in LA Opera's production of Hans Krása's Brundibár in 2012. In August 2015, she sang the title role of the opera Freidl as part of LA Opera's Opera Camp production of Then I Stood Up at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood.

It is the mission of the Coachella Valley Symphony to perpetuate live symphony music and to provide public performance venues for both accomplished youth and adult musicians, to provide symphonic music education to young emerging musicians and to support diversity among individuals and within music presentations.

Tickets are $25 to $45 for the 3 p.m. concert at the Helene Galen Performing Arts Center of Rancho Mirage High School, 31001 Rattler Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. Tickets are available at www.hgpac.org/upcoming-events.