Meet the Artists – Emily Birsan

Emily Birsan

Rusalka

1. Where were you born and raised?
   I was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, and raised in Iowa, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
2. If you weren’t a singer, what profession would you be in?
   I can’t imagine not being involved in the arts in some way.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
   The Magic Flute.
4. My favorite opera is…
   Many favorites come to mind – to sing vs. to enjoy are two separate things for me. To watch, Hansel and Gretel and Pelléas et Mélisande. To sing, La Traviata and A Rake’s Progress.
5. My favorite food to cook is…
   I love to cook warm stews and soups that make my tummy happy. This last winter, my husband and I made a lot of oxtail stew. In the hotter months, I love to make chicken Milanese.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
   …I took up knitting this last year when I was in Wales for a job, and I have never read the Harry Potter books.
7. If I could be in any fairy-tale, I would be in…
   Beauty and the Beast.
8. I like to binge-watch…
   Ozark, Schitt’s Creek, Blackish, Handmaid’s Tale.
9. What four people (living or deceased) would you like to invite for a dinner party?
   Joni Mitchell & Michelle Obama (plus me and my sister).
10. Everyone should see Rusalka because….
    It’s a piece to warm your senses, and get you ready for all the life that spring has to offer!