More than five years after the #MeToo movement sparked an overdue investigation of sexual harassment and misconduct in classical music, the field is buzzing with voices calling for more equity around pregnancy and parenthood.
Maya Kherani remembers the moment she made the decision to add the adjective “Indian-American” to her artist bio. From the time she was a student, the young soprano felt the isolation that comes with being a visible minority working in early music—a genre where performers, administrators, boards, and audiences are, arguably, among the least diverse in classical music.
Gale-force winds of change have shaken society over the last few years, touching along their path virtually every arts organization. Looking specifically at the world of opera, we contacted five outspoken voices in the local opera scene: soprano Michele Kennedy, mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz, Opera San José Resident Director Tara Branham, soprano Maya Kherani, and soprano Shawnette Sulker. These five cis-female, trans, or nonbinary vocalists — basically, five artists who do not identify as male —responded to a simple three-word question: Has anything changed?
Maya Kherani helps found the Asian Opera Alliance
In this episode, Lis talks with soprano Maya Kherani about her experience of pregnancy during a pandemic, her struggles with reflux and vocal injury, her spreadsheet where she tracks her practicing exercises, and how she leans into her Indian-American identity.
The soprano shines in a glorious new production of the chamber opera by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer
Host David Latulippe talks to composer Jake Heggie, mezzo soprano Susan Graham, and singers Maya Kherani and Efraín Solís from Opera San Jose about the chamber opera Three Decembers.
From an engineering degree to a thriving opera career, soprano Maya Kherani shares the practices that keep her organized, healthy and inspired.
