The Story of Coloratura and How Her Voice Carried
Art influences art. It’s a simple and consistent truth. We learn from each other’s styles and stories, take bits and pieces to incorporate into our own work, and create something new. It’s how Coloratura came to be.
I first heard about Ms. Reese the same way you hear about anything in the South - through word of mouth. A friend told me a story about an extraordinary opera singer, a Greenville area native, whose voice had taken her all over the world. She influenced and inspired many over the years, and was honored by the Peace Center when they flew her in for their grand opening performance in 1990. I was surprised it was my first time hearing about the singer, and I was compelled to tell her story.
When I found out Sarah Reese was living in Greenville once again, I had to meet her. By way of a chain of mutual friends, I first got in touch with Ms. Reese during the pandemic. This led to our first meeting in a church parking lot, where she graciously agreed to share her impressive life story.
Ms. Reese told me that from age 13, she began to emulate the operatic melodies she had heard on a TV show by practicing in the woods near her Pelzer home. From the woods to the church and then school, she began finding her operatic voice and was awarded a full music scholarship to Furman University, becoming one of its first black students. Her beautiful soprano voice took her to international concert stages, including performances with the NY Metropolitan and Boston Opera companies. At this point, she stopped and brought out her scrapbook, filled with mementos from her travels. One photo in particular caught my eye. “That’s my boa picture,” she said.
Ms. Reese not only made Greenville proud but she also returned to her hometown to foster the dream of singing for many young students by teaching in Greenville County Schools. In 2013, Sarah Reese was named a Yale Distinguished Music Educator and in 2014 Furman conferred upon her a Doctor of Humanities. Her resume was impressive, but her tenacity and inner light were what caught my eye. I asked her if I could tell her story through my canvas, and she responded by sending me home with her scrapbook, borrowed for inspiration. I had met a real life Portrait of the South, and I had to paint her.
The boa picture became my inspiration for Coloratura. The name was inspired by an opera term, referring to a strong singer whose role features an elaborate melody with runs, trills, and wide leaps. In Italian it means “coloring.” The painting now hangs on the Furman University campus, honoring the vibrant story of Greenville’s opera legend.
From one artist to another, we have different mediums but the outcome is the same. Something inside of us wants to be seen. It compels us to keep creating, keep telling the stories that make up the fabric of time. It’s all an expression of the beautiful, chaotic creation that surrounds us every day.
