Must-See: Aria Tesolin, the opera prodigy who gives the Callas treatment to Nirvana hits

Aria Tesolin saw her first opera when she was seven years old. A year later, she was onstage belting out “Habanera” from Carmen with all the offhand cockiness of a kid, and nailing it. The YouTube video of that moment has been viewed more than 3 million times (you can see it below) and led to her first album, Baby Soprano. Now, at 20, and with years of performing under her belt, Tesolin is a mix of bright-eyed newcomer and showbiz vet. She wrote or co-wrote all the songs on her new album, Ascension, which sets her dramatic, Andrew Lloyd Webber–esque melodies against strings, harps and subtle electronic chittering. In concert, she goes beyond the standard repertoire to sing poperatic arrangements of tunes by Corinne Bailey Rae and Nirvana. To hear her give Kurt Cobain’s words the Callas treatment is to witness a performer finally finding her true voice.

MUSIC
Aria Tesolin The Spoke Club Nov. 15