Meet Vox Artist Ibidunni Ojikutu

Q: The Human Voice is such an intimate and exposed work. How did you approach finding emotional truth in a role that lives entirely through one side of a conversation?

A: I had to figure out the nature of the relationship, and what the other person was saying.  I also had to get incredibly specific about our history, my life, any background that may have led to this particular point with this person. I also had to consciously give myself permission to "go there". That was the scariest part. It is the most emotionally dark I've ever had to go in a performance. 

Q: This project reimagines La voix humaine through many different artists and lenses. What drew you to your particular version, and how did you make it your own?

A: It felt like a full circle moment for me.  Singing in a place where Marian Anderson stayed, and she is a large reason why I'm an opera singer today.  She was the first "real" opera singer I ever discovered and researched. We wrote our first real research papers as part of a big part of a middle school English class and she was my subject.  Of course, we modernized it. As for making it my own, when I do solo projects on stage, I'm not sure I know how NOT to involve my audience.  So I think I probably leaned into their reactions more than I would have otherwise. 

Q: Working with pianist Jay Rozendaal and director Julia Benzinger, how did collaboration shape your interpretation or reveal new aspects of the piece?

A: Jay is an ARTISTS ARTIST. He is able to pull things out of a score that you never would have considered otherwise. The fact that he is also my voice teacher and one of my favorite pianists (he is truly so gifted) meant that I could really be vulnerable and sensitive and feel safe with it. 

This was my first experience with this piece and I am so incredibly grateful it was under the direction of Julia. Her interpretation is so tailored to not only Lairmont, but also ME. So everything was integrated in an incredible way. It may be the most organic.

Q: The Vox Project places each performance in a different environment. How did the setting of your version, at the historic Lairmont Manor in Bellingham, influence your vocal and dramatic choices?

A: I'm not sure it did. Each version is so tailored to the artist, you can't help but to lean into your vocal strengths.  With the setting being at Lairmont, I definitely probably sang more "elegantly"? As it took place during a recital, I definitely worked to make sure everything was sung as powerfully as possible, since my voice was in "the performance space". I was also in the music space more than the speech space. But that's kind of where I live in general as an artist.

Q: La voix humaine can be seen as a study in love, loss, and technology. How do you see these themes resonating with audiences today?

A: Technology has taken over our lives.  We live on our phones, we work on our phones, our entire existence has basically become digital.  Along with that, there are certain universal themes that most people recognize and identify with.  Panic when you realize your wifi is down, or your phone isn't working.  Being what feels like cut off from the world is terrifying. 

So we start off, already stressed out from that malfunction. Add in (in my case) a public breakdown of a relationship, and it's very much the worst nightmare of many people.  We've all seen some very public endings of relationships, and we've watched with kind of the same fascination we use when rubbernecking a car wreck. We are very interested in what is happening, but grateful it isn't happening to us. This production brings it up close and personal. I think it was especially powerful due to the number of people in my audience that knew me personally. 

Q: This project asks, “How do we say goodbye?” What discoveries did you make about that question through the process of performing this piece?

A: Ooof.  I learned that sometimes you don't have a choice BUT to say goodbye.  There is no point in hanging on when the other person has moved on. Elle saying "but it hurts, it hurts", is one of the most powerful moments of the opera for me.  Acknowledging the pain is such an incredibly important step in moving through it. 

Q: One interesting thing about this interpretation, that was discovered after the location had been selected, was that famed soprano Marian Anderson had stayed at the manor in 1941. She was a commanding artist and, somewhat like the protagonist of The Art of the Inner Monologue, had a complicated love life. How did learning more about Marian Anderson and her connection to the space inform your interpretation of La voix humaine?

A. Choosing career over love is an incredibly hard and lonely decision.  I was told to establish my career before worrying about a relationship or children because more often than not, they were seen as a hindrance to women in this field. You end up living an incredibly fulfilled existence, that is also very lonely at times. Add in the extra layer of an interracial relationship that Marian and Orpheus had, and you have another level of stress and potential detriment to your career. 

Q: You’re known for your presence and generosity on stage. What was most challenging — or liberating — about being so emotionally vulnerable in this role?

A: Usually I joke with my audience and interact with them to relax myself and bring them into my world.  It's really easy to do so with a recital. You have breaks during a recital. There is no break during Vox . Everytime you think the tension is going to relax, it relaxes, then rises even higher than before.  

This is probably the most exhausting work I've ever done. I was physically sore afterwards and slept hard the next day.  I also realized that I achieved something I not only didn't know I could do... but I did something I didn't even know I wanted to do. I managed to check off something I didn't even realize was on my artist's bucket list.  Doing that in front of people that care for me, as well as having the support of Jay and Julia while doing it, was the best way this experience could have happened. 

Q: The Art of the Inner Monologue reframes the opera through a modern lens. What surprised you most about how contemporary audiences respond to Cocteau and Poulenc’s world?

A: We had some moments of laughter, especially at the beginning.  I wasn't expecting that.  This work is known for being somber and tragic.  However, updating it with the frustration of having technological difficulties during a public presentation really brought the audience into the experience.  We have all been in a meeting or on the phone with someone when the tech has gone out. It's frustrating and kind of universally hilarious. 

Q: If you were to create a playlist inspired by this interpretation, what are a few of the songs or pieces that would be on it?

A.  OOOH!  As a member of the mixtape generation, I love this question. 

1. Rosenkavalier final trio

2. Celine Dion - Water from the moon

3. Tina Arena - Chains

4. Kelly Clarkson - Happier Than Ever (yes, this is a Billie Eilish song, but I like Kelly's version.)

5. Jewel and Kelly Clarkson - Foolish Games

6. Lemonade Mouth - She's so gone

7. Alanis Morissette - Uninvited

8. Alanis Morissette - That I Would Be Good

9. Sarah Barilles - Gravity

10. Sarah Barilles - Breathe Again

11. Chicago - Hard Habit To Break

12. Chicago - I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love

13. Celine Dion - I Surrender

14. Boyz II Men - On Bended Knee

15. Sineade Harnett - If You Let Me (Feat GRADES)

16. Deborah Cox - Where Do We Go From Here?

17. Audra McDonald - The Man That Got Away

18. Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back To Me Now

19. Celine Dion - Where Does My Heart Beat Now

20. WHAM! - Careless Whisper

21. Diana Ross - Missing You

22. Barbara Streisand - Woman In Love

23. Barbara Streisand - One Less Bell To Answer/A House is not a home

24. Whitney Houston - I Have Nothing

25. Roberta Flack - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

26. Heather Headley - She Used To Be Mine

27. Whitney Houston - All At Once

28. Whitney Houston - Why Does It Hurt So Much

29. Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All

30. Whitney Houston - Where Do Broken Hearts Go

And YES, this is the actual playlist I listened to while preparing this role.