Meet Veronica Bell | Classical singer, recording artist, voice teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Veronica Bell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Veronica, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
For better or worse, it wasn’t as much of a thought proccess as it was a necessity. In music, waiting to get discovered or auditioning only gets you that far. You have to take the initiative and do your own thing, and work at it day in and day out. I never found an agent or a manager who would support me as an artist that I am. Everybody was always telling me what I should be, and I tried to twist myself into a pretzel but could never succeed being what i was expected to be, whatever it was. I had to find my own path and keep reinventing it on every turn. Being on your own is hard, but at least you know that you owe your failures and your successes to yourself and no one else.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Operatic singing is one of the most complex art forms, and the learning process is quite different from that of other musical instruments. I remember when I started my voice studies, my teacher would tell me I did something incorrectly, and I would redo the same thing the exact same way, or so I thought, and she would say it was right. I was so confused! As a singer and voice teacher, I now realize how complex this art really is, but the more I know, the more exciting it gets. In other words, operatic singing is not for the faint of heart, but it’s fascinating and gratifying.

However, while solid knowledge is necessary to succeed in this line of work, it is also not enough. You have to set yourself apart as an artist, and the only way to do it is to tap into your unique qualities and be confident about who you are. In an interview a few years back, a great American mezzo-soprano, Joyce Didonato, described her journey to success as long and treacherous. She explained that real success came to her only when she stopped conforming to everybody’s expectations and grew into her own strength. Nothing can be more true, but it takes time to understand and accept yourself.

In my life, nothing has been easy, and everything took a long time. I am a first-generation Russian immigrant, and while I’ve been an American citizen for over 25 years now, my beginnings were rocky.

Right after graduating from the music institute in Moscow, I was accepted into an opera company as a leading soprano. I only had two years before leaving the country, so my stage experience was short-lived. However, it was long enough for me to realize that opera is a bit limiting for my wild character, and I decided to make it even more complicated for myself by becoming a concert soloist.

As an artist, being able to choose your engagements and repertoire is beyond thrilling. Making a living this way, however, is extremely difficult. It requires total dedication, focus, and time. And again, just when I thought I was on my way to success, I found myself in the middle of a divorce with a 10-year-old son. I had nobody in the US except my husband’s family and a few friends, so traveling to my engagements became impossible.

To supplement my income, I started teaching voice privately and found that I actually liked it. My studio filled up, and I decided to give up singing. I called my agent and told her I was quitting. She tried to talk me out of it, but I was so sure I was doing the right thing I left no space for a discussion. It took me nine years to realize what a terrible mistake I made.

By then, I had no agent, no connections, or ideas of how to get back on stage. I didn’t keep my voice up, and singing my old repertoire felt like getting through the jungle with a kitchen knife. When I teach, I have all the patience in the world for my students, but when it comes to myself, I have none. There was a lot of screaming, crying, and cursing along the way, but thanks to my amazing voice coach and the support of my new family, I got it done. I now perform in the US and Europe, record, teach my students, but most importantly, I love learning, which constantly drives me forward.

I am not proud of the things I was born with, such as my voice, wide range, natural musicality, diverse interests in music, or my ability to harmonize etc. I did nothing to acquire any of it. I am proud of what I have accomplished: learning solid vocal techniques, returning to the stage and promoting myself, and surviving the twists and turns of my personal and professional life.

But most importantly, I am happy with the person and artist I have become. Professionally, I do some strange things at times, such as I recorded an album of operatic arias written for all types of voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and baritone. Before I even released it, a well-known Los Angeles musician said it was totally inappropriate and called me “an Antichrist of opera.” The good girl in my head started screaming, “Oh no, what have I done!” And then I thought, “So what! Who is he to say what I am supposed to be?” So now, I wear this title as a badge of honor, and even though I didn’t release the album, the reason is that I want to make it better. I am working on it right now, and it will come out on Valentine’s Day in 2025.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Disneyland! First stop, hands down. That would be a couple of days, right there. I am right, or am I right, people? I mean, only the Space Mountain would take half a day cause you need to ride it at least 5-6 times.

And then there is Venice Beach – it’s a must. Wild Life park and wine tasting in Malibu and dinner at Geoffrey’s, horseback riding in Burbank, a hike, an Observatory visit, and a sunset watching in Griffith Park.

I am not too much into doing typical tourist things, but a stroll down Rodeo Drive in the afternoon with lunch at Grill On The Alley would be lovely. Oh, almost forgot: Hollywood Blvd in the morning and Hollywood Bowl in the evening would make a fun day.

And one day would definitely be spent going to the Opera or Disney Symphony Hall with a fine finish of dinner at my favorite LA restaurant ever, Carlitos Gardel on Melrose, on Friday or Saturday night when they have live music in the main dining room. LA has so much to offer; one just needs time and a comfortable pair of shoes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

None of us succeeds in isolation. Having a village to raise you as a professional is a blessing, and I had the privilege of being supported by some incredible people.

My godmother, a great Russian symphony conductor Veronica Dudarova was the first one to recognize me as an artist and literally made me take entrance exams into the conservatory. She has always been my inspiration as one of very little number (at the time) of women who broke the glass ceiling of a male dominated profession of symphony conducting. She remains my North star in everything creative, especially when it requires a show of strength.

Later on, after I got my master’s degree, a celebrity vocal coach Jane Randolph opened up a whole new world to me by teaching me some advanced techniques as a singer. By observing her teach voice, I also, for the first time, realized that teaching could be fun and exciting and thought I might want to try it one day. Jane also taught me a lot about myself as a singer. Some of what I learned surprised me and made me question my artistic choice. I realized for the first time that I don’t have to always conform to the traditions and can actually stand up for the artist that I truly am.

I also owe a great deal of gratitude to my wife, a scientist and a very successful entrepreneur herself, Sylviane Herzog, who, a few years back, allowed me the safe space to quit singing, regroup, reassess my life, and go back on stage. Because of her, I am now truly happy in my personal and professional life.

Website: www.veornicabellsoprano.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/veronicabellsoprano

Facebook: www.facebook.com/VeronicaBellSoprano

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@VeronicaBellSoprano

Image Credits
JD Mata | Karen Davidson-Merrill, DGI