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SPOTLIGHT MAY 2002
Lucy
Salome Strauli
inbox@lucysalomestrauli.com
www.lucysalomestrauli.com
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Lucy
Salome Strauli was born in San Mateo, California and
now resides in Princeton, New Jersey. She especially
enjoyed her childhood in California because of the
natural beauty in the San Francisco Bay area and its
cultural and ethnic diversity. Although, she is among
one of the very few Tongans to live in New Jersey,
she tries as much as possible to make it known to
her audience that she is Tongan. Regardless of her
hectic schedule she finds time to volunteer in the
community. Some of her community involvements include
Board Secretary, "Taulama for Tongans" in
the Bay Area, Board Member, "Polynesian Division"
of CTI in East Palo Alto, Choir Member at the Shoreview
United Methodist Church in San Mateo, Senator for
the Student Government at the College of San Mateo,
and President of the Polynesian Club at the College
of San Mateo. Lucy also implemented after-school tutoring
program for Polynesian High School Students, hosted
first middle-school Polynesian forum with community
leaders as its panelists, sponsored Tongan Beauty
Pageant with HRH Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu
Tuku'aho in attendance, and a variety of other community
outreach activities. Lucy would like to be remembered
as an individual that made a difference and that the
world has become a better place because she was in
it.
When
Lucy was asked about the most influential person in
her life, she replied: “My Mom is the most influential
person in my life. She always has a 'pearl of wisdom'
when I need it. She tells the best stories and has
the best sense of humor - dry - like most Tongans,
I think. She has always been supportive of my career
and my singing. There are 2 things in particular she
taught me, (through her example especially) that has
sustained me through all of my schooling and as I
build my career:
1.
TRY-NEVER GIVE UP.
2. If you want something bad enough, you must sacrifice
for it. I'm proud of my Mom and who she is.
Excerpt
from professional bio and reviews:
American
Mezzo-Soprano, Lucy Salome Sträuli, is a frequent
guest soloist on the music stage performing a diverse
range of Opera and Concert repertoire.
Her
operatic performance credits include the "Strawberry
Woman" in Porgy and Bess with the New York City
Opera, "Zita" in Gianni Schicchi with the
Tanglewood Music Festival, "Addie" in Regina
with the Bronx Opera, "Dame Quickly" in
Falstaff, "Filipyevna" in Eugene Onegin
and "Marthe" in Faust with Opera San Jose,
"La Zia Principessa" in Suor Angelica, "Ragonde"
in Le Comte Ory and "La voix ma mere" in
Les Contes d'Hoffman with the Manhattan School of
Music Opera Theater in New York City.
A
versatile performer, Ms. Sträuli has been a featured
soloist on the concert stages on both the East and
West Coasts. Some of her recent engagements include;
Rossini's, Stabat Mater with the North Carolina Symphony,
Handel's, Messiah with the New York Harlem School
of the Arts, "100 Years of Broadway" with
the Greater Trenton Symphony Orchestra, Duruflé's
Requiem with VOICES Chamber Singers, and Mozart's
Missa Solemnis with the San Jose State University
Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestral venues have featured
Ms. Sträuli as a soloist in Brahms' Alto Rhapsody,
Vivaldi's Gloria & Beatus Vir and Verdi's Requiem.
Enjoying
Operetta and Musical Theater as well, Ms. Sträuli
has performed 'Buttercup' from H.M.S. Pinafore with
the LAUDA Chamber Singers, 'Bloody Mary' from South
Pacific with Marin Opera and Peninsula Civic Light
Opera. Under the tutelage of veteran Metropolitan
Opera star MIGNON DUNN, Ms. Sträuli has sung
for many distinguished artists. Ms. Sträuli has
also been the recipient of many awards including the
Tanglewood Music Festival Vocal Fellowship, The Leni
Fé Bland Foundation Scholarship Award and The
San Jose Opera Guild Scholarship.
Ms.
Sträuli earned her Bachelor of Music from San
Jose State University and her Masters of Music in
Classical Vocal Performance from Manhattan School
of Music. Ms. Sträuli is of Polynesian descent
[Tonga] and when not performing abroad, she makes
her home in Princeton, New Jersey.
-'Anapesi Ka'ili
anapesi@planet-tonga.com
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