Renee Fleming Quotes & Sayings

“I've always been inspired by artists who have shown musical and intellectual curiosity and the courage to take risks.”

“Everybody's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. I mean, I've never arrived... I'm still learning all the time.”

“I have had a very difficult time with stage fright; it undermines your well-being and peace of mind, and it can also threaten your livelihood.”

“Opera is really fun.”

“At this stage in my career, I don't have to take any big risks. You want to take a calculated risk, not one that leads to people saying 'yes, but there was that one time when she made that big mistake.' It's always a shame when that happens, especially if you've gotten by for decades without anything hugely tragic.”

“Having to travel so much plays havoc with your personal life.”

“No voice teacher can be all things to all people. You have to gain information from whatever sources you can. You have to listen.”

“Well, any time I'm preparing for a performance or even a rehearsal, it's as if in a way, like any other athletes, these are muscles that support the vocal cords which are just I believe cartilage. It demands a kind of constant warming up and a constant feeling of where is the voice today.”

“A lot of performers don't want to leave the circuit, the European opera house circuit, partly because most singers don't sing many concerts, or at least not while they are in their prime.”

“My mother was the worst kind of stage mother. She would make me and my younger sister and brother little duckling costumes and put us in kiddie shows.”