February 27^th, 2006

Aurora resident Viktoria Vizin has performed around the world in some of the greatest Operas ever written.But

 she also likes to sing the praises of the local YMCA.  On March 18^th, she will perform a fundraising concert at the Morton Arboretum to benefit the Heritage YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign.

Her love of music goes back to her own childhood. The youngest of five sisters, Vizin was born and raised in Hungary. Recognizing her talents, her parents sent her to a special school with a focus on music using an instruction method developed by composer Zoltan Kodaly. She won her first lead role in a theater production at the age of 11 and began taking vocal training a few years later.

She studied music education, opera singing, and conducting at a university in Szeged, Hungary, and also took private lessons at a drama school in Budapest.  She earned her masters degree and Ph.D. in musicology at a university in Romania. During that time she also won her first international singing competition which helped launch her professional career.  Beginning in 1996 she preformed in operas throughout Europe and in the United States. She has played the female lead roles in “Barber of Seville”, “Falstaff”, “Carmen” , Italian girl in Algiers”, and “the Queen of Spades”. Currently she is in rehearsals for her lead role in “Carmen” which will run March 9 to 25 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Vizin who speaks seven languages first came to Chicago as a visitor six years ago. There she met her husband, Ricardo Esquivel. They have been married four years and have two children, Carmen and Daniel.  Moving to the far east side of Aurora, she joined the Heritage YMCA where she enjoys not only working out but sharing her musical talents.  She recently began teaching a new class,” fabulous fours”, a music based program for children ages 3 ½ to 4, using the Kodaly method of her childhood.

1. When did you discover that you could sing opera?

 I never considered myself an opera singer.

 In my mind it doesn’t exist. I’m an actress who is singing opera.

When I was 4,I told my parents I’m going to be an actress. They saw that I have rhythm,

 I have got an ear for music so (they decided) why don’t they just put me in the

 Special musical school?

2. What does music bring to your life?

There are no words for it. It just comes from inside. I never really thought about because I cannot live without it.

I cannot live without music.  No matter if it’s good pop music or classical music.

3. Was your move to the United States a difficult transition?

     It was.  The first year was really, really difficult.  Everything is opposite.  The mentality is totally different.

      We play everything safe over there. No credit cards.  Definitely no debt. If you have the correct money you buy.  If you don’t

You just better not buy it and wait until you collect the money.......and the car driving. I came here and I said there is no way that I would ever drive a car. Now I am at that point if someone calls me, OK, there’s the address and I’ll go on Map quest and I’m doing it. I don’t even think about it.

But it took me a while.

4. How did you get involved with the YMCA?

   I loved being there and just working out or even just relaxing here. If I want my own time I just sit down here and read. Then I saw the programs an there was something missing, like music, and I offered it and they said why not? Let’s try.

5. If you were getting into the car, what CD would you pop into your CD player right now?