Just 1 Mezzo on Her Way Up

Laura Virella is organizing this fundraiser.

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My name is Laura. Laura Mirta Virella Rodríguez. And among other things, I sing opera.

My situation is not really different from most other young opera singers that I know, so I don't want you to think that my case is exceptional, nor that I am any more or less deserving than any of the other opera singers you know -- because I'm not. But, if you don't know any others, or if you do, and you believe in the arts even though you can't fund the MoMA, this is your chance to help just one artist. After all, great change occurs through one person at a time.

So I'm Laura Mirta Virella Rodríguez, originally from Cupey in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and later from Trujillo Alto.

When I was 5 years old, already a member of the Preparatory group of the Coro de Niños de San Juan, my parents took me to see the slightly older kids perform in an opera. It was my very first ever: Carmen.

I told my parents that evening that I wanted to grow up and do that. Many, many moons later, nothing has changed. (Except I no longer fall asleep after intermission, and I have thus subsequently learned that Carmen dies in the end.)

I studied. Got a Bachelors and Masters and got into debt like everyone else. I worked full-time in advertising for several years (of course, after many, many, many, many less lucrative both part-time and full-time positions teaching music, waiting tables, leasing apartments, teaching languages...) in order to pay off debt. And when I had done so, I quit my full-time job in order to dedicate myself fully to my singing career. (I now have a lot of people following my numbers!)

Since 2012 I have been trying my luck in Europe, living half-time in Berlin and half-time in NYC. I am skilled, I am good, I'm liked and well received, and I am little by little acquiring more and more tangible on-stage experience with full roles, full orchestra, the whole shebang.

I started this campaign in the spring of 2015 to raise money for my Carmen debut in a summer festival in Barcelona, followed by my Dorabella debut in Cosi fan tutte in another festival in Italy.

The experience was phenomenal. I got to work with brilliant conductor Diego Martín Etxebarría and stage-animal diretor Susana Gómez , and I even got a great review (which I posted in an update later on).

I've since launched a project to promote Puerto Rican art song around the world. Together with pianist Nathaniel LaNasa, I've recorded a full program of this repertoire, with the intention of releasing a digital CD with program notes and texts, in Spanish, English, French and German.

I continue to be active in opera, debuting as Maddalena in Rigoletto this May with Amore Opera in NYC (tickets ), and as Mrs. Grose in Britten's The Turn of the Screw at the Miami Music Festival this summer of 2016 (tickets ).

I hated asking for money when I did, as every one knows. Yet, I was humbled by the response to this campaign when I launched it. It showed the incredible power of asking for help.

People have continued to donate to this page -- so I have kept the page active for updates and to make it easy for people to support me with career-oriented expenses.

Like I said before: I'm worth it not because I'm better than so many others, but because so many of us are indeed worthy.

So here I am. If you feel the inclination, please donate. And if you still want to help, but you don't believe in "free money," send me an email and hire me! I'd be honored to sing for you: [email redacted]