- [Announcer] On this episode of "Onstage at Curtis."

- Curtis means to me that I have succeeded in one of my dreams coming true.

(soft music) And that really encourages me that any other dream that I have for this career is a possibility.

I can do it.

If it is meant to be, if it's on my journey, on my path, then it will happen.

- [Announcer] In partnership with the Curtis Institute of Music, WHYY presents the following program.

(upbeat orchestra music) - My name is Kylie Kreucher.

I am a singer.

I am a soprano, and I'm studying opera.

(singing melodically in foreign language) My favorite thing about being a singer is there's just unlimited repertoire, unlimited things to learn.

Every day I can learn a new song, I can learn something new about my technique.

And I think that's really exciting to be able to continue to learn after I think I've been doing this for, you know, six or seven years now, and I'm still learning new things every day and will continue to learn things every day of my career.

(singing melodically in foreign language) Such a beautiful art form that has been around for so long.

And we are kind of the vessels of it, and we get to perform these historical pieces and these new operas that bring magic to the audience.

(singing melodically in foreign language) So I actually did not know what opera was as a child.

I did not know what it was even until I was in high school.

And I would always sing for fun in the shower as a kid and belt my heart out.

But I never really took it seriously or knew that I could potentially pursue it as a career until I began taking voice lessons when I was 15 and started auditioning for my school musicals.

- [Director] Action!

Action!

Wow!

You're so talented!

(indistinct chatter) - It's kind of crazy at first, because at the time I really wanted to play college volleyball and I was a big athlete.

I was on varsity volleyball team at my school and I was playing club volleyball, and so I had to travel a ton and have practice almost every day.

So on top of that, I would have rehearsals for the school musicals.

And I was kind of like Troy Bolton, you know, I would go to the musical rehearsal and then my mom would pick me up, 'cause I was a freshman and I couldn't drive yet, and she'd drive me to volleyball practice and I'd switch gears and play volleyball and not get home until like midnight and then do it all again the next day.

And I really don't know how I did that, how I got my homework done.

But I'm very blessed that my mom helped me do everything I wanted to do.

But eventually I realized that I was going to have to pick one, and I decided to choose performance in singing because it was really what excited me most and where I knew that my heart lied.

(singing melodically in foreign language) My mom has always been very supportive of my career ambitions.

My dad had a little bit of a harder time with it.

He is very centered around safety and security, and there were just so many unknowns.

He had no idea anything about this career, really anything about opera.

And he's come a long way.

I think getting into Curtis really kind of opened his eyes to it, seeing that I can have success in this field, and that there is a way to make it somewhat safe and secure if you can succeed at it.

And he's definitely come a long way.

(majestic orchestra music) (singing melodically in foreign language) (singing melodically in foreign language continuing) (singing melodically in foreign language continuing) (multiple singers singing in foreign language) (majestic orchestra music continuing) (music ending) When I was in high school, my voice teacher, Martha Shiel, she was an alumna of Curtis, and she was here actually for the 50th anniversary.

And I would come into my voice lessons each week and she would tell me about Curtis and how amazing of a school it was and share stories of her time there.

And it really excited me and it kind of became my dream to go to Curtis.

And so my senior year of high school, I auditioned at the school, which was devastating to me at the time.

I did not get in (laughing softly) and I had to go back to school on the Monday after that weekend.

And I was just having a really hard time, because I had put so much passion into going to Curtis and being a Curtis student.

I wanted it so bad thinking to myself like, "I'm not special, like special people go to Curtis and I'm not special."

And now that I am at Curtis, I can see that my path was special.

I went to Oberlin and I had an amazing teacher named Katherine Jolly, and she completely changed who I am as a singer and a human being.

And when I went in my senior year at Oberlin to my Curtis audition, the second time I was auditioning at Curtis, I had a completely different outlook.

I was like, my worth does not lie in my admission to this school, or my denial.

My worth belongs in who I am and I'm going to be okay no matter what.

(majestic music) (multiple singers singing harmonizing) I think that there are a lot of qualities that we would expect, such as work ethic and perseverance, things like that, that really do make a difference between good and great is putting in that extra work.

Also, I think a huge thing is maintaining the love for the instrument and for the art form.

(singing melodically in foreign language) At the beginning of each week, we request what coachings we want with who and how many, and we are granted that amount the next week.

And so it's really very special.

I usually have one voice lesson a week and acting class once a week, as well as a research methods class on Fridays.

Yeah, my day is filled with classes and coachings and then when I'm done, I return to my home, which is at Curtis in Lenfest Hall.

(majestic orchestra music) (harmonizing) (majestic orchestra music continuing) (soft piano music) (singing melodically in foreign language) (soft piano music continuing) (music ending) - Curtis means to me that I have succeeded in one of my dreams coming true.

And that really encourages me that any other dream that I have for this career is a possibility.

I can do it, you know, if it is meant to be, if it's on my journey, on my path, then it will happen.

And I think that the name of Curtis carries a lot of weight with it, and I'm really proud to have that name associated with myself and on my resume for people to see.

I also feel like the opportunities that I've been given at Curtis are exactly what I had hoped for and more for my master's degree and are completely preparing me for the next step in my journey.

♪ Her name was Lola ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ She was a showgirl ♪ ♪ With yellow feathers in her hair ♪ ♪ And a dress cut down to there ♪ ♪ She would meringue and do the cha-cha ♪ ♪ And while she tried to be a star ♪ ♪ Tony always waited bar ♪ (music ending) So I have a lot coming up for young artist programs for next summer.

And then I have even more for year long young artist programs.

I would say throughout the year it's probably around 10, maybe more, maybe 10 to 15 auditions.

It's a lot.

(door opening) (giggling) (singing in foreign language) (soft music) - Yeah!

(both laughing) So after graduation, my goal is to be in a young artist program somewhere in the US or in Europe.

I will be auditioning this year, but I also feel like I could potentially take a third year at Curtis just to have one more year of preparation for that next step.

But that is the next goal in my journey is a young artist program.

I think I would like to collaborate with a composer and I think that composer for me would be Libby Larson, because I have sung a lot of her song cycles and I think that they are so interesting and I love what she bases them on.

I love the poetry as well as the stories.

I recently performed one of her cycles called "Try Me Good King."

And it was the last written letters or documentation of the wives of Henry VIII before they were either murdered or passed away.

And I think that's such a cool concept and something that is really keeping the classical music world progressing and moving forward and alive.

How are you doing, Juliet?

- The real question is how are you doing?

- (giggling) I am good.

I am becoming Contessa.

- We can see that.

(upbeat orchestra music) - From what I know now, (music ending) I will just be performing a lot this year at Curtis.

I don't know exactly where I'll be next, if I will graduate this year or if I'll take a third year.

But my guess is that what is next on my journey is either another year at Curtis or a young artist program.

(violin playing soft music) ♪ Along the field as we came by ♪ ♪ A year ago, my love and I ♪ ♪ The aspen over stile and stone ♪ ♪ Was talking to itself ♪ ♪ Alone ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh who are these ♪ ♪ That kiss and pass ♪ ♪ A country lover ♪ ♪ And his lass ♪ ♪ Two ♪ So to my younger self, I would say, "Wow, Kylie, (laughing softly) you have done something crazy."

I would just, you know, I don't think that younger me could imagine me now.

I was a little blonde girl and now I have this red hair and I'm singing opera, but I would also tell myself that it's okay to not be perfect.

And the moment that you let people see who you are and not put up these barriers of trying to shield yourself and be perfect, that's the moment when they all crumble down is when people can start to fall in love with you.

(upbeat opera music) (music ending)