ASHLEY WALDEN | STAFF REPORTER
For Chloe Boelter, the definition of a long day of classes consists largely of rehearsals for her numerous upcoming performances.
Having just come from opera theatre rehearsal, Boelter takes a snack break at Starbucks before heading back to Lilly Hall to rehearse with the jazz band for her recital on Valentine’s Day.
Chloe Boelter
The 19-year-old vocalist shows her diverse range of musical talent by alternating between singing the “Flower Duet” from the opera “Lakmé” to performing Ella Fitzgerald’s “My Funny Valentine.”
“Every performance feels different,” Boelter said. “With jazz, it is about the raw emotions, what I am feeling at the moment, lots of improvisation. And opera, it is about technique and breath support, and I am developing a more operatic voice, which is really fun.”
The vocalist said she credits Barbra Streisand’s performance in “Hello Dolly!” for her love of music. The movie was one of her favorites growing up and helped shape her passion.
From Algonquin, Illinois, Boelter grew up surrounded by a musical family.
With a mother who plays piano and siblings who play cello and violin, Boelter fell right in the groove, starting piano lessons at age three, singing with choirs by age seven and studying cello at age nine.
“We also watched a lot of classic musicals like ‘The Sound of Music,’ as well as Disney movies,” she said.
Boelter will share all of her musical prowess at her recital, where the audience can expect to enjoy hearing the wide range of her vocal specialties.
Split into two sections, the recital will begin with classical pieces in three foreign languages—French, German and Italian—as well as a collection of three English songs, “Spring,” “Sleep” and “Winter.”
After an intermission, the jazz guitarist, bassist, trumpeter and drummer will join the stage for the jazz portion of the concert.
For this portion, Boelter selected songs with a little ironic Valentine’s Day humor.
“Several of the songs are about lost love, like ‘Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off’ and ‘All of Me,’” Chloe laughs. “This will be the ultimate singles concert!”
She is also performing a rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep.”
But she still made sure there are romantic songs in the mix—her own original rendition of “My Funny Valentine,” as well as the classic “Bill” from “Show Boat.”
“With the classical portion, I would like my recital to bring some inspiration,” Boelter said.
“I hope I can give something that the audience can walk away with, making the art form relatable through my interpretation. When I perform classical music, I take my own experiences and beliefs I have acquired and apply them to the pieces in a way that allows me to connect to what the composers were trying to convey.
“Interpretation allows me to find and share the meaning of the song.”
