Conversations with Sarah Faasse

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Faasse.

Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After living NYC, Denver and Phoenix I moved back to Grand Rapids to raise my family. I was eager to join the music scene. Singing brings me life and fullfillment. I auditioned for Opera Grand Rapids and was asked to cover the role of Michaela for Carmen. After singing in that production and getting to know other local singers I realized that we have a very talented group of singers in West Michigan! I desired to provide more singing opportunities for operatic singers, so I mounted a production of Puccini’s Suor Angelica. I invited a group of “sisters” to join me in the venture and asked the late Roger Nelson (GR Symphony) to help me with an orchestra. Henry Deitman (GVSU) conducted and Kenneth Bos (GRCC) to accompany our rehearsals. Our first performance was at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew’s with over 500 people in attendance. After receiving community support we decided to make our group into a non-profit organization. We named ourselves the West Michigan Opera Project because we wanted to be able to provide many different projects to singers and audiences. Our tag line is Opera For All! After 10 years we continue our journey of providing performance opportunities to local singers of all ages. We introduced hundreds of students from Kindergarten through college age to the power of music through participation in opera. Our collaborations have included Hansel and Gretel, Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen, Susannah, Madama Butterfly, and Suor Angelica, next season will be La Boheme.
Once a month WMOP presents community concerts to various West Michigan organizations such as schools, retirement homes, churches, and art festivals. In providing Opera for All! our concerts are free to the public.
This last Saturday we had a stunning Carnegie Hall debut to a standing ovation and wildly cheering audience. It was a dream come true for many of us to sing on such a monumental stage.
I warmly welcome you to become part of our community as we build life- giving, hope-filled relationships through the power of love and music. As noted by Henri Nouwen, “Communtiy is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves, but for one another.”

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I never thought ten years ago that a simple desire to provide performance opportunities would take us to a mountain top experience of being featured artists at Carnegie Hall. The road has been a lot of work over the last ten years but what always keeps me going it knowing that music is life-giving. It must be shared with others. Operas tell stories and these stories need to be heard. For our production of Suor Angelica our all female cast had to face the reality of loosing a child. Many of us bonded over our own personal struggles of miscarriages, infertility and infant death. When we performed Susannah by Carlisle Floyd we invited the Be Nice campaign and the War Chest Boutique (Women at Risk International) to bring awareness to bullying and sexual abuse. These stories have been hard to tell, but when we share in them together we are able to support each other and encourage growth in our community and ourselves.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What sets WMOP apart from other musical organizations is that we are a community of caring. We truly want the best for each performer. I am most proud of the way we treat each other. We celebrate each others accomplishments in a non-judgemental way. We have created a place where singers can sing freely which gives us the power to learn, grow and try new things.

How do you define success?
Success is seeing the effect of our music on the audience. Sometimes there are tears and other times there are shouts of joy and laughter. When we are able to touch another’s heart through music we have succeeded.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.westmichiganoperaproject.com