Sonora High Distinguished Graduate Lise Lindstrom Class of 1983
Lise Lindstrom is an international opera star living in Berlin and San Francisco. She has performed all over the world, including Europe, China, Australia, and the United States. Besides singing, Lise teaches and coaches, as she loves working and sharing her experiences with young singers and offering them hope of success.
Please share the pathway you took that led you to where you are now.
I graduated from SHS in 1983 and immediately completed a year at a private jazz college in Spokane, WA. From there, I transferred to San Francisco State University as a music major. While I was auditioning for a part in the chorus for the spring opera, the opera director encouraged me to pursue an operatic career. At the time, I thought opera was boring and only for old people, but the challenge appealed to me. The combination of music history, drama, and art enthralled me.
After graduating from San Francisco State in 1989 with a bachelor’s in music, I performed numerous menial jobs to fund my voice lessons and auditions. In 1994, I enrolled in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and earned my degree in 1996. Next, I joined the Orlando Opera as a young artist in residence. The Orlando Opera offered financial stability, exposure to a larger operatic company, and the opportunity to expose students to music and opera.
Later, I spent eight years in New York City, where I struggled to support myself and managed to continue my voice lessons and audition for productions.
In 2002, I left New York for Indiana, believing that my career as an opera singer was over. I was heartbroken! Then, Jerry Shannon, the director of an opera company in Mobile, Alabama, called. He offered me the title role in the opera Turandot, a very difficult musical role. My whole life changed with that role. That became my signature role and led to my debut with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 2009.
I also perform internationally in the German and Italian repertoires.
What are some memories you have of your time at Sonora High School?
I spent a huge amount of time in the auditorium with friends, like Todd Dietschak Schroeder, and with my mom, Lindi, who was the head honcho. She directed our productions and planned our concerts – both on campus and off. She was always supportive of my performance career.
In addition, I have incredibly positive memories of football and basketball games, of dances, and of homecoming. I feel lucky to have been raised in a small community where I felt I belonged.
What future goals do you have?
I continue to pursue my operatic singing career with vigor, adding challenging pieces to my repertoire. I now coach and teach young singers too. My goal is to offer them the support and encouragement that I was offered when I was young.
What advice would you give to current and future Sonora High students:
I would tell students not to give up on themselves. Success requires hard work, for sure, but obstacles such as not getting a job or not passing an exam are simply challenges to be overcome. Fight for yourself! And, always stay curious.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Now that I have a little more time when I travel for work, I enjoy exploring the glorious cities I visit. I go to museums, enjoy restaurants, and love theatre. Experiencing other cultures is an absolute highlight of my life. I have friends all over the world who enrich my life too. I love to cook, hike, swim, and read.
