PLNU Music graduate (2015) Kiana Bell, mezzo-soprano, was profiled in the Arts section of the San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday, March 27th, 2017. Currently singing with San Diego Opera's Opera Exposed program, Kiana attributes her success to the mentoring of her PLNU voice professor, Dr. J. Craig Johnson, who encouraged her to commit fully to her dream of a professional singing career.
March 26th 2017 – San Diego Union-Tribune Spring arts: Singing the praises of young mezzo-soprano Kiana Bell Beth Wood As a senior at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts in Paradise Hills, Kiana Bell attended a free after-school program introducing youth to opera. Although she played piano and guitar and was toying with the idea of becoming a singer-songwriter, opera was new to her. Enthralled, she immediately began investigating on YouTube.
A few months later, in early 2012, Bell attended San Diego Opera’ production of “Salome.” The sex and violence were unexpected, but it was how the music affected her that was the real surprise. “I was in the back of the room, with the sound of the voices washing over me. It blew my mind,” she recalled. “I could feel the singers’ vibrations. It was eye-opening and affirmed the fact that I want to do this.” A mezzo-soprano, Bell is now involved with San Diego Opera’s Opera Exposed! It partners with local universities to offer student artists opportunities to perform and learn about the inner workings of a professional opera company. Q: You’ve won several operatic competitions and earned awards three years in a row in the local Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions. Is there one you’re especially proud of? A: The Audience Choice award at the Met is the prize I value most. There’s so much doubt: ‘What if I don’t do the works justice?’ ‘What if I don’t sing well?’ That reaffirmed to me that I’m making a connection with the receivers of this art. Q: How did you get started in music? A: As a kid, every place we moved to, we’d join a church and my dad (Cory Bell) would become the choir director. As early as age 4, I was singing along to choral music. He would say: ‘Pick out the alto. Pick out the soprano.’ I learned how to harmonize. He was into jazz, so I emulated jazz and gospel. Q: In 2016, you performed in five shows. What were some of the highlights? A: I was an ensemble character in ‘American Rhythm’ (Lamb's Players Theatre). It seems like we did a thousand different styles in that show. I played Sarah in ‘Ragtime’ (San Diego Musical Theatre). I loved it, but it was difficult. I had to figure her out from musical cues. Another favorite role was playing Cinderella for ‘Opera on Track’ (San Diego Opera). We played at trolley stops. I’m a sucker for rags-to-riches stories when rewards go to a good character. Q: What are your plans for the near future? A: The next step for me would be a graduate program. I’m not in a rush. Right now, I’m committed to taking voice lessons and being coached regularly. I’d love for my career to have a lot of variety. However, to be good at opera, I have to commit to it right now, in my 20s. Opera requires an insane amount of training and practice hours. Q: Does being African-American help, hurt or even matter in your chosen field? A: There’s positive and negative. It’s nice to stand out and have a voice quality that’s different from other mezzo-sopranos. I find in musical theater more than opera, that I may be cast in roles because of my race. It’s great there are roles written for people of color. But I want to get a role because I sing it well. I struggle with that a little. Race is important in ‘Ragtime.’ If I can tell a story about race relations in America, that’s something I want to do. But I also want to be considered for Carrie Pipperidge in ‘Carousel.’ Audra McDonald played her on Broadway, so it’s possible. Blind casting is starting to happen more and more, so that’s good. The funny thing about race is that people don’t let you forget it. It’s great for standing out, but it also can be a little annoying. Thankfully, operatic roles are determined by what voice type you are. That’s what’s important. I'm also half Filipino — my mother (Emily Bell) emigrated from the Philippines and gained citizenship in her 20s. That adds another layer to the feeling that I may stand out. I identify as either or both. Q: What was your experience at Point Loma Nazarene University like? A: My undergraduate voice teacher, Craig Johnson, has been so important in my career here in San Diego. He instills confidence in his students and has taught me a few things that really shaped me. In my first lesson: he said: ‘Do you want to do this as a career?’ ‘Absolutely,’ I said. He asked me if I had other plans and I said I didn’t have a plan B. He said: ‘Good, Plan B is a plan to fail.’ He tells students that they really have to commit to the career path in order to be successful. He sees a quality in each of his students and nourishes it. His students end up sounding unique. A colleague described him as a voice therapist, someone who smooths out the relationship between the student and the voice. Q: Was not having a specific opera program at PLNU a problem? A: PLNU is a positive community. The vocal department offered tons of opportunities. On campus, we had an opera club. We had help from former club members and Craig Johnson was our adviser. I was vice president for two years. We put on fundraisers and put together performances at community centers to raise money. It was on-the-job training. I learned a lot about how to act as a professional in order to be taken seriously. What the pros say about Kiana Bell Kerry Meads, Lamb’s Players Theatre Associate Artistic Director: “I felt so honored to watch her grow in ‘American Rhythm’ from a shy young lady to a woman who felt she deserved to be out there like everyone else. “Kiana will go places because of her versatility. She uses her voice so well, she won’t blow it up. She stays with her voice lessons and continues to train. She’s a beautiful, open spirit. Watch for that young woman — if not at the Met, on Broadway.” Nicolas Reveles, San Diego Opera Director of Community Engagement, Opera Exposed! coordinator: “Lots of young artists can sing well. Not all of them have a natural gift for stagecraft, acting or moving well onstage as a character. Kiana has that. It's a natural gift and doesn't need to be taught to her. “She’s a charming and delightful person when you first meet her, but as you get to know her you realize Kiana's actually quite a deep thinker. I appreciate the fact she thinks about what she does as a singing actress and then acts on it. That's rare. And it's what attracts audiences to her.” Kiana Bell Age: 23 Born: San Diego Residence: Being from a military family, all over. Now in San Diego. High school: Ninth grade in Japan; 10th and 11th at Mission Bay High School; 12th at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, Paradise Hills. College: Bachelor’s degree in music from Point Loma Nazarene University, 2015. Upcoming role: Marceline in Mozart’s "The Marriage of Figaro" with the alumni branch of Point Loma Opera Theatre. Various venues, from June 17-28.
