Which is the main feature of your personality?
My Happiness.
Your worst flaw?
I often try to do too many things at once.
Which is your star sign?
Sagittarius.
Are you superstitious?
No!
What did you dream to become as an adult when you were a child?
A lawyer.
Which are your favorite readings?
I like to read murder mysteries.
Which is the book you have loved the most so far?
“The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay.
Did your family influence your choices?
Yes. My family is full of singers and musicians.
Was music a vocation?
No, just a hobby.
What’s missing in your life today?
Time with family.
The greatest disappointment?
Not sure.
Which is your most cherished memory?
Sunday dinners with all of my family.
How important is money to you?
It does not control my life but it provides a certain measure of security.
Which is the item you like spending money on the most?
Very rare salsa music. I am a collector and have thousands of CDs and songs.
Do you collect anything?
Rare salsa music.
Do you have a recurrent dream?
Yes, I have dreams that I am being chased by various things….
What are you afraid of the most?
Losing one of my loved ones.
Which is your most ambitious dream?
To be a millionaire.
The moment you felt the proudest?
When I graduated from college.
Your biggest challenge?
Juggling all of the things I need to do with studying current operas, studying future operas, social time and family time.
What or who makes you feel embarrassed?
Not being prepared makes me embarrassed.
Which is the situation you consider the most relaxing?
When I am watching movies with my wife or dancing salsa.
Your favorite subject at school?
English
Favorite city?
New York.
Favorite color?
Crimson.
Favorite flower?
Carnation.
The holiday or the trip you’d like to take?
Australia.
Day or night?
Day.
Tell us your ideal day.
Wake up, light breakfast, exercise, shower, eat a nice lunch, take an afternoon nap, wake up and go bowling, have dinner, play cards or games with my wife and friends, go salsa dancing and DJ the salsa too, go to sleep holding my wife…
Which is your hideaway?
I am not sure…
The film you love the most?
The Shawshank Redemption.
Your favorite season?
Fall.
Which is the place where cooking is the worst ever?
Have not found one yet.
How would you define your relation with food?
I Love it but have learned to make better choices, and just cheat sometimes.
Your favourite dish?
Korean BBQ.
The dish you cook the best?
Pancakes.
Red or white wine?
I don’t drink any alcohol.
What’s never missing in your refrigerator?
Eggs.
What’s your weakness in kitchen?
I am not the best cook…but I am learning…
What’s the soundtrack to your life?
I am not sure….
Your favourite singer?
Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme.
What would you want someone who doesn’t know your voice to listen to?
The Met DVD of La Cenerentola with Elina Garanča.
How did your voice change through the years and how do you take care of it, choosing the roles and the repertoire to perform?
My voice has grown, but I am still a lirico-leggiero. I feel that it is important to stay as light as possible as long as possible. I never want to push my voice out of line. Once you lose certain things, it is not always possible to get them back. The voice will tell you when it is time to move on to heavier roles.
If you were granted the chance to choose a role, which one would it be?
I would love to sing Edgardo in Lucia one day… or Rodolfo in Bohème.
Which is the first record you ever bought?
Take 6.
How’s your attitude towards TV?
I don’t watch TV much of the time, but when I do I especially like to watch American football.
What do you do an hour prior to go on stage?
Warm up my voice and body.
What’s never missing in your dressing room?
Water.
What do you think of when looking at yourself in the mirror?
How confident I am because I feel that I am prepared.
How would you prefer to die?
A ripe old age in a peaceful sleep.
Your mood at the moment?
Happy. Yes, I am on Skype with my wife and answering these questions simultaneously.
What’s your motto?
If you want it, you can have it. Work hard, and you will achieve it.
Photo Derek Blanks