Nov. 12, 2020

What: San Antonio high schooler sings for Metropolitan Opera 

Who: Caroline Evangelista, Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Jody Noblett, YWLA choir director

When: Published on Metropolitan Opera’s Facebook page Nov. 6 

Where: https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/videos/1376033639396687/ 

For someone who had not been involved in singing opera before, 17-year-old Caroline Evangelista started big – singing for the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. Evangelista, a senior at Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA), was one of only 33 students nationwide – and the only one in San Antonio – selected to perform in a virtual choir performance of Beethoven’s “The Prisoners Chorus” for the opera company as part of its HD Live in Schools program.

Earlier this school year, the Metropolitan Opera put out a call to choir directors across the country to nominate a student for the virtual performance. YWLA Choir Director Jody Noblett shared the opportunity with his students, and Evangelista was intrigued.

The YWLA senior has been singing for six years and is a valuable member of her school’s choirs as an accomplished soloist. She also was the only San Antonio ISD student to make it into a Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) ensemble last year.

Evangelista learned a part of “The Prisoners Chorus” and submitted a video recording of her performance to Metropolitan Opera – and she was ecstatic to be selected.

The Metropolitan Opera shared the students’ virtual performance on its Facebook page on Friday, Nov. 6 with the following introduction: 

“‘Oh, sweet delight!’ Even in the darkest of times, the power of music never fails to bring light and hope to the world. As part of this year’s virtual edition of our HD Live in Schools program, more than 30 students from across the country came ‘together’ to sing this uplifting chorus from Beethoven’s Fidelio—even as the ongoing health crisis makes in-person choirs all but impossible.”