Meet your musician: Hannah Plowman with Bravo! Vail Festival Choir

Q: What is your stage/group name?

A: Hannah Plowman, soprano

Q: How would you describe your style of music?

A: I sing in a variety of styles, but my real passion is opera. I’m a coloratura soprano, which means I sing loud and fast. My favorite characters to play are those with a lot of humor and passion. I try to be charismatic and lively on stage, while always keeping the sound bright and rich.

Q: What instrument(s) do you play with your band members?

A: I have studied voice and piano since I was a child. I also play a little guitar. In college, as part of my course to become a music teacher, I took a semester in strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. So I can play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on just about any instrument.

Q: How long have you been playing in the Valley?

A: I grew up in the valley, attended Red Sandstone, Minturn Middle School and then Battle Mountain High School, so all of my early musical experiences were here. I returned to the Valley in 2020 during quarantine and slowly tried to get back to playing more.

Q: Where have you played in the Valley?

A: I have done community concerts at senior centers and recitals at chapels in Vail and Beaver Creek. I also sang at several weddings and funerals in town. My favorite experience was playing with Bravo! Vail Music Festival at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. I will sing on July 2 with the Bravo! Vail Festival Chorus and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in their interpretation of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. It will be a fantastic performance.

Q: What is your dream location (in the valley or elsewhere)?

A: I think every classical singer dreams of making it big and singing at the Met, but I definitely aim to sing on European stages. I was lucky enough to be part of a summer opera tour in Germany when I was in college, and I’ve been dying to come back ever since.

Q: What other styles of music do you (and your band members) listen to?

A: I always have such a hard time answering this question! It sounds boring to say that I listen to everything, but I really find something to enjoy in almost every style of music. I think music is like a tool, and depending on my mood or what I’m going through, I’ll need a different tool to get the job done.

Q: How does the Vail Valley music scene compare to other places you’ve played?

A: Vail Valley has a wonderful music scene. I especially love the summers when it feels like the music is all around you. You could start your day listening to a singer-songwriter in a café, stumble upon a reggae band at happy hour, then end the day listening to classical music on the lawn of a Bravo! Vail concert.

Q: What can the public expect from one of your performances?

A: I think even people who have never listened to classical music before, or think they have no interest in it, can have a very moving experience when they listen to choral music and opera. I fell in love with opera because it was the most passionate music I had ever heard. The human voice has an incredible depth of expression. Something I always try to bring to my performances is a real personal connection to the music. Finding something in the text that resonates with my life allows me to lose myself in the performance. I have always thought that singing opera allows me to express feelings for which I have no words. It can be a very powerful experience for both the performer and the audience.

Q: Anything else we should have asked, anything else you’d like to share?

A: In addition to singing, I also enjoy teaching piano at Gypsum Elementary School as part of Bravo! Vail’s Music Makers Haciendo Música Program.