TJC sophomore Sylvia D’Eramo of Ty- ler is an aspiring opera student who is already among the nation’s elite young singers.
D’Eramo has been coming on campus since she was 15 to take private lessons from Voice Professor Andrea Trent.
Trent said at first D’Eramo had no musi– cal background and her voice was undeveloped
petitive edge,” praised Trent. D’Eramo spent this summer training at
The Washington National Opera Institute at American University in Washington, D.C. She attended advanced classes in drama, movement, yoga, ear training, sight singing, opera history and Italian diction. She took part in perfor– mances that featured opera scenes and Italian art songs. The institute only accepts talented young singers who are serious about a profes– sional career in opera. “My goal
ever, she realized from the start that D’Eramo was an amazing
an opera singer. Sylvia has a natural gift. She was born with it,” said Trent, who coaches D’Eramo one hour each week in a studio on the second floor of the Wise Cultural Arts Center.
D’Eramo continues to get better, Trent said. “I love working with Sylvia, she is very disciplined, grounded, and every day I notice growth in her voice.”
In April, D’Eramo entered the DFW National Association for Teachers of Singing competition at Texas Woman’s University in Denton. Competing against voice majors from many colleges, including The University of Tex- as at Arlington, the University of North Texas, Texas Christian University and Baylor Univer– sity, D’Eramo rose above all and placed first in her division.
“Sylvia has drive, healthy ego, and a com-
-Andrea Trent D’Eramo. TJC Professor, Voice She credits
TJC with playing success. a role in her early
“TJC has been home for me since I was 15; it helped me out a lot and molded me into the artist I am now.”
D’Eramo said that she was inspired to pur– sue opera by the late Maria Callas, an Amer– ican-born Greek soprano, who first made a name for herself in the opera world in Italy and is regarded as one of the greatest singers of all times.
“Every day I’m inspired by Maria Callas and my parents, without them I wouldn’t be where I am today,” D’Eramo said.
She said her family supports her dream. “My father Dr. Mark D’Eramo of Tyler is very proud of me, and I’m very happy that he let me be what I’m destined to be.” She is also developing her talents as
an actress. She appeared in TJC’s recent pro- duction of “Macbeth.”
“I also have other dreams like becoming an actress for a movie or doing Broadway mu- sicals,” said D’Eramo. “I love Broadway because it’s beautiful, but opera is also beautiful and has more emotion,” D’Eramo’s friends say that although she is talented, she is not a diva.
“She is a very outgoing, down-to-earth person and willing to help out when needed,” said David Rhode.
Randy Pyes, another of her friends, said, “Sylvia is a pretty person, outspoken and with a gift like hers, her dreams are bound to come true.”
