Renee Fleming

Every singer eventually gets around to a Christmas disc.

Having to travel so much plays havoc with your personal life.

For years, I had no time for exploratory travel.

No voice teacher can be all things to all people. You have to gain information from whatever sources you can. You have to listen.

I think opera has gained a kind of glamorous appeal. It's a live performance that aligns all of the arts, and when it is represented in the media, in film in particular, it is presented as something that is really a special event, whether it's a great date or something that's just hugely romantic.

I have had a very difficult time with stage fright it undermines your well-being and peace of mind, and it can also threaten your livelihood.

I've spent hours and hours doing research into Appalachian folk music. My grandfather was a fiddler. There is something very immediate, very simple and emotional, about that music.

Learning operatic roles is ongoing, and I find that I can learn on the train or subway, during a manicure, getting my hair done, and even while driving if I only look at the score at red lights.

Being steeped in the process of learning and exploring keeps me from becoming too nervous. Partly it's about not getting bored.

Everybody's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. I mean, I've never arrived... I'm still learning all the time.

My parents discussed singing every night over the dinner table I had a tremendous music education.

I've always been inspired by artists who have shown musical and intellectual curiosity and the courage to take risks.