Lucy Yates, soprano, pianist, and coach, made her Italian debut as Violetta in a new Franco Zeffirelli production of La Traviata at the Teatro Verdi, Busseto. She was so captivated by the Italian language that she has since become a cogent and lyrical translator and teacher of Italian poetry: she is Director of Language Studies for Teatro Nuovo, led by Will Crutchfield; and she leads libretto intensives and master classes for opera companies and conservatories. As a company member of The Industry, she is also at the forefront of operatic experimentation. She is Lecturer in the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and a writer and interviewer for the Santa Fe Opera; she has served as panelist on the Metropolitan Opera radio quiz.
