C is for Cookie (and Carnegie!)

Hello all! Chenda is reunited once again! I'm back in London after a memorable week in NYC. As Chad mentioned last week, I was there to sing in Marilyn Horne's 80th birthday gala concert. I can't begin to explain what an incredible honor it was for me to celebrate this amazing woman! Standing backstage during the concert, I couldn't believe how many great artists I was surrounded by. My twin made this funny picture from the Carnegie website giving the details of the concert.

But Marilyn Horne is not the only singer on that list to have sung on Sesame Street! Here are the links to the Sesame Street videos. In my mind, it is a clear mark of success to be on Sesame Street! Marilyn Horne, Renée Fleming (says the Muppet Show but I'm pretty sure it was actually Sesame Street), Samuel Ramey, and Isabel Leonard.

Left to right: Lester Lynch, me, Piotr Beczala, Marilyn Horne, Jamie Barton, Samuel Ramey, and Renée Fleming. 

Another perk to this concert was sharing the stage with my good friend Isabel! We went to Juilliard together and the last time we sang together was in 2007. Long overdue, and I hope we get the opportunity again soon!

Chad's Uncle Earl snapped this picture, which I will cherish! You can also see the brilliant pianist Warren Jones on the left, who played for me. He's the only collaborative pianist I know who plays everything from memory. Unbelievable! 

I was also really lucky to have a lot of family and friends cheering me on in the audience! If any of you who were there have pictures of our time together in NYC, please send them to me! 

My Aunt Marilyn and I the day after the concert.

With Chad's parents, at a lovely brunch along with other members of his family! It was great to catch up a bit! 

As usual, I got to visit with some old friends, but there's never enough time to see everyone! I'm hoping to go to NYC again in October, though that sounds like a long time from now. But I'm sure it'll go fast! I've got 6 operas to sing between then and now! :-) Speaking of which, maybe I should go study! Have a great week everybody! 

The beautiful view of NYC from Weehawken, NJ.