Rye's Very Own Soprano

Rye soprano Daniele Hager is equally at ease sailing the high Cs in arias ranging from Bizet's seductive "Carmen" to Bernstein's virginal Maria in "West Side Story," with a touch of Liza Doolittle from "My Fair Lady" in between.

Hager is also at home singing Mexican boleros and Gregorian chant, belting out requests as the singing bartender at downtown's Town Dock Tavern two nights a week, and giving vocal and piano lessons two days a week at the Rye Arts Center (RAC).

She will be bringing it all home Saturday, July 17, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. when she puts her versatility and talent on display as one of the featured performers during the annual summer fundraising event at Rye's Wainwright House.

Along the way, Hager has earned two college degrees in opera performance, sung with a Korean opera company in New York City, studied voice in Italy, and is currently working on releasing an album of Mexican boleros from the 1930s and 1940s.

In the case of the boleros, her deep, dark, sultry vocal tones really bring the words and music to life with an artistry beyond her years because of her natural empathy and affinity for those boleros.

An artistic Rye opera singer with a natural empathy and affinity for Mexican boleros? How can that be?

"I'm an artist so I paint with words as well as oils," she told Patch. "And I'm originally from Mexico City."

Hager, 26, came to Rye from Mexico City with her family at age 17. Her father, John, a professional trombone player, became the band leader for the Rye Country Day School band, and her mother, Consuelo, a professional artist, went to work in the school's alumni office. And Daniele, the middle child, eased her way into the assimilation process by taking leading roles in various RCDS theatrical productions, as did her singing brothers, John and Robert.

With their parents as encouraging cheer leaders, the three young Hagers have embarked on professional singing careers with Daniele perhaps venturing the farthest in that area.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from SUNY Purchase, specializing in opera performance even though one of her teachers suggested she switch to acting. She refused to be discouraged because she has her heart set on a singing career. Her belief in herself paid off when she won a scholarship to graduate school, graduating with a degree in opera performance from Florida State University.

Next came a stint at the equivalent of European finishing school in the land where they live, breathe and truly love opera—Italy. Hager recently returned from Italy, where she studied the art of Italian opera singing in the land of Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, Caruso, Pavarotti, Siepi, Del Monaco and Tebaldi. It all started to really come together for her in Italy at the renowned opera program "Si Parla Si Canta" in Urbania, about two hours from Florence.

There she was trained to sing as naturally as you talk and breathe, albeit with the kind of vocal training that makes the words resonate up and down the musical scales with heartfelt feeling, emotion and understanding.

Along the way to advancing her career now that she's back home, Hager does whatever it takes while waiting for her big break, whether that means singing "pants" roles that have her masquerading as a man as Despina in productions of Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte" for a Korean New York City opera company called OSH or following up leads on classicalsinger.com, the opera singers' internet "Help Wanted" variation on the print show biz bibles "Variety" and "Back Stage."

She keeps her "pipes" oiled and flowing for an audience as the singing bartender taking requests at Town and Dock, from Mimi searching for that elusive key in "La Boheme" to the beloved Liza dodging "The Rain in Spain" to the plaintive Maria from "West Side Story." And she shows students how to tinkle the ivories on the piano while reaching for the high notes as a RAC piano and vocal teacher. Those two regular paying gigs occupy two days and two nights per week for Hager.

In between, there are the master classes in vocalizing, and lots of hours spent working with her pianist accompanist Eric Thomas Johnson as they put the finishing touches on their upcoming album of Mexican boleros as well as rehearse for the Wainwright House performance.

All those varied skills will be on display during the Wainwright House fundraiser that also includes performances by the Maya da Silva Flamenco Dancers and comedian Bill Keller--and maybe a few encores from Rye's hometown soprano. 

Tickets for the fundraiser: $60, including deserts by Corner Stone Catering, wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. For more information contact the Wainwright House, www.wainwright.org; phone: 914-967-6080