“I started piano lessons at seven years old, and singing at nine, but I was always humming a tune. My brother hated it,” soprano Nicola Said laughs, remembering her childhood joy in discovering new melodies, tunes and rhythms. She recalls her elation at experiencing the musical cadences in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera: “when I was younger, I was obsessed with Christine,” she attests. However, it was to be a few years before opera became an integral part of her life, and her identity.

“When I was younger, I started to train with Maltese soprano Gillian Zammit, who put me up for a scholarship organised via the Ian Tomlin School of Music. Tomlin has a relationship with Napier University, in Edinburgh; I auditioned and won a place on their programme, so I moved to Scotland,” she says. It was here that she fell in love with opera.

“I was obsessed. I would listen to the music all night; I would bring scores home with me from the library; I would get piles and piles of books to read, so I would listen and read at the same time. This carried on for nights on end. It was exciting. I felt as if a whole new world had opened up, one which I had never really known to exist. I actually thought – ‘wow, do people actually do this for a living?’ It was like opening a treasure chest and peaking inside,” she smiles.

Nicola spent two years in Edinburgh, although, vocally, “the programme was not working for me.” Realising that the issue stemmed from the Jo Estill technique of singing which “may work for others, but, unfortunately, didn’t for me,” the soprano headed to Italy, where she enrolled on a new course. Her teacher there, Shigemi Matsumoto, encouraged her to apply to California State University, in order to complete her Bachelor’s degree in music. “I applied, and got in. I was there for three years in total, but, after so much time, I wanted to come back to Europe, and to come back home to Malta. At the time, I was only able to see my family twice a year, and I’m very close to my family, so that was hard,” she shares.

However, Nicola was intent on furthering her education, and was accepted onto the Guildhall Artist Masters in Performance, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, which was funded by the Malta Arts Scholarship. After two years, she progressed onto the Guildhall Opera Course, for which she received a scholarship from the institute itself. “At around the same time, I was also applying for Young Artist’s programmes, but I was getting a bit older, and, at that point, their age criteria started limiting my eligibility. My voice was also changing – it was becoming more lyrical, which was something I had not expected; it was becoming warmer and rounder so when I applied, I wasn’t even sure about where I would fit. When you’re competing at this level, with the best young singers from across the world, they really want to see that you’re a ready package,” Nicola explains.

Her training, talent and dedication opened doors, and, in December 2022, she made her debut with the English National Opera at the London Coliseum. “I had been engaged to cover Soprano Angel First Class in It’s a Wonderful Life (Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer). The night before one of the shows at around 10 or 11pm, I was told I have been placed on standby due to the possibility of illness in the main cast. We had only rehearsed for two to three weeks prior to that. Early that morning of the performance, I received a text saying that I would be going on! A few hours later, I found myself in hair, make-up, and costume. It felt like a dream. I didn’t know what was happening; you cannot really compute what is going on, I guess,” Nicola recalls.

The production required her to fly across the stage. “They put me in a harness, before curtain call, and we practised going up and down. I was hanging up, above the stage, my legs dangling, and it’s actually difficult to sing when you’re up there,” she laughs. Half an hour before showtime, “I was on high alert. I felt very excited and nervous – this was my big chance with a well-established UK opera company. Theatre Opera companies tend to be made up of a close-knit circle of people, so it’s difficult to break in. Indeed it’s even difficult to get to this stage, that is to enjoy a debut such as this, so you have to grab the chance when you get it. I must have had a very good audition, and they must have pre-selected me at that point. But it’s really like winning the lottery. During the performance, I just savoured the experience. Sometimes, I still cannot believe it happened,” she attests.

That has not been Nicola’s only brush with the higher echelons, however. This March, she sang for her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, at Spencer House. “I turned up to rehearse, just before the concert, and saw her name. The organisers had not wanted to tell me, so they don’t stress me out too much,” she says. More recently, Nicola has also kept busy auditioning for various roles including – in a moment of serendipity – for the role of Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera on the West End. “I got into the fourth round of auditions, but it was for a dance call, and I’m not trained in that.”

Locally, in 2016, she accompanied Joseph Calleja on stage at the Granaries. She has also worked with Gaulitana Festival performing at Teatru tal-Opra Aurora Gozo. “I also sang the wonderful role of Musetta in La Bohème which was performed last month, and in 2023 I did Frasquita in Carmen with Teatru Astra. I feel very grateful to have sung on stage in Gozo. I’ve also performed with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, working with the tenor Vittorio Grigolo,” she says.

Nicola is also pursuing a second Master of Arts, this time in Voice Pedagogy. “I’m very fascinated by technique; over the course of my formal education, when I was younger, I was told so many things, and sometimes that confused me. So, I would ask questions and my instructors wouldn’t necessarily know the answers, so I’d like to teach by passing on my knowledge, and my previous experience – but backed up by scientific knowledge. I want to be sure to be teaching the right thing. I would like to be at the forefront in teaching vocal technique, and I’d love to teach young opera students at University level, and contribute to their development,” she says.

Nicola’s studies and practice are also complemented by her social activities, and the cultural scene in Malta remains close to her heart, even though she is currently living in London. She is also, for instance, the Malta Airport Foundation Ambassador, working with them to promote the islands and boosting local opportunities for those operating within the cultural space.

Nicola set up Malta Opera, with the help of Noreen Cesareo, an organisation which was established to “promote opera, Maltese talent and classical singing in the country. I wanted to start something to propel artists here to better opportunities. I felt that, particularly here in Malta, we weren’t making use of our local human resources, and we have fantastic singers from the island, who have taken their talent to an international level. But, it remains a fact that we can do much more,” she explains, adding that Malta Opera has had much support and encouragement from many sources, including from the Arts Council Malta as well as the Janatha Stubbs Foundation.

Her advice for aspiring artists is “to do your research on who you want to take singing lessons with; try different people. You should also,” she continues, “retain an awareness and a sensitivity towards your peers.” Looking ahead, Nicola continues to work towards accruing more performance opportunities both here in Malta and abroad. “The dream is to sing at the Metropolitan in New York or the Royal Opera House in London,” she smiles, concluding.

Nicola’s favourite...

...off-the-beaten places in Malta and Gozo:

1. Torri Xutu in Wied iż-Żurrieq
2. Mġarr ix-Xini, Gozo
3. Ta’ Pinu, Gozo
4. Sanap Cliffs, Gozo

...local eateries in Malta and Gozo:

1. Sotto Pizzeria in Valletta – “for the best gluten free pizza ever!”
2. “I love fish and seafood, so anywhere in Marsaxlokk”
3. Palazzo Preca in Valletta
4. Fontanella in Mdina, “for gluten free cakes and the view!”

...local permanent attractions which foreigners should visit:

1. Festivals Malta’s events – “they promote Maltese works in all types of arts, including works by Maltese composers”
2. Casino Maltese
3. San Anton Gardens – “they are always a joy to visit!”
4. Palazzo Parisio

The article first appeared on Guide Me spring/summer 2024.