HOUSTON — In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, KHOU 11 News anchor Len Cannon sat down with an international opera star who's preparing for her next role at the Houston Grand Opera.
Ailyn Perez not only sings a song, she feels it.
"I feel an emotion ... sadness, joy, melancholy, romanticism," she said.
Cannon and Perez sat down for a chat in the orchestra seats of the Wortham Theater Center, where Perez is rehearsing for her upcoming role in Houston Grand Opera's "Il Trovatore," which kicks off HGO's new season.
A first-generation Mexican-American, Perez started playing the recorder in second grade and started voice lessons when she was 14. That's when she became hooked on opera.
"My family roots always centered around stories, music, food and time together," Perez said.
She said she chose opera because she loves languages. She even speaks five of them.
"I speak German, Italian, French, Spanish and English," she said.
She's performed on stages around the world, but surprisingly, the soaring soprano isn't always comfortable singing other types of music without proper study, like the time her husband took her to a TLC concert.
She's a familiar voice to Houston audiences and next week's performance marks her fifth opera in Houston.