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<\/div>\nIt\u2019s tempting to frame Pretty Yende\u2019s story as a modern fairy tale \u2013 the small-town girl who stumbled across opera via a television commercial and, within a few years, became an internationally acclaimed soprano on the stages of Teatro alla Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. But that version misses the point. Yende\u2019s rise was less about luck than sheer momentum \u2013 a force that reverberates beyond her musical endeavors. She has been embraced by the world of high fashion, notably as Dior\u2019s first opera ambassador. Yende, 51, is from South Africa, lives in Milan<\/a>, and has upcoming performances in Paris<\/a>, Rotterdam, and Naples.<\/p>\n What sparked your opera obsession?<\/strong><\/p>\n I was 16 years old, watching TV with my family, when an ad for British Airways came on \u2013 it had a supernatural melody, [The Flower Duet from L\u00e9o Delibes\u2019 opera Lakm\u00e9]. I couldn\u2019t believe that humans could create such sounds. I grew up with music at home \u2013 my grandmother taught me hymns from the church \u2013 but this was something different. I thought, \u201cIf someone can teach me how to [sing like] this, I can do it.\u201d That\u2019s how my journey began. Every time I would fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town, I\u2019d try to fly British Airways so that I could hear that advert again.<\/p>\n See also: Tamu McPherson on Dressing for Joy and Traveling With Intention<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n What are your favorite places you\u2019ve performed?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have grown up in the biggest opera houses in the world. My career started where everybody wants to arrive \u2013 I\u2019ve sung in Milan at Teatro alla Scala, and in Paris, London<\/a>, New York<\/a>, Spain, Germany. Architecturally, each house has a distinct individuality, but what connects me to them most is what happens on the stage. Acoustically, I have a few favorites \u2013 the Metropolitan Opera House, where I first performed in 2013, felt like it was hugging my voice. To experience such acoustics is something that I treasure, and that [performance] gave my career direction. I love knowing that prestigious singers sang in these opera houses in the past, and that I\u2019m following in those footsteps. Maria Callas sang in Houston and I\u2019m going to make my Houston debut soon as Marguerite [in Gounod\u2019s Faust]. <\/p>\n Who is your role model?<\/strong><\/p>\n I try not to look up to one person because it\u2019s dangerous \u2013 you end up being a bad copy of them. Maria Callas is someone I admire in terms of how she could tell a story. And the beauty of Montserrat Caball\u00e9\u2019s voice \u2013 her sound was like velvet. Or Mariella Devia, who you cannot take your eyes off when she\u2019s on stage. There\u2019s also a humility in seeing great artists still learning and perfecting their art. <\/p>\n![\"pretty](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/pretty-yende-dior-2048x2560.jpg\")
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