The path to a musical career is rarely clear-cut, but one can certainly guess at its magnetism in order to have pulled French Nigerian scientist-turned-opera soprano Omo Bello away from such a distant nation and towards an equally distant career choice. The BBC recently conducted a profile of the emerging talent along with her curious backstory. According to the BBC, Omo Bello started her career studying to become a geneticist in her native Nigeria until 2006 when she was awarded a scholarship to train as an opera singer in France. From there, her career blossomed into what has now made her the "most sought-after" opera soprano in the field today.
From a love of singing that was implanted as a child upon hearing The Sound of Music, one can follow Omo Bello's unique journey on the artist's home page from life as a French Nigerian scientist into one of the most sought-after opera sopranos in the world. After studying the sciences for five years in Nigeria, focusing on cell biology and genetics, Omo Bello embarked on a journey that “devoted herself to music”. Her singing talents took her to the Conservatoire de Paris, and afforded her some challenging roles as Barbarina from The Marriage of Figaro, Solis of Magdalena, and Hara Kei's Young Wife in Soie (an opera based on the novel "Seta" by Alessandro Baricco). Most recently, her roles have earned her prestigious awards such as 1st prize in the 2014 Paris International Opera Competition, along with a nomination for the "Lyrical Revelation of the Year" category in the French Grammy's.
Success for the opera soprano Omo Bello was not instantaneous, however. Upon arrival in France, her raw talent had initially carried her ahead of some much-needed technique (according to her teacher Peggy Bouveret from an interview recorded in SWAN Magazine). Bouveret, who is known for developing operatic talent, coached Bello alongside her coursework and, in June 2011, she graduated upon giving a 50-minute recital. A flourishing career since that time has included a grand debut as Donna Anna from Mozart's Don Giovanni and Princess Telaira from Castor and Pollux.
Also, according to the SWAN interview, Omo Bello has been giving back to her native country (where she'd studied as a Nigerian scientist many years earlier) by "lending support to the construction of a conservatory of music and an opera house", presumably with the hopes of improving musical opportunities where she grew up.
