A&E

Seven years ago, singer David Govertsen (Bienen ’11) taught music at a public school in Park Ridge. Now, he can be found on stage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, performing as a professional bass-baritone in the upcoming production of “The Magic Flute.”

The Daily: When and how did you initially become interested in singing?

Govertsen: I was interested in singing in college. I was a trombone player in high school, and when it came time to look at colleges, I wasn’t really at the level that I needed to be in order to get into top-level music schools … So my brother said, “Well you sang in choir, why don’t you audition as a singer?” And that’s when I started singing. It’s kind of a wild story, but that’s the truth. I started singing kind of by default.

The Daily: How did the things you learned at Northwestern shape the kind of musician you’ve become today?

Govertsen: I came to Northwestern to hone the skills I already had … I worked with a bunch of professors who were also professionals in the music world. What I’m most thankful for is the fact that I was able to study languages for two years. I had never done that. … There’s great Italian and German instruction at Northwestern; I had a ball.

The Daily: What made you choose opera for your career?

Govertsen: The reason opera is a main part of my life is that’s what is worth doing, mostly. A lot of opera roles are too demanding for a 20-year-old. … I remember listening to a famous Bulgarian bass singing all of these Verdi arias and thinking: “Oh my gosh, that’s amazing singing. It seems fun; I wonder if I could do it.” So it’s a combination of what there is to do as a classical singer, and I also found things about it that could be really satisfying.

The Daily: How are you involved in Lyric’s upcoming production of “The Magic Flute?”

Govertsen: My role is Sprecher. He never speaks any dialogue; he just sings, which is strange. He’s only in one scene in the first act. It’s this high drama confrontation with the tenor. … The tenor Matt Polenzani is singing the last two performances. He’s a particularly favorite tenor of mine, so I’ll be very much looking forward to doing the scene with him. I’m very excited about it.

The Daily: Do you have any foreseeable plans for the future?

Govertsen: My wife and I have a one-year-old, and we bought a house three years ago. I also started teaching at Valparaiso University … so the goal is to find that balance of singing, family, teaching … to be realistic, to be satisfied artistically, to pay the bills, to have time for family and all that. The goal is to be able to sing, teach and have a family all at once which is no easy task for any. For any musician it’s a challenge.

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