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To be a famously successful opera singer. I wanted that since I was eight.

I was attracted to opera when I was 15 or 16. A very rich man in England bankrupted himself to put on a lot of opera during the war, but he converted a lot of people, myself included, in the process.

My parents were opera singers and voice teachers, so growing up, I admired musicians and dancers.

I was constantly being pushed toward a European ideal of what it means to be a classical or opera singer, let's say in the Renata Tebaldi mode. I reject that.

I had classical training but I don't consider myself an opera singer though.

I had this exceptional classical music voice. If I'd followed a true path for my talent, I would have ended up being an opera singer.

That was my first love growing up - classical orchestral music, especially Impressionism.

I was into opera as a kid - I'd play 'Carmen' and sing and dance. My mom signed me up for a theater group before preschool, and I never looked back.

I started performing opera when I was 10 years old. I didn't perform as Zola Jesus until I was probably 18.

I loved singing. But can you imagine my voice in an opera house?