Danielle de Niese will not push children into arts
Opera star says she will support her children if they choose artistic careers but will not encourage them.
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Soprano Danielle de Niese has stated she will not encourage her children to pursue careers in the arts. De Niese, who is mother to son Bacchus and daughter Sheherazade with her husband Gus Christie, executive chairman of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, explained that she is aware of the significant challenges involved in making a living from artistic pursuits. She told the Press Association that a career in the arts requires immense dedication, stating, "you have to really want it."
De Niese, 47, acknowledged that her five-year-old daughter is already showing interest in following in her mother's footsteps. However, she emphasised her intention to support her children's choices rather than actively steer them towards the arts. "If she wants to do it, I will hold her up to the sky and help her fly in any way that I can," de Niese said. She added, "I don’t have any desire to push my children into the arts. I know that’s a bit of a controversial thing to say but I know how hard it is."
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The singer believes that live performance roles, such as those in opera, theatre, and ballet, are among the few professions unlikely to be replaced by artificial intelligence. She suggested that as AI impacts more technical jobs, the arts might become a more appealing choice for future generations. "Artists aren’t really replaceable by AI. A magical live performance in opera, theatre, ballet, art, you can’t replace it with AI," de Niese stated.
Current Projects
De Niese is currently performing in the musical Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre in London. She also addressed the issue of audience members using phones during performances, noting that Hadestown has an effective usher team that discourages such behaviour. "We should always hold on to being present in the moment," she commented.
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Her latest project is the Sky Arts documentary, The Handel Scandal. In the programme, de Niese presents the story of 18th-century singer Susannah Cibber, who performed in George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah despite facing public shame after a scandal. De Niese described the story as one that "most people don’t know and most of the details are jaw-dropping, they’re shocking."
The Handel Scandal: The Making Of The Messiah is scheduled to premiere on October 27 at 8pm on Sky Arts and Now.
Questions this report answers
+Will Danielle de Niese push her children into the arts?
No, Danielle de Niese stated that she will not push her children into pursuing careers in the arts. She believes the industry is very challenging and requires a deep personal desire to succeed. However, she affirmed that she would support them if they chose to follow artistic paths.
+What is Danielle de Niese currently doing?
Danielle de Niese is currently starring in the musical Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre in London. She is also presenting a new Sky Arts documentary titled The Handel Scandal, which explores the life of 18th-century singer Susannah Cibber.
+When does The Handel Scandal premiere?
The Sky Arts documentary The Handel Scandal, presented by Danielle de Niese, premieres on October 27 at 8pm. It will be available to watch on Sky Arts and Now. The documentary focuses on the story of singer Susannah Cibber.
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