Alejandra Sandoval-Montañez is a mezzo-soprano and Holland Community Opera Fellow. The fellowship brings community-focused artists to live and work in Omaha. Sandoval-Montañez grew up in Mexico and received her Masters in Vocal Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois. Her stage credits include roles in productions of “Carnaval!,” “A Little Night Music,” “Pirates of Penzance” and “Patience.”

Sandoval-Montañez is also an educator and social media manager. She runs the Instagram account Aspiring Opera Singers, which offers resources and inspiration to those coming up in the craft. The account has more than 22,000 followers.

In this episode, Sandoval-Montañez and Michael Griffin are talking about techniques used in operatic singing, the role of live performance in shaping Omaha’s culture, and how the operatic tradition can meet today’s cultural needs.