Q&A: Soula Parasidis on financing live opera and NFT opera

Ever since NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) were first introduced to the world in 2014 – thanks to artist Kevin McCoy using a digitized, hard-to-trace and decentralized form of financial transaction known as the blockchain – what it means to collect money. never been the same. While some see NFTs as a waste of time, others have taken advantage of their apparent use. Many artists claim NFTs are a “rip off”, but others see it as the start of a fairer marketplace; one that prioritizes direct communication between the artist and the consumer.

Questions like “How is money spent?” and “Who really benefits?” has long been asked in the opera industry. Today, grant programs and philanthropic projects seem to think of the artist last, and donors are often unaware of how their money is actually being spent. But one woman and her team are on a mission to change opera culture and the industry from the inside, one NFT at a time.

Dramatic soprano Soula Parasidis, a resilient, hard-working and tenacious opera director, created her company Living Opera to revitalize the opera field and update funding methods for up-and-coming singers. Parasidis had been unhappy with the offers and lack of support most young singers faced, and tried to change things.

In order to fight for more transparency and community, I sat down with Parasidis to talk about NFT, funding and Mozart.

OperaWire: You’ve had quite the life so far. Your cancer diagnosis at 23 seemed to change your life overnight. Can you talk about how this influenced your vision for your career?

Soula Parasidis: You don’t have time to think. We don’t expect life’s drama. I was not prepared for the psychological consequences of having my body fail me. I recovered physically quite quickly, but I felt broken. I didn’t feel safe anymore. Afterwards I felt the fragility of life. I also felt this drive to not let it beat me. From my cancer diagnosis, to finishing school, to now: it all made quite a journey. I didn’t realize at the time that all my experiences would make up the content of Living Opera, where we help other people with their story of opera. My story is just one of many: I get stories every day from students and new singers talking about their challenges and struggles.

OW: What was your journey towards philanthropy?

SP: A local philanthropist in Vancouver, where I grew up, approached me and offered me funding if I could come up with a new business plan. I figured it out and got the funding. This was the seed that allowed me to go to Europe and build some of the skills I needed. I realized as I built this project that I was pretty much replicating the same kindness that had launched my career. One of the strengths of Living Opera in general is that Norman and I are still active in the industry, so our information is real-time information: little tips that can help the artists succeed, and that’s incredibly satisfying. What if we made a culture out of it?

From the looks of our online content, it seems like everything is pretty planned and measured. It’s actually quite different. We knew we wanted to do something with blockchain and NFTs. I realize that so much of my work to help others has its roots in my past and my experiences. The philanthropy side has many arms. On the one hand, we help artists. But we also give donors a snapshot of what they are actually funding. Everyone works together. It’s a way to bring a beautiful new layer to philanthropy.

OW: Where did the idea for Living Opera come from?

SP: It wasn’t my idea. This came from Norman, and the fact that I was responding to instant messages every day. He suggested taking advantage of it, and created a curriculum based on the questions I had been asked. In a way, it was perfect timing because we had this conversation at the end of 2019. We got a real web developer and launched it as a real business in 2020. I want artists to have a leg to stand on. If I can help them by example, then I am doing my job. Most artists don’t sing full time, they need to supplement their income. Even with a full calendar, you have time to do other things. It’s part of the negative message, “You’re not a serious artist if you do anything else.” Instrumentalists have legs to stand on, but singers have to twiddle their thumbs between auditions? Never!

OW: How do NFTs play into Living Opera’s relationship with donors?

SP: Since Magic Mozart, the most people who can benefit from our society are the artists themselves. Our current model is to donate tokens to artists who are willing to be part of our active community, and attract high-level donors to sponsor these tokens. It reduces the pressure of finding the perfect donor and opens the floor for those who just want to make a charitable donation. When you’re dealing with someone and selling an idea, what are their priorities? What do older donors hope to achieve? Usually, when you hit on the thing that has potential, switch gears! Whether it’s an aria or a crazy token structure, find the thing that works. You save more time by being flexible. You can feel it gel too. On our previous website we had something called the “Featured Community” page. I felt that our community members needed to be featured. However, we needed a better strategy as I received photos from singers from all over the world who met because of Living Opera. My hope is that when this project is realized, we will have much more global connectivity.

OW: Living Opera works with universities and schools. Where did this decision come from?

SP: I love children! More seriously, speaking at universities is a normal part of the professional singing career. Sometimes universities will have you come and do a Q&A with their students. However, it tends to be the same all the time. I love the creativity of younger children and that they cover their ears when they sing. But I love another element. The reason I started opera was because I listened to a free concert at my school when I was seven. I knew I wanted Living Opera to have that kind of influence. You can see them getting captivated by something that will do good things for them in their lives. They are like sponges, and you give them constructive information. If you get the chance, you should do it. It’s a wonderful way to bring hope to a child’s life, and direction as well.

OW: Living Opera paves a new path for grant programs. Why?

SP: During the pandemic, I was looking for a solution to the challenging state of the supplement culture. There weren’t many options. There was a need for a program to fund individual artists. I understand why the grant program is so complicated and lengthy. Donors feel more trust in a large institution, but this is something we are trying to change. I want to change the level of trust between philanthropists and individual artists. Our approach is through the use of digital identification. This only works if the philanthropists think Living Opera is worth something. There is a need for artists to show that we mean business; how business works; that we are committed to playing the game. $5,000 in the hands of an emerging singer is going to go so much further than if it is given to an opera house that then distributes funds to singers. We try to attract donors by showing them how far their money can go.

OW: What’s next for Living Opera?

SP: An app is in development as we speak! The idea is to focus on opera singers and help them know their craft. You sing into the phone and get an undertone type prediction. It can point you in the right direction and give you repertoire recommendations. The second feature, which I’m most excited about, allows a user to convert their audio into marketable digital art on a global marketplace that can be used to fund individual artists. We are very excited to see where this goes!