Phl's first female pop-opera group

MANILA, Philippines - This year, it’s time for a new genre that will set a new trend in the Philippine music industry. Enter the Opera Belles.

Three classically-trained young singers have joined forces and voices to form the country’s first young female pop opera group.

Opera Belles combine contemporary pop with the artistry of opera in their self-titled debut album under Sony Music.

Opera Belles is composed of Allison Tanner, Lara Maigue and Jam Valdes. They were formed by the Philippine Opera Company and each member underwent auditions and rigid training.

In 2010, they were signed to Sony Music, impressed by their unique voice, youth and beauty — never before seen and heard in the entertainment industry.

Allison started singing when she was eight years old and was trained at the University of the Philippines Extension Program where she was introduced to opera and classical music. She is currently a sophomore Pharmacy student at Centro Escolar University. She describes recording the album as “like a newborn — so many bright new learning — theoretically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.”

Jam took voice lessons at seven but it was not classical training. Her musical skills were honed joining glee clubs during high school and her confidence was boosted when she joined Repertory Philippines’ summer workshops for seven years. The DLSU Industrial Engineering major started classical training a year ago under the Philippine Opera Company. She enjoys sports, dancing, acting and joining beauty pageants.

Lara studies Music Education at the University of the Philippines. Both her parents are musicians/music professors with her mother, also a classical singer, being her first voice teacher. Lara started having formal lessons during her second year in high school. Her musical influences include Charlotte Church, Sarah Brightman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Renee Olstead and Michael Bublé.

The Opera Belles perform some of the current crop of pop hits with a classical twist to create a unique sound, songs such as Love Story (Taylor Swift), Breathless (The Corrs), The Only Exception (Paramore), Sundo (Imago), and many more.

“The songs were uniquely interpreted with rhythmic changes and opera overtures, making the sound totally new to the ear,” Allison said.

Opera Belles’ debut album is now out in CDs under Sony Music.