When she was in her late-twenties,Cuban-American soprano Elaine Alvarez was rolling mad deep across international opera stages in high-profile gigs and opening nights (the Chicago Tribune described her voice as "a big, vibrant lyric soprano the color of deep burgundy" -- check out her Vissi d'arte below) but after years of deep arts funding cuts + worldwide recession + economic crisis + condensed opera seasons, it meant regrouping and getting more skills (you know, like nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills).
Between daily vocal coachings and auditions, Alvarez is at the recording studio singing duets with powerful leads, but not like how you're imagining it. As the assistant to the SVP of the Howard Stern Channels at SiriusXM Radio it means impromptu, live, on-air duets with Howard Stern, which is exactly what happened a few days ago at 8am when she was summoned by the shock jock to sing Ave Maria (clip above).
Radio aside, the hawt Latina soprano is back from a Roman (working) Holiday under the wings of la Renata Scotto and she's got gigs lined-up for the 2012/13 season (a recital with the Orchestra Miami, a guest engagement with the New World Symphony and a leading role with Gotham Chamber Opera, to name a few).