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Five Minutes with... Francesca Chiejina

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On Friday 28 May, soprano Francesca Chiejina will perform Samuel Barber’s Knoxville in a live streamed performance with Royal Northern Sinfonia. Ahead of the concert, we sat down for a quick five minutes with Francesca to ask her all the important questions: what’s her favourite word, what about a guilty pleasure, and what did she want to be when she was growing up?

Here’s what we found out…

1) Which mobile number do you call the most?
My sister.

2) What special talent or skill do you wish you possessed?
Whatever skills I need to work in international espionage. ??‍♀️

3) What is the first album that you ever bought?
Shakira’s Laundry Service.

4) What is the most recent album that you’ve bought or streamed?
Megan Thee Stallion’s Good News.

5) What is your current most-played piece of music?
Rhiannon Giddens He will see you through.

6) What is your most treasured possession?
My album of family pictures.

7) What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A philanthropist…I was a very serious child.

8) What is your favourite word?
Copacetic ??

9) What is your favourite smell?
Really random, but the smell of boiling maize/corn. The smell of my West African childhood.

10) What/when was your big breakthrough?
Landing my first gig at Covent Garden.

11) What keeps you awake at night?
The reality of death is hitting really close to home at the moment…I worry if I’ve said all I need to say to the people I love the most.

12) What is your most guilty pleasure?
Copious amounts of Tootsie Rolls ?

13) What composer or musician, past or present, would you most like to have dinner with, and why?
Nannerl Mozart, I just feel that it would be a good time, lots of juicy gossip.

To find out more about Francesca, and to buy your tickets for our live streamed performance, visit our website here.