In this conversation, Park City Opera co-founders Ben Beckman and Lena Goldstein explore the science behind the operatic voice and the musical world of "Romeo and Juliet." Ben takes us into the physics of sound: vibration, frequency, harmonics, acoustics, and why a singer’s voice can fill a concert hall without amplification. Lena explores the biology of singing, from the vocal folds and breath to the resonating spaces in the head and chest that help transform air into a powerful, expressive sound.
Along the way, they’ll unpack questions that sit at the intersection of science and art: Why do two people singing the same note sound completely different? What actually happens inside the body when someone sings? Why does a voice carry across a room? What does “resonance” really mean — both scientifically and musically? And why can certain sounds trigger such an immediate emotional response?
Using Park City Opera’s upcoming "Romeo and Juliet" as a jumping-off point, the conversation reveals the hidden science behind one of the oldest forms of musical storytelling — and how physics and physiology help turn Shakespeare’s famous love story into sound.
