SO 10 Episode 01: Alison Buchanan – Finding Your Voice & The Essence of Freeness

What happens when a woman decides she will no longer be quiet—on stage or in life? That question is at the heart of our conversation with Alison Buchanan, an internationally respected soprano, teacher, and the Artistic Director of Pegasus Opera Company. Alison has spent decades building a career in spaces that were never designed for her, and she’s done it by refusing to shrink, soften, or be anything less than her full, "precocious" self.

You may recognize Alison’s voice from Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, but her story reaches far beyond that moment. She talks openly with us about finding her "precocious" voice early, including walking out of her church at age 11 because the pastor couldn't explain where the dinosaurs were in Genesis and surviving a rigid industry that told her "Black people shouldn't sing opera." We delve into the physical power of the "hoo-ha," the reality of keeping your "mojo" as you age, and how grief and menopause live in the body.

This episode marks our return after a long break, and it reminds us why these conversations matter. Alison’s life and work show that getting older doesn’t mean fading out; it means getting clearer, braver, and finally saying what you’ve always known to be true.