From the ranch to the opera house: Kara Grover’s journey as an opera singer, theater services coordinator at Sumter Opera House

When you first meet Kara Grover, her warm presence and passion for the arts capture your attention.

As she sits nearly crisscross applesauce on the Sumter Opera House's green room couch, it's hard to imagine that this internationally acclaimed coloratura soprano, dedicated theater services coordinator and mother hails from the rural town of Rifle, Colorado - a place worlds away from the elegance of classical music.

"I didn't have exposure to that really until high school, but mostly college," Grover said. "I grew up with horses on my dad's ranch in the mountains, and my mom was a nurse … she's now retired, but she surely was a big inspiration for me musically."

Being a self-taught singer, Grover's mother would play music of different genres for her and Grover's twin sister, and at birthday parties, the trio of Grover girls would sing three-part harmony. But Grover wanted to get serious about singing.

In high school, she made the switch from first-chair flutist to amateur actress in her school's production of "Grease." Nailing the role of Marty Maraschino, she sung a capella and received rave reviews for her performance - including from her choir teacher, Daryl Gingrich. He encouraged Grover to audition for Colorado All State Choir. Her junior year, Grover was the only student out of the entire county to be accepted.

After she conquered all her high school musical productions, Grover's path took an unexpected turn when a friend suggested she audition for the opera program at the University of Northern Colorado.

"I don't know what I'm doing, but sure, why not?" she explained. "I didn't really have direction; I just know I liked singing. So, I thought I'll give it a try."

But Grover knew her love for singing could only take her so far. As the daughter of a rancher and a nurse, she was raised with a deep respect for hard work. Her sights were set on having ample time to devote to perfecting her singing. It would pay off, as she earned her bachelor's degree in opera from UNC.

Her time in college was transformative, being where she saw her first opera, "Little Women," and where she featured in the opera "Hansel and Gretel." From there, her love for the art form grew, and she soon found herself in Germany, participating in a summer program that allowed her to sing with an opera company. Falling in love with the chorus work and the culture, Grover made the jump from the ranch to the opera stage. With no money and no concrete plan, the decision was not easy, but it was a leap of faith she was willing to take. She faced a series of challenges, from navigating the complexities to obtain a work visa to being told repeatedly she was "too young" to secure a job in the competitive opera industry. But Grover remained resilient. Alongside a group of like-minded colleagues in 2011, she founded Opera et Cetera.

"Our goal was to have a company that hired young singers to bridge the gap between college and professional singing. To build their repertoire, build their technique, give them exposure, have them sing for an audience," she explained. "This was the goal for us, as young singers, to create our own opportunities to sing."

The company quickly gained traction, performing at prestigious venues across Germany and even embarking on a tour in America.

It was in Germany that Grover met her husband, an Air Force officer; the couple were connected through his grandmother and Grover's stepmother. He would later receive a permanent change of station back to the States. While in Florida, Grover restarted her career to have that competitive edge when it comes to the workforce and earned her master's at Florida State University. She graduated in 2021, when COVID-19 hit a plateau, and went into arts administration. She performed at a few gigs, moving around to Las Vegas and then New Mexico before finally settling in Sumter.

Grover worried what she would do in this new city, but as fate would have it, Sumter had a place for her. She applied for a position at the Sumter Opera House as the theater services coordinator - a job that connected her back to the world of opera, though in a different capacity.

"I love it here," Grover said, beaming. "But ironically, they say, 'Oh, an opera singer at the opera house,' but we don't do any opera." At least, not yet.

In her role, Grover has already begun to leave her mark. In March, the debut of the Opera House's Acoustic Cafe series was a sold-out event titled "Celebrating Women Composers" that featured a series of heartfelt performances by Grover and her dear friend Lois Henry, a highly sought-after pianist and composer.

"I'm going to force people to like classical music, whether people want to or not," Grover joked. But beneath her humor lies a sincere passion for sharing the art form she loves. "People just need to be willing to try something new … I'm not asking [to make it your new favorite genre], I'm just saying, give it a try."