What’s a squillo, and why do opera singers need it? Ming Luke
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TEDEd Animation
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An orchestra fills an opera house with music, but a singer’s voice soars above the instruments. Its melody rings out across thousands of patrons— all without any assistance from a microphone. How is it possible that a single voice can be heard so clearly? The answer lies in the physics of the human voice. Ming Luke explains the carefully honed technique of an expert opera singer.
The structure of concert halls greatly affects how sound and vibrations reach the ears of the audience. Imagine you have been tasked with designing a concert hall that would be ideal for opera. Explain what types of design decisions would need to be made to achieve maximum sound balance and optimal acoustics. Take into account what you have learned about sound, vibration and the physics of the human voice.
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Meet The Creators
- Director Franz Palomares
- Educator Ming Luke
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Sound Designer Weston Fonger, Eleanor Nelsen
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
- Singer Ellen Leslie
- Fact-Checker Joseph Isaac
- Special Thanks Jenny Hunt
