Graciela Rivera - Early Years

Early Years

Rivera (birth name: Graciela Rivera Zumchak ) was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. As a child she enjoyed singing. Her father was a church pastor who would often play in his record player the opera music of Caruso. He owned a piano and when he played she would sing church hymns with her mother. she was considered very talented by her family and teachers alike.

Her family moved to Cataño and later to Santurce, a section of San Juan, where she finished her primary and secondary education. She was a student at Santurce Central High School when she auditioned and participated in school productions of "The Magic Flute", "Il trovatore", "Rigoletto", "Lucia di Lammermoor" and "Aida" (Ms. Rivera believes these were the first operas ever produced by a high school anywhere in the world). She delighted audiences in Puerto Rico with her soprano voice in concerts which she organized. She planned to use the money obtained from these concerts to pay for her studies at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.