I would love to perform at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House someday: Aditi Iyer

While most teenagers enjoy sharing content online or are busy figuring out their professional lives ahead, Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Aditi Iyer, 17, wrote an EP at the age of 15. Though she calls herself a pop singer with an opera/classical background, she agrees that opera has taught her a lot as an artiste. “I love opera. It’s majorly influenced the way I sing, even when it comes to pop. I got into opera when I was eight (and lived in Delhi NCR). I met Situ Sigh Buehler, a well-known teacher in the Delhi opera circle. I got down to experimenting with it and found my own way to use what I was taught in opera like breathing techniques and how to sustain and resonate notes in pop,” says Iyer.

Her EP, titled Dollhouse, has four songs, revolving around abusive relationships. “I’ve never been in an abusive relationship, but it’s something I have witnessed around and feel strongly about. I think more people are in abusive relationships than we realize, because so many people don’t actually know how they’re supposed to feel in a relationship and they end up normalising a lot of troubling behavior,” says the singer, who utilised the pandemic-induced lockdown phase to finish her album. “The pandemic was a productive time for me. School was off and I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I ended up churning out songs. I even wrote every song in my newest EP, Dollhouse, during the lockdown.

Though she grew up in Delhi, Iyer loves Mumbai’s independent music scene. “I didn’t know much about Mumbai’s indie music scene at the start, but ever since I moved to Mumbai four years ago, I’ve been able to learn about how much life it has, despite being, sort of, underground. So many artistes churn out amazing lyrics and melodies that I feel rival international songs, but they still haven’t become mainstream in India and the world. This extends to the Indian independent music scene in general.”

Though she has performed at several celebrated opera venues, one is still part of the pending list. “I’ve never performed at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai. I’d love to perform there someday. I enjoy performing opera. It helps hone my technique and challenges as a singer.”