16-Year-Old Pre-College Student Sings on NPR’s ‘From the Top’
Baritone Raghav Ramgopal works with Pre-College professor Eun-Mee Ko. He performed from inside Studio G in the Bowes Center for the show.
Pre-College student Raghav Ramgopal.
By Mark Taylor
Most 16-year-olds are studying for their driver's license, but Raghav Ramgopal was put to a different kind of test: performing on NPR’s national show From the Top.
The baritone is featured on the show starting the week of February 13, performing Ideale Melodia by Francesco Paulo Tosti. “Performing on From the Top was an amazing experience,” the teenager said. “The whole experience taught me more about what life as a professional singer would look like.”
Raghav has been working with his teacher Eun-Mee Ko in SFCM’s Pre-College program since he was 12. “I first joined her studio before my voice changed, and knew nothing about classical singing. But, in the last few years, she has helped me find my voice and to produce an amazing sound and has provided me with endless opportunities,” he said.
The opportunity to perform on the show presented itself when Raghav saw an opportunity to audition last year. “I asked my teacher, (Eun-Mee) Ko, whether it was worth a shot, and she thought it was, so I just auditioned,” he said. That shot paid off.
The performance was also recorded in Studio G inside the Bowes Center. Raghav credits his teacher, Ko, for helping him achieve this milestone at such a young age. “I am eternally grateful to her for introducing the world to me and for always being there to support me. I hope that, as I spend more time in her studio, I get to develop even more as a singer and a person!” he said.
From the Top is America’s largest national platform celebrating young classically-trained musicians. The annual show aims to empower young musicians to use their music and stories to engage and inspire audiences of all ages.
Check out his performance here!
Learn more about SFCM’s Pre-College Program.