“I haven’t warmed up yet,” Kim Villegas, vocal performance major, said while smiling.

Dressed casually in a black shirt and jeans, she walked up next to the piano and closed her eyes.

She took a deep breath and as she exhaled, the words to “O Mio Babbino Caro” flowed out of her lips. Her voice became stronger and stronger.

As she carried on with the song, those standing around her in the music room seemed to be astonishment at how beautifully she was able to vocalize one of Giacomo Puccini’s most famous arias.

“I hope that was OK,” she said after she finished the song. Those watching her applauded.

Villegas is ready to share her opera singing talent with not only EC, but all around Europe in the coming year.

At 28 years, she has already traveled to perform in Europe once and has also done several shows on campus with the orchestra.

“I think deep down inside, I always knew I wanted to sing,” Villegas said. “I’ve been singing since I was five and when I first came here, my thoughts were on being an art major. I eventually changed it to music.”

Villegas was born in Gardena and at the age of 10 moved to Mexico where she lived for five years.

When she was younger, she began singing in church and at weddings. However, her first big performance was with the college orchestra that took place at Marsee Auditorium in 2005.

“I was very nervous. I remember that day totally freaking out because it was the first time that I would really perform on a bigger stage for my audience and my classmates. But when I started singing, there was a little rush that I felt. It felt really good,” Villegas said, describing her experience.

Being able to perform with the school orchestra was one of her biggest accomplishments because doing a show with an ensemble was something she had dreamed of doing. However, she said she hadn’t imagined it happening so soon.

Another aspiration of hers is to be heard by somebody that would be interested in a recording or that she would one day be able to sing in an opera house. She knows dreams don’t always come easy.

“One of the biggest hardships for me was always the financial struggle. It has always been the hardest and the times I’ve gone to Europe before, there was always a financial issue for me to go,” she said.

Although Villegas has had financial difficulties, she sets everything aside each time she prepares for a show.

In Europe, she performed in several different languages like Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Russian and even though the audience wasn’t always able to understand her, she said she was able to connect with them through characterization.

“I try to be very focused and I think a lot about the character and try to really put 100 percent of myself into that character,” she said.

Someone Villegas looks up to when she performs is Dmitri Hvorosovsik, who is a Russian baritone. She said his artistry and technique inspire her and she was fortunate enough to watch one of his performances and get his autograph.

Even though her favorite artist plays a large role in inspiring her, he isn’t the only thing that keeps her motivated.

“The more response I get back from the audience and knowing that I’m growing and not staying in the same spot pushes me to work even harder,” she said.

Villegas has several performances coming up on campus. She will be performing with the orchestra on Nov. 20 at the Recital Hall. She said she is extremely excited to be able to tour around Europe once again.

“To know that I performed and to hear the response and the applause from the audience is so rewarding. I know I’ve done my job and it just makes me want to do it again,” Villegas said.