In her memoir Do You Dream in Color?, Laurie Rubin looks back on her life as an international opera singer who happens to be blind. From her loneliness and isolation as a middle school student to her experiences skiing, Rubin offers her young readers a life-story rich in detail and inspiration drawn from everyday challenges. Beginning with her childhood in California, Rubin tells the story of her life and the amazing experiences that led her to a career as an internationally celebrated mezzo-soprano.
Rubin describes her past as a "journey towards identity," one she hopes will resonate with young people struggling with two fundamental questions: "Who am I?" and "Where do I fit in?" Although most of us aren't blind, Rubin believes that many of us have traits that make us something other than "normal." These differences, like blindness, may seem like barriers but for the strong and the persistent, dreams can overcome barriers, no matter how large they may seem. This is what makes her story so unique yet universal and so important for young readers.
Blind since birth, mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin has been praised by New York Times chief classical music critic Anthony Tommasini for her "compelling artistry," "communicative power," and for a voice that possesses "earthy, rich and poignant qualities." Recent career highlights include her United Kingdom solo recital debut performance at Wigmore Hall in London and a solo recital at Carnegie Hall. Rubin’s numerous roles have included the part of Karen in The Rat Land by Gordon Beeferman with New York City Opera, Penelope in Monteverdi's The Return of Ulysses, and the title role in Rossini's La Cenerentola. She has recorded an album, Faith in Spring, with the renowned collaborative pianists Graham Johnson and David Wilkinson on the Opera Omnia label. Rubin is also the co-founder and associate artistic director of Ohana Arts, a performing arts school and festival in Hawaii, where she lives.