Photo Credit: IMG Artists/Frederica von Stade/Robert Millard (2005)

This year was exciting for many reasons but one of them stands out. On Monday, March 10, 2025, the documentary about Frederica von Stade, “Flicka: A Love Letter,” first created in 2023, was screened at the National Opera Center in New York City. Combining archival footage of performance clips, Brian Staufenbiel’s “Flicka” gave a new perspective on the international, and multi-dimensional, character of a career spanning more than 30 years. 

Although retiring from the operatic stage in 2010, von Stade’s career has persevered in the realm of documentary coverage, being the subject of various projects including the 1980 television feature “Call Me Flicka.” Staufenbiel’s documentary will also now have a complimentary biography written by Richard Parlour: “Flicka: The Life and Music of Frederica von Stade,” slated for publication in 2026. Von Stade has joined the star-studded list of operatic giants, including Maria Callas and Janet Baker, whose lives and careers have been immortalized through film. 

Staubenfiel’s documentary centers on post-retirement von Stade, utilizing interviews with colleagues, friends, and family to showcase the many sides of von Stade and her achievements throughout her career. The answer to the documentary’s central question, “Why does everyone want to be in the room with Flicka [von Stade]?” is sought through the collaged integration of documentary materials, first-person interviews, and various forms of coverage to show her numerous endeavors and their impact. The film, first created in 2023, has been screened in numerous venues across the United States, from Napa Valley and Minneapolis to New York City and Dallas. The documentary’s logo came from Sheila von Driska, one of the many finalists in the 2020 iteration of the London International Creative Competition (LICC).

Much of the archival footage that we have of von Stade is accessible via YouTube, from early concerts and interviews. YouTube can provide us with a walk through her career, from the famous 1977 Paris performance of  “La Cenerentola,” her legendary 1991 performance as the profound mezzo-soprano of the Metropolitan Opera Gala, and her 1988 performance with the Vienna Music Society, to her performance in the 1994 premiere of Conrad Susa’s opera “The Dangerous Liaisons.” Between all the performances are countless interviews. 

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about her work, outside of her humanitarian efforts, is the diversity of her musical repertoire and eclectic tastes, reminiscent of other mezzo-sopranos like Anne Sofie von Otter whose repertoire includes pop music and jazz. Although well known for her soprano and mezzo-soprano phases, where she covered a flurry of classical and contemporary roles — particularly the role of Cendrillon in her famous 1979 recording — popular music like jazz and musical theater also comprise a part. From “Kiss me, Kate” and “My Fair Lady” to “Show Boat,” a select piece from “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” and “The Sound of Music,” von Stade has included works from the Golden Age of musical theater (the late 1930s into the 1960s) along with popular songs like “Jenny Rebecca” by Barbara Streisand, as well as a song from her 1983 film, “Yentl.”

In an interview with Brian Staufenbiel and collaborator Nicolle Foland, it is clear how important this project is to them and audiences alike. When approached with the project, Foland was extremely willing, “When Brian Staufenbiel asked me if I’d like to make a documentary about Flicka, I immediately said, “Yes!” Flicka has touched so many lives, and we wanted as much of the world as possible to know her as we do–a brilliant artist that shares her humanity and love with everyone she meets.” Foland’s relationship to von Stade is a deeply intimate one,

For me personally in navigating the world in the most loving way possible, I’ve adopted the question that Jake and Susan mention asking themselves in the film: What would Flicka do?

For Staufenbiel, I asked him several questions about the film’s development and his relationship to it. As he shared, “It is rare to come across a story that you feel must be told, if only to confirm that there is still goodness in the world. Flicka is that kind of story.” The story of the film began in fall of 2019 while discussing with Foland about the idea. Creating the company, Paper Wings Films, the idea soon turned into a question, “Why does everyone want to be in the room with Flicka?” As Staufenbiel shared,

 The answer we discovered through our research and interviews is that a great many people feel she is a kind of hero to them.  We wanted the world to meet Flicka, an extraordinary artist and humanitarian, giving countless hours and energy to her causes, both working to raise people out of poverty and bringing music to the underserved and disadvantaged.

As a vocal performer, her life is not yet done. In May of this year, she performed alongside Kathleen Battle and Thomas Hampson in a vocal recital in New York and then another recital with younger, but no less experienced, singers. Having sung on stages around the world, from Covent Garden (London), the Met (USA), the Wien Theatre (Germany), La Scala (Italy), and the Royal Opera of Versailles (France), von Stade has made a name for herself in the annals of operatic history thanks to her multifaceted, and untouchable, versatility and talent. As such, there is reason to celebrate von Stade and dwell on her achievements for a good while longer. 

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Thank you to Brian Staufenbiel, Nicolle Folland, and Jon Finck for their collaboration in this article.