The superlative British mezzo-soprano Alice Coote will give her first solo recital in San Francisco tonight at Herbst theater, for SF Performances 30th anniversary season. The theme of the evening: English art songs. She impressed everyone in her SF debut at SF Opera in Alcina, and returned to great acclaim in Idomeneo, where the worst one could tell about her was that she impersonated her male character so well, she looked like Nicolas Sarkozy. Did we write that? Oops. She'll be back in September as Charlotte in Massenet's opera, Werther.

You can see a live interview here, or some breathtaking clips of her in action here, or read her thoughts on her recital with pianist Julius Drake for a previous performance at Wigmore Hall in London, and on many other topics. And she kindly replies below to our email questions.