She was on her way to becoming an investigative journalist at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, when she took a music class and stumbled upon a recording of Die Fledermaus featuring Kiri Te Kanawa. Journalism’s loss became a huge win for classical music, as soprano Golda Schultz continues her meteoric rise. Now 38, the singer is performing during the season opener of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Oct. 14–17) in a program featuring Schoenberg and Strauss led by music director Gustavo Dudamel.