Soprano Mary Dunleavy shows up for our interview looking more like a college student than a soprano whose world-class engagements include Violetta Valéry and the Queen of the Night. Born into an Irish-American family in Connecticut, raised in New Jersey and trained at Northwestern University and the University of Texas, Austin, Dunleavy has for several seasons distinguished herself in coloratura roles at major theaters in the U.S. and Europe. At the time of our meeting, she has just finished a run of Paminas at the Met, making her one of only three sopranos (Lucia Popp and Colette Boky are the others) to have sung both mother and daughter in Die Zauberflöte for the company.