Its guiding force is budding soprano Leslie Goldman, 25, who is both producer and a singer in the production of Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Telephone" and "The Medium."

"The Telephone" is a comic chamber opera about a gent who is eager to propose to his lady but faces constant interruptions from a ringing telephone. "The Medium" is a tragedy about a faux spiritualist and her brush with the supernatural and reality.

Goldman's infant Golden Key Opera Company is teaming up with the Hawaii Opera Theatre to perform seldom-heard pieces for a younger audience eager to discover opera in a professional setting. It's Golden Key's first outing, and HOT's first operatic venture at the downtown performing space.

Goldman, a Punahou School graduate who lives and works in New York, fielded Five Questions:

You've been studying opera and working with ensembles throughout the New York area; why did you decide to form Golden Key and give shows here?

"I wanted to be able to perform where my family was. New York has so much opera going, I thought it would be fun to bring new and interesting pieces to the Islands, and make it a fun experience for all. I'm Golden Key, so I asked my friends to be in the cast, and it's going to be fun for them, too. I'm so lucky to have Justin Bischos as my music director, and John Schenkel as the stage director; this maiden voyage is such a pleasure. Even my mom (Sally Parker) has been so supportive. You don't find this kind of attitude in New York, to team up and work for the common good of a show. In the end, what's important is sharing the art and the music."

Is it a trend, with more young people venturing toward opera?

"Totally. All the singers here are my friends; we've gone to school together and worked together. They say that opera's a dying art, but there's so many new and exciting things now. Il Divo (a quartet of an American, a French, a Swiss and a Spanish singer with operatic leanings, whose group name literally means 'divine performer,' or a male diva) is changing the face of opera. Julie Taymor's remarkable staging of 'The Magic Flute' at the Met has made opera music more accessible to the young. So that's something I want to pursue: the interesting, the accessible, the modern."

Why did you select the Gian Carlo Menotti pieces for your debut here?

"Because they are not done enough. I found them being pertinent in today's society. Ladies, guys always talking on the telephone; the whole thing about being so hard to let go of something you love; the refreshing notion that people have a conscience. I have sung selections from both operas, but never had the opportunity to do the works in entirety, till now."

What are the biggest challenges, launching a producing group and fleshing out an audience?

"I think the biggest challenge is sticking with the goal you want; I have a game plan, but this has been an ever-changing process. It's been just a huge challenge to learn as I go, knowing that the next time will be a little easier. This is the first time I'm producing anything, and I'm very new at this, not having previous experience. But I'm learning as I go along, having fun along the way — and hoping to gain an audience."

What's next for you and your friends?

"The possibilities are unlimited; we'd love to do something again next year. If not here, somewhere else. It's such a joy, doing what you want, with whom you want, to have the support of friends and family. For instance, I'm so lucky to have Amy Orsulak (a principal in 'The Medium'), who kept her summer free to work with us. And Carrington Vilmont took a leave from 'The Phantom of the Opera' to be here, too. Justin (Bischos) will be off to Belgium to conduct, and John (Schenkel) just did 'Cavalier Rusticana' for the Bronx Opera. Me? I wish I could do Carlotta in 'Phantom,' but they've been so successful, they haven't had many auditions; I mean, the role requires you hit a high E-flat."