How One Woman Is Revolutionizing Cheese Tasting Through Opera

How One Woman Is Revolutionizing Cheese Tasting Through Opera

What happens when a trained opera singer steps behind the cheese counter? Something unforgettable.

San Francisco’s food-and-culture scene has never been shy about pushing boundaries, but every so often someone comes along who truly rewrites the script. Enter Veronique Kherian—mezzo-soprano, longtime cheese lover, and the creative force behind “Miss Cheesemonger Sings,” a series of recitals where arias meet artisan wedges in unexpectedly seamless harmony.

Kherian didn’t exactly follow a straight path to the stage. She finished law school, spotted a Craigslist post for a cheesemonger gig, and thought, why not? That detour sparked something bigger. As she learned the craft behind the counter, she started documenting her experience. What began in 2009 as a personal project quickly grew into the blog Miss Cheesemonger, which also launched her into food photography and deeper into the world of specialty cheese.

Meanwhile, during her law school years, she began taking classical voice lessons—just a curiosity at first, then a calling. One foot in opera, the other in artisan cheese, she found herself immersed in two worlds rich with history, storytelling, and texture. Friends nudged her to fuse them, and soon she was performing recitals that invited audiences to hear music and taste cheese in ways that feel—yes—surprisingly natural.

Today, her performances chart an eclectic musical landscape. She builds each program by starting with pieces she’s fallen in love with—sometimes English art songs, sometimes selections in French, Italian, or German. Her range spans eras too, leaping from Baroque delicacy to brand-new compositions written within the last decade. Once the playlist is set, she meets with Ray at Cheese Plus, her longtime partner in curating cheeses that resonate with the program. The pair look for links: a historical echo, a cultural parallel, even personality traits that connect a cheesemaker to a composer or a character in the song.

The result? Audiences discover flavor and sound in tandem—no opera knowledge required, no cheese expertise needed. Her events are designed to be welcoming, sensory-forward, and a little transportive. Kherian describes them as doorways into a world people don’t usually stumble into, one where taste and storytelling intermingle in real time.

With a niche this singular, it’s no surprise Culture Magazine asked her how others might blend passions that don’t seem to match on paper. Her advice: give your creativity space. Let boredom work its magic. Follow your curiosities, even when they don’t line up neatly. And above all, trust that authenticity and confidence will carry your ideas further than you think.

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Resources:

Culture Magazine Meet Veronique Kherian, the Woman Pairing Cheese with Opera | culture: the word on cheese

Miss Cheesemonger Blog About Miss Cheesemonger: Vero Kherian – Miss Cheesemonger

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