Meet Lily Buonocore | Vocalist & Yoga Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lily Buonocore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lily, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
In 2020, I made a huge career change. Prior to 2020, my identity was wrapped into being a musical theatre performer and in 2019, I received my bachelors from the University of Northern Colorado for Musical Theatre and Dance. During the pandemic, I began looking for performance opportunities in other places and decided to audition to be a wedding singer. Before I saw the audition notice, I never even considered the possibility of singing at weddings. It felt like such a huge risk at the time to completely switch career paths, after having spent my entire life as a musical theatre performer. It was also hard to cut out the noise from various peers saying things such as “well whatever you have to do to pay the bills”, assuming it was a job I couldn’t possibly love as much as theatre. 2025 will be my 5th wedding season and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. I had no idea that I would find such fulfillment and joy from singing at weddings but it has become my passion. Singing with a live band and being challenged with new song requests every weekend keeps me on my toes in the best way. Although it wasn’t what I expected this time of my life to look like, it was the best leap of faith I have ever taken. Sometimes a door opens, and it may not look familiar, but it opened for a reason so why not go through it? You’ll never know what you love until you try it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The definitive start to my adult career happened the summer before my last year of college. I was the last person to be seen for auditions for The Little Mermaid at BDT Stage (Boulder’s Dinner Theater). To my complete shock and surprise, after being called back for Ariel with 15 other women, I was cast within 30 minutes of leaving my callback. I will never forget that phone call or the magical experience of being THE Little Mermaid for 6 months of my life. This role led to the opportunities of playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and spending the first couple years of my career as an actor at the Boulder Dinner Theater. In 2020, the pandemic paused my theatre career, but also jumpstarted the life I have today. After spending almost every day in lockdown practicing Yoga to keep myself moving (and care for myself mentally), I decided to become a Yoga teacher myself. By December of 2020, I was a certified instructor and have now taught over 400 classes. Around the same time, I auditioned to become a wedding singer and am about to enter my 5th year in that career field. If I told my 20-year-old self that I would become a Yoga teacher and wedding singer, I am not sure she would believe me. Although the journey to this version of myself wasn’t straight-forward or easy, these new roles have made me so much more well-rounded as an artist and a human. In closing, the thing that I think sets me a part from others is my empathy and sensitivity. Whether I am holding space for Yoga students, collaborating with other musicians, or consulting with couples for their wedding, how people FEEL is always of the utmost importance to me. Although I am proud to be this compassionate person, I have come across many naysayers who have viewed these qualities as weaknesses. Over the years I have learned that you can’t make everyone happy but that your choices should always make YOU happy. I firmly believe that letting go of what is no longer serving you is the only way to make space for new opportunities that will align much better with who you are and what you want.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Colorado is filled with many incredible restaurants, sights, and experiences. In Denver specifically, my fiancé and I love checking out new restaurants and cocktail bars, as he is a bartender at Ocean Prime (in the Denver Tech Center). Our #1 recommendation to people visiting is always Death & Company – a famous cocktail bar also located in New York, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. The one in Denver is located inside the Ramble hotel and has some of the most talented mixologists you will ever meet. Their drinks are completely unique and they have mocktails as well. Another one of our favorite spots is the new sister restaurant to Barcelona Wine Bar – Corsica Wine Bar! It is a French/Italian fusion restaurant with fantastic service and delicious tapas. Outside of Denver, my happy place is the Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs. Although it is a 3 hour drive, the overnight stay is so worth it to experience the gorgeous hot springs. Glenwood also has some wonderful restaurants like The Pullman. Aside from these favorite locations are some obvious choices such as visiting Red Rocks, which does an amazing Yoga on the Rocks during the summer, and Boulder which has Pearl street (filled with shops and restaurants). The best part of Colorado is it has something for everyone – city, mountains, cute towns, etc.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my high school theatre teacher and director – Tim Nelson. Tim Nelson has been the head of the musical theatre program at the Academy for the Performing Arts in California for the last 25 years, receiving many accolades for his work. In my 4 years as one of his students, the opportunities I was given at such a young age were truly remarkable. Not only was I cast in various challenging roles, but I was also invited to perform in Scotland and New York, before I was even 18. I think what makes Tim Nelson stand out above the rest is the way he treats his high school students like they are already working professionals. He never made me feel like I wasn’t capable or that I was too young to be given certain roles or opportunities. Being a part of his theatre program allowed me to experience what it feels like to be a theatre professional before even graduating high school. Since my graduation, he has made it a priority to see me perform a handful of times in Colorado while visiting his mother. After each performance, he is always smiling and beaming with pride. Although I am no longer one of his students, Mr. Nelson will forever be the mentor that shaped me into the artist I am today. His belief in me at such an early part of my career, has been the reminder I come back to in moments of rejection or self-doubt. 10 years later, I attribute much of my versatility and ability to overcome challenges to the man who made me feel capable of anything.

Website: https://www.lillianbuonocore.com/

Instagram: @lily_buonocore

Image Credits
Adriane Leigh Photo
Jalen Gregory Photography