Williesha Lakin

 It was “love at first sight” when Spartanburg native Deborah Koll-Petty met Vienna, Austria.

She eventually made the city her home and took her passion for music with her.

Koll-Petty and her family will perform in “A Taste of Vienna” at the Newberry Opera House on Saturday.

“As soon as I was able to speak, I was singing,” Koll-Petty, 52, said. “It was a part of my family.”

Her gifted siblings sang with her at the church where their father was pastor, but she was the only one to use her voice for a lifetime career.

“I was granted through God, I guess, a nice, natural voice,” she said.

She fell in love with Vienna when she visited there as a senior at Furman University studying voice performance. She met her future husband, Heinrich, who shared her passion for music.

After graduating in 1973, Koll-Petty returned to Vienna to study at the Academy for Music and Performing Arts. She later became a member of the Vienna State Chorus and married Heinrich in 1981.

The parents’ love for music has been passed down to their children. Alexandra, 20, has studied violin since the age of 4. Patricia, 16, started at age 3.

“We (she and her husband) recognized at an early age that they had a musical gift,” Koll-Petty said.

The two children are studying at the Vienna Music Conservatory. Both have received top awards and recognition.

Their first teacher? Their father, Heinrich, 52, a lifelong violinist who has played with the Vienna Philharmonic.

“My husband is the real star,” Koll-Petty said, giggling. “He’s the true professional.”

The family is used to making music together, performing at Christmas during church functions. At the opera house, they will perform works by Mozart and Beethoven, among others.

The idea of an entire family embracing music sounds exciting, but Koll-Petty admitted the dedication and preparation aren’t always pleasant.

“The practice is often times less fun, I must say,” Koll-Petty said.

“Once performing, it is fun.”