Page 28 - 2020 Classical Singer Magazine January Summer Program Issue

Grace and Grit: Amanda Majeski
With a strong desire to say something inventive and interesting through her work, Amanda Majeski has brought her career as a leading soprano to a point where she can be more choosy with her engagements.
“That sometimes means holding out for the right opportunity,” she says, “and it might mean that the right thing might not come up exactly when I want it to. Learning to be OK with that uncertainty takes guts and con dence, for sure.”
Her commitment to being musical and expressive fuels her as she holds out for those opportunities. “I love guring out how to color a phrase
to bring out the emotion of the
text and sometimes changing those colors depending on what I’m feeling that day,” she says. And thinking
less technically allows her to be
more expressive. “I’m still working
“I am so impressed with her ability to succeed at everything she does and not shy away from a challenge whether it be a new role or an important house debut.”
on quieting the inner judgments
and trusting in the moment, in the character—but when I can let go and do it, I enjoy the stage so much and I think the audience can sense that joy.”
She remembers Marta (The
P assenger) with Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2015 as a particularly special moment in her recent performance history. “[It] changed my perspective about the power of an artistic experience,” she says. “[On opening night], after the last few notes of the piece faded away and Sir Andrew Davis slowly put his arms down, the audience fell completely silent for a solid 10 to 20 seconds before erupting
into applause. It was like we were
all cradling that moment together, sharing in understanding the intense, emotional message of the piece.
“I was reminded in that moment that it’s our job to invite the audience into our world, into our storytelling, so that they can be moved most deeply—that it’s not enough simply to entertain. The Passenger accomplishes this because of its subject matter; its message is part of our shared human experience. But all opera can be
that powerful, when performers and audience members allow it.”
Majeski felt that for the rst time as an audience member when she was
Taos Opera Institute JUNE 2020
AWAKEN YOUR ARTISTRY
Apply today on YapTracker!
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TAOSOI.ORG
28 Classical Singer / Jan/Feb 2020