An Okotoks opera singer is hitting some high notes as she launches back into her career after a 15-year hiatus.
Since moving to Okotoks a decade ago, Cindy MacDonald has been connecting with the opera community in the Calgary area in hopes to get her career off the ground. In that time she’s helped spearhead the Foothills Philharmonic Society, auditioned for and joined the Calgary Opera Chorus and Calgary Concert Opera and kept busy with many of her own gigs.
MacDonald joins the Calgary Concert Opera in its touring show Divas – A Night at the Opera, alongside Calgary operatic divas Barb King and Kathleen Morrison on May 26 at the Okotoks United Church at 3 p.m.
“I have been singing since I was a child and I took a hiatus off the stage in my late 20s,” she said.
MacDonald began singing classical music at age 14 while living in Winnipeg, which morphed naturally into opera singing in her later teens. She soon became a member of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Winnipeg.
“The culture in Winnipeg for classical music is amazing,” she said. “Access to incredible teachers and schooling is at your fingertips.”
Yet in her early 20s, MacDonald felt she wasn’t quite finding her repertoire or her voice.
“I stepped down from solo work, but always stayed with choirs,” she said. “I went into real world life and always taught voice and piano on the side.”
Shortly after moving to Okotoks 10 years ago, MacDonald said she felt something was missing.
It was shortly after instigating the Foothills Philharmonic Society in 2014, alongside others like Tim Korthuis who earned a master’s degree in conducting, that things began to feel right again.
“That was a huge catalyst for me,” she said. “We started the Foothills Philharmonic Society to bring classical music into the community. A part of me wanted to bring good music to the community and another side of me that wanted good music for myself.”
MacDonald realized she wasn’t done with opera music - that she had more to give.
“I don’t think this idea that I can leave the stage and just be a teacher is realistic for me,” she said. “I love the drama of opera. My voice definitely lends itself to that. Opera was big for me - singing with operettas and singing in big productions. This is where I’m meant to be.”
MacDonald knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
“It’s a very difficult and very demanding profession,” she said. “You’re always studying and taking lessons while the other side of it is it doesn’t always fruitfully produce financially. You do a lot of things for next to nothing just to learn the work.”
This is what disheartened MacDonald in the first place, when she initially walked away from it. Coming back into it, even though she’s nearing 40, MacDonald is feeling more confident than ever.
“I truly believe there is more work out there for me,” she said. “I’m heavily pursuing it. I’m starting to change my repertoire to fit my voice type, with more serious and heavier pieces.”
MacDonald has the help of award-winning opera singer Frances Ginzer, who she’s been studying under in recent years.
“When I met Frances I felt like I finally found the shoe that fits,” she said. “My entire world exploded.”
MacDonald is keeping busy as a member of the Calgary Opera Chorus, where she’s performed five operas including Tosca, Romeo and Juliette and its Canadian premiere of Everest, and with the Calgary Concert Opera, debuting in La Traviata last year.
“It’s an incredible experience to be on stage at the Jubilee and do a full production,” she said. “I’ve met incredible artists.”
MacDonald has also been busy pursuing her career as a solo artist, performing in the Calgary ProArts Society’s lunchtime concert series.
“It’s very hard,” she said. “You have to put the work in and you have to seize the opportunities wherever they are. Sometimes it means you’re doing it on a volunteer basis.”
Throughout the process, MacDonald is feeling plenty of love locally.
“We have an incredible community in the Foothills and we have great artists who sincerely want to help emerging artists and that is not something you find everywhere,” she said. “We all help each other move forward. We’re all trying to launch a career. It’s not easy to do.”
Tickets to see MacDonald perform in Divas – A Night at the Opera cost $30 for adults and $25 for seniors and students and can be purchased at showpass.com
