Young Opera Diva Amanda Mace's Career is on the up
Amanda Mace is one to watch. And, while you’re at it, you may want to listen, too, as her talent wins the admiration of opera fans across Europe. Originally from the American Midwest, Mace came to Munich three years ago to further her voice training and launch her operatic career. And, so far, she has no complaints.
Using Munich as her base, Mace sings regularly in Austria, Poland, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and, of course, Germany. At ease in the homeland of Beethoven and Wagner, the singer has undeniably landed in the right country. Regularly engaged to sing Beethoven’s Fidelio and an emerging favorite for Wagnerian productions, Mace specializes in German opera.
Indeed, Mace is particularly passionate about Wagner, and the composer clearly suits her. The singer possesses a maturity well beyond her 28 years and is acutely aware of Wagner’s intellectual, musical and dramatic demands, not to mention the physical stamina required to sustain a five-hour production. I’m not surprised when she tells me that her first professional engagement was in Die Walküre. Indeed, picturing Amanda Mace center-stage, soaring through a Wagner aria requires almost no imagination. Statuesque, blond-haired and green-eyed, Mace is an absolute natural.
In fact, following her natural inclinations is not only what keeps Mace on the stage but also what drew her to singing. “As a child I used to sing myself to sleep. Singing was so much a part of me that I didn’t even think about it,” explains Mace about her first musical tendencies. Encouraged by her parents and teachers to begin studying music, Mace took up the trumpet at the age of 12. By the time she graduated from high school, her remarkable talent was obvious. “By then I could have made my living as a trumpeter. Becoming a trumpeter was a sure thing. Everyone encourag-ed me in that,” she pauses, “but I wanted to sing.”
Mace’s calling to the opera stage was clear and sudden: “It was like a wrecking ball crashing through me,” she recalls. While still a high-school student, Mace attended an opera performance for the first time, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. “When the curtain rose, the beauty of the sets brought tears to my eyes. Then the singing started and I just knew: I had to be an opera singer.”
Alas, such certainty does not come without burden. The five years Mace spent studying voice at the University of Missouri, in Kansas City, was a difficult time. She struggled to support herself financially by doing up to four jobs at once and often found herself at odds within her musical environment. She’d been accepted to the voice performance program, despite never having had a formal voice lesson. And the robustness of her untrained voice made it difficult to sing with others or adjust to the choir. “My voice was enormous. People used to tell me I’d never have a career because of it,” says Mace as she recalls the discouragement she sometimes faced during her studies.
“I wouldn’t accept it. I just didn’t hear it,” says Mace. “I was put on earth to sing. I had to succeed. There is no other path for me, no back-up plan.” At once treacherous and reassuring, Mace’s sense of certainty has served as a guiding force and constant theme throughout her life.
She describes having had a similar sense of knowing when she met her husband, Erik, whom she considers her other half and a key to her success. “Without him, this life would not be possible,” says Mace, clearly grateful. Erik supports her every step of the way, from daily reminders to practice, to his willingness to move with her to Munich. As she speaks, Mace pauses a moment, “I realize how lucky I am.”
And, undoubtedly, Amanda Mace has had her share of good fortune. Good fortune spiked with equal doses of in-born talent, steely determination, discipline and a clear sense of purpose. For Mace, things seem to have fallen into place. At home in Germany and particularly in Munich, she very much enjoys the quality of life the city offers, from the stunning beauty surrounding her home at the city’s outskirts, to the professional opportunities Europe affords performers. The stage is set for success. The curtain is rising to a full house, and for Amanda Mace the possibilities are boundless.
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