Cynthia Makris
Encyclopedia
Cynthia Makris is a soprano
opera
singer whose professional career has spanned nearly thirty years.
She was born 1956 in Sterling, Colorado
, USA, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Music Performance from Adams State College
. Makris has sung major soprano roles at La Scala
and the Royal Opera House
, the Finnish National Opera
and many other opera houses. She has performed in Europe, South America, and Asia. Her repertoire ranges from coloratura to dramatic roles including the title role in Salome
by Richard Strauss. For Opera Queensland
she sang Abigaille in Verdi's Nabucco
in 2007 and Turandot
in 2008.
Makris won the Metropolitan Opera
Regional award for young singers as well the San Francisco Opera
Regional award two consecutive years during her graduate studies in vocal performance at the University of Colorado at Boulder
. Her first professional role was as Tosca
with the Denver Lyric Opera Company. She received an award in 1982 from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia for her performance of the three heroines in The Tales of Hoffmann. She was Artist of the Year of the Savonlinna Opera Festival
in 2006, an award for her contribution to the festival since 1993, when she sang Lady Macbeth in Ralf Långbacka's televised production of Verdi's opera
.
Makris is a vocal teacher and an NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) practitioner as well as a life coach and a Reiki Master. She is married to Finish tenor, Raimo Sirkiä
and has a son. She lives in Florida, US, and in Helsinki, Finland.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer whose professional career has spanned nearly thirty years.
She was born 1956 in Sterling, Colorado
Sterling, Colorado
The City of Sterling is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Logan County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 14,777 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sterling is located at...
, USA, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Music Performance from Adams State College
Adams State College
Adams State College is a small state-supported liberal arts college in Alamosa, Colorado, U.S., in the San Luis Valley.-History:Adams State was founded in 1921 as a teacher's college but now offers a variety of programs including masters degrees in many fields...
. Makris has sung major soprano roles at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
and the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, the Finnish National Opera
Finnish National Opera
The Finnish National Opera in Helsinki is the leading opera company in Finland. Its home base is the Opera House on Töölönlahti bay in Töölö which opened in 1993, and is state-owned through Senate Properties...
and many other opera houses. She has performed in Europe, South America, and Asia. Her repertoire ranges from coloratura to dramatic roles including the title role in Salome
Salome (opera)
Salome is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by the composer, based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. Strauss dedicated the opera to his friend Sir Edgar Speyer....
by Richard Strauss. For Opera Queensland
Opera Queensland
Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981, then under the name Lyric Opera of Queensland, after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in December 1980.It is after Opera Australia the second...
she sang Abigaille in Verdi's Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
in 2007 and Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
in 2008.
Makris won the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
Regional award for young singers as well the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
Regional award two consecutive years during her graduate studies in vocal performance at the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. Her first professional role was as Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
with the Denver Lyric Opera Company. She received an award in 1982 from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia for her performance of the three heroines in The Tales of Hoffmann. She was Artist of the Year of the Savonlinna Opera Festival
Savonlinna Opera Festival
Savonlinna Opera Festival is held annually in the city of Savonlinna in Finland. The Festival takes place at the medieval Olavinlinna , built in 1475...
in 2006, an award for her contribution to the festival since 1993, when she sang Lady Macbeth in Ralf Långbacka's televised production of Verdi's opera
Macbeth (opera)
Macbeth is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's play of the same name...
.
Makris is a vocal teacher and an NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) practitioner as well as a life coach and a Reiki Master. She is married to Finish tenor, Raimo Sirkiä
Raimo Sirkiä
Raimo Sirkiä is a Finnish operatic tenor whose repertoire ranges from spinto to dramatic. Mr. Sirkia's most famous roles are Otello, Calaf, Tannhäuser, Siegmund, and Lohengrin....
and has a son. She lives in Florida, US, and in Helsinki, Finland.