.png)
Anna Margolis has worked as an opera singer in the UK and Australia as a soloist with leading opera companies, as well as a session singer and chorister. She has created leading roles in four contemporary operas and taken part in many opera education workshops with children of all ages. "A dream came true when I rehearsed an opera at the Sydney Opera House, and my favourite roles have been Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, the title role in Rusalka and The Vixen in The Cunning Little Vixen!"
As well as performing, Anna is inspired by some great teachers she has been lucky enough to study with, and has taught singing in schools and privately for 15 years. Anna has also dabbled in broadcasting "In Australia I trained as a radio presenter with 3MBS, a well known community classical music radio station".
At home in London, life is musical and colourful "I live in a very noisy house as I have two daughters who are both talented singers and actresses as well as a husband who is a mean guitar player! I also have a cat who likes to climb on the piano when I sing!"
The best part of lockdown for Anna was spending so much time with her children and husband as they were at home all day. "It was lovely to be able to set our own timetable and to see my girls having fun doing lots of online classes in singing, dancing and acting. I am so grateful to all the wonderful teachers who carried on running creative classes as without them my children would have been lost. I lost some of my own teaching work in schools and at home because of the lockdown and also had to adapt to teaching singing online - this went much better than I had anticipated. I actually enjoy it now but I did find it hard work being at a screen for so long each day as I like to move around when I am teaching."
One positive aspect of lockdown was the chance it gave Anna to connect online with colleagues and to study online, and as for many of us, it really gave her a chance to distil what really matters to her. "I did several great Singing and Singing Teaching workshops and gained a huge amount from them all. I also found that I felt connected to people because of the shared experiences that we were going through.
One of the things that I have missed most though, apart from performing, is being able to go to the theatre or a concert. I realised that family, friends, pets, fresh air, being by the water, making music and listening to it and going to the theatre are the things that really matter to me."
Musician Mums Christmas Quiz!
Can you tell us what you'll miss most about performing this Christmas?
Making music with like-minded people and creating a little magic. There is nothing quite like being part of a live performance with others and being surrounded by wonderful music.
What's your favourite carol/Christmas song?
O come all ye faithful
And what are you hoping for this year for Christmas?
I would like a cure for Covid, lots of big plants for the house, a holiday somewhere warm by the sea and the chance to be involved in some live opera work again!!
Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
One of my favourite memories is of my youngest daughter being more enthralled with playing with the wrapping paper from her presents than she was with the presents themselves!
I also love decorating the tree. A beautiful musical memory that sticks out is singing Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols at school, processing into the hall as we sang.
Can you tell us your favourite thing about Christmas ?
I love the lights and decorations and the sense of magic that they can create both inside and outside. I think now more than ever that these can help inspire us and give us joy. Getting together with family and seeing the different generations come together is very precious. I love hearing and singing carols and although I hate cold weather there is something very beautiful about being wrapped up warm in a coat and hat in the frost and snow
Finally, give us a hint towards what you're performing on the advent calendar?
Hmmm...it’s a song for a very special little person, that’s all I’m saying!
Wonderful! Thanks so much Anna!
Find out more about Anna's work on her website: www.annamargolis.com