Meet Chistina Linhardt | Chanteuse, producer, writer, dancer & theater therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chistina Linhardt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chistina, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I think the arts and creative path chooses us. Once, while studying at USC, in a Masterclass, one of the Opera Singers brought in to guest lecture said “Only pursue this if you absolutely can not do anything else.” At the time I thought ‘Of course we could do something else.’ But now, as the years have passed, whenever I attempted to “do something else”, creative work always pulled me in even further. The great flutist, David Shostac, of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, told me once in a lesson “the paths tend find you”. However, I do believe in a certain amount of free-will, so I would say I chose to pursue the creative path because through the arts we can explore the depths of what it means to be human. And we can soar to spiritual heights, and discover so much of what lies between.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work has always been a hybrid, a cross-over, and even a juxtaposition. I had such a strong, strict classical background, and yet was always attracted to the circus, the carnival, the cabaret. Perhaps, because, on my American side of the family, my “respectable” pharmacist great grandparents had started out as ballyhoo medicine show hacks. My early life experiences definitely influenced what I do today. I was raised in Los Angeles, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. My parents worked with writers, politicians and avant-garde artists, so I just absorbed so much of that European Expressionism. I started by playing the flute, and had worked really hard, when at Hamilton Music Academy in high school, I realized I wanted to sing and dance. It did not come easy. I was not a natural. So I applied the classical discipline I acquired from orchestral flute playing and eventually started getting work. I’m most proud of my short documentary “Guantanamo Circus” and my two indie albums “Circus Sanctuary” and Voodoo Princess”. But that is all back catalogue. Now I am most excited about my musical collaboration with Bernhard Penzias and Reinhold Schwarzwald titled “Folkadelish”. We use snippets of old folk tunes and turn them into electronica.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Certainly, I would take a visiting friend or family member to the World Famous Hollywood Magic Castle. I’m fortunate enough to be a magician member, and to have performed frequently in the Peller Theater with Andrew Goldenhersh and Albie Selznick. For a daytime excursion, we would go to Huntington Gardens and Library. I’ve also been fortunate enough to perform at Huntington for special events. The Gardens are enchanting and the interior collection stunning. A drive up the coast would be next on the list, to visit the New Age shop, The Sacred Space, in Summerland. The Sacred Space instantly transports one to a magical, Thai or Balinese styled mystical world. Summerland is a charming Victorian seaside town. Our favorite beach is in the vicinity, but we keep that secret! As far as eating, or dining, I love the Inn of the 7th Ray in Topanga. Obviously, I am attracted to the Fairy Realm! For a cozy meal, Tara’s Himalayan on Venice blvd in Culver City is always welcoming. And a drink at Whiskey Reds in the Marina feels like vacation. If we have time, I’d suggest Two Harbors in Catalina, but only if my friend Captain O’Kelly is docked there with his boat. But the most fun, is never at a public locale, but at my friends’ homes, where we variety entertainers get together and jam.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate this story to the Imagination Workshop and New Directions for Veterans. Imagination Workshop (IW) is a non-profit theater arts organization committed to using the unique power of the theater to provide life-changing artistic opportunities for the mentally ill, homeless veterans, senior citizens, and ‘at-risk’ young people. Through the Imagination Workshop I have been working with Veterans of New Directions at the West Los Angeles VA Hospital. The creative work we experience together is my greatest inspiration.

Website: www.circussanctuary.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalinhardt/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-linhardt-bb4b027/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LadyLinhardt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.linhardt/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/lartp

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3100936/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Linhardt

Image Credits
Anthony Verebes, John DiBona, Claudia Kunin, Tanya Knight, and Stefanie Becker.