Meet Maria Maxfield (formerly Maria Lindsey) | Opera Singer and Private Voice Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Maxfield (formerly Maria Lindsey) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Working in the arts and making it my business came after my initial love and interest in it. It took going to college and having a really meaningful and life-changing mentor that helped me realize that I could make a living as an artist with the right tools and guidance. While my business and my brand is me, which can be an interesting dynamic at times, it has also allowed me to constantly question what it is that I’m offering and why it should be of value to others. I have found that what I find passionate comes first, and then the business side follows. I’ve enjoyed finding ways to reinvent myself through the years while still being guided by what I find important and passionate in my work as a singer and voice instructor. I made the decision very early on to ask for advice and consistently learn from others who had gone before me. I had someone in the business once call this my “personal board of directors” and that stuck with me. Finding people I could lean on and learn from allowed me some safety in taking leaps of faith artistically and knowing what I needed to work on to continue perfecting my craft and my business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a professional opera singer and private voice instructor. I currently sing in the Chorus with The Metropolitan Opera in New York City and recently just completed a leading role in the premier of a new opera called Letters You Will Not Get, with The American Opera Project in New York City. I’ve worked with companies throughout the US like Opera Colorado, Opera Memphis, Opera Omaha, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and The Santa Fe Opera, and I am about to complete my doctoral of musical arts in Vocal Arts with an emphasis in Vocology and Opera Directing from The University of Southern California – Thornton School of Music. My goal is to continue working as a voice instructor in addition to my work as a professional singer. Completing my doctorate remotely as well as in person in Los Angeles, has allowed me to experience the incredible art and opera that is happening in Los Angeles which has been a great experience for me coming from the east coast!

I think something that sets me apart is my ability to reinvent myself. This has been important for my artistic growth but also my personal growth as I continue trying to use the knowledge and skillset I’ve gained in ways that may be outside of the original “box” I had envisioned for myself. Singing with the chorus in the Metropolitan Opera was never something I considered until years after working as a professional solo opera singer, and it has been incredibly fulfilling and offered great stability as well as artistic fulfillment. Pursuing my doctorate to expand my opportunities as a teacher was also a goal that came out of reinvention. Reinventing myself within my field has allowed me to grow and change and opened me up to many more experiences, jobs and opportunities than I would have had without that. As challenging as that can be at first, it’s a lesson that I’ve learned slowly and deliberately. This is mainly because all of my “first” leaps of faith were terrifying for me – my first audition, my first leading role in a big opera house, my first time teaching a voice lesson, but with each experience, I was able to gain the confidence I needed in seeing that I did have something to offer and recognize that value in myself.

I am most proud of the art I make that addresses issues that are important to the world right now. In my opinion, art is most successful when it promotes diverse experiences, understanding, healing and equality within our communities. We should always challenge the kinds of stories we tell and why we tell them. This is the art I would like to be more involved with as I continue working in the field, and it is the kind of artistic experience that has very clearly been the most fulfilling to me when I have that opportunity. The most recent opera production that I was involved in with The American Opera Project, Letters That you Will Not Get, was an all female and non-binary production, cast, and artistic team. It was the first time I have ever had that experience artistically and it truly awakened something in me that made me realize the impact that art can have on our healing and our growth. I hope to continue finding ways to pursue these experiences within art and do my part in creating that space for others as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let’s go see some new opera after eating at one of my favorite restaurants in Silver Lake on the way there! Los Angeles has such a wide array of artistic experiences that you would always have something new, interesting and out of the box to do! This is a different experience than I’ve had in New York City, which has less variety regarding experimental theater or opera – Los Angeles is the city leading the way in this field, and it is where other cities and communities should look when wanting to do more of this.

For my itinerary for a great night out, I would take my friend to one of my favorite places, Pine and Crane, in Silver Lake, which offers fast-casual Taiwanese food in an approachable, family style atmosphere. It’s some of the best food I’ve had in the city and I go whenever I get the chance. Then I’d take my friend over to New Opera West’s premier of their commissioned animated opera, The Beginning of Everything, at the Los Angeles Fringe Festival at the Hudson Guild Theater. At the end of the night we would go dancing at the Little Friend bar in Venice for great cocktails and music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have so many people that were pivotal at specific points in my life! All of my music teachers and private voice teachers throughout my life – their dedication in how they consistently showed up for me made all the difference in my belief in myself and my confidence. I’m also grateful for my colleagues who constantly inspire and motivate me. Most recently, I’m grateful for the amazing vocal arts faculty at USC-Thornton School of music for their encouragement, support and belief in me.

Website: www.mariasmaxfield.com

Instagram: @mariasmaxfield

Other: https://vimeo.com/user146096048 Vimeo: Maria S Maxfield

Image Credits
Steven Pisano Ken Howard