Cynthia Makris

Cynthia Makris (born 1956) is an American soprano opera singer as well as a voice and empowerment coach.

Early life and education Makris was born in Sterling, Colorado, USA, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Music Performance from Adams State College. Cynthia also has a degree in Interior Design from Palm Beach State College.

Opera Singer and Voice Coach Cynthia Makris brings 30 years of experience singing major operatic roles in the leading opera houses of the world to her voice coaching. Her vast repertoire ranges from bel canto to dramatic, from Bellini, Donizetti, and Mozart to Verdi, Richard Strauss, and Wagner. Her career brought her to the stages of the world, including La Scala, Covent Garden, and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. She has lived and worked in nearly every country in Europe, as well as Japan, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Argentina. Makris has been praised not only for the beauty of her voice but also for the integrity, honesty, and depth of her portrayals of figures as diverse as Puccini’s fragile title heroine, Madama Butterfly, to Verdi’s Lady Macbeth or Strauss’ Salome, which she has performed over three hundred times on five continents.

Cynthia is multilingual and has sung in many languages. This, along with her knowledge of musical styles, makes her an ideal coach for the serious classical student. She also specializes in preparing young people for auditions and building the foundation for their vocal technique. Her students have been accepted into the prestigious Bak Middle School for the Arts and the Dreyfoos High School for the Arts, as well as receiving college scholarships to pursue degrees in vocal music.

Cynthia has been coaching singers since 2007. She has a B.A. in Music Performance and is a certified life coach and master practitioner of NLP. She is a very demanding teacher and expects her students to have a high demand of themselves. Understanding that the voice is a very intimate part of a person’s makeup, she is also very compassionate and positive and always on the side of the student, empowering at all times. Ms. Makris teaches a natural and healthy approach to developing the voice, using the body’s own resonance chambers. It is especially important for children, whose voices are still developing, to learn a natural style of singing which will support the still maturing voice and not put unnecessary strain on the vocal chords. Classical Italian techniques uncover the natural beauty of each voice. The goal is an instrument which is integrated in all registers, which is capable of a wide variety of expression and has both power and beauty throughout.

Career 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.

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 's televised production of Verdi's opera.

Personal life Cynthia is married to Finnish tenor, Raimo Sirkiä and has a son, Pete Makris, who lives in Colorado. She lives in Florida, USA, and in Helsinki, Finland.

Repertoire Composer Opera Role Opera Company / Partial ListBeethovenFidelioLeonoreFinnish National OperaBelliniNormaNormaFinnish National Opera

Opera of Philadelphia

Badisches StaatstheaterBergLuluLuluStaatsoper HannoverBergWozzeckMarieTeatro Municipal de Santiago

Badisches StaatstheaterBrandMaschinist

HopkinsNellTheater Bielefeld

ORF Concert & Recording, WienDonizettiAnna BolenaAnnaFinnish National Opera

Badisches StaatstheaterDonizettiLucia di LammermoorLuciaTheater Bielefeld

Opernhaus DortmundGiordanoAndrea ChénierMaddalenaAalto Theater EssenKorngoldDie tote StadtMarie/MariettaDeutsche Oper am Rhein

Teatro Colón Buenos Aires

Royal Swedish Opera

Teatro Bellini Catania

Opera AntwerpenKrenekJonny spielt aufAnitaTeatro Colón Buenos AiresLeoncavalloLa BohèmeMimiTheater BielefeldMooreThe Ballad of Baby DoeBaby DoeTheater BielefeldMozartDon GiovanniDonna AnnaTheater Bielefeld

Opernhaus DortmundDonna ElviraUniversity of ColoradoMozartDie Entführung aus dem SerailConstanzeTheater Freiburg

Saarländisches StaatstheaterMozartLe Nozze di FigaroLa ContessaNiederlandse ReisoperaMozartDie ZauberflötePaminaTheater FreiburgOffenbachLes contes d’HoffmanOlympia

Antonia

GiuliettaTheater Bielefeld

Niederlandse Reisopera

Opernhaus DortmundPucciniLa fanciulla del WestMinnieFinnish National Opera

Teatro Regio Torino

Grange Park OperaPucciniMadama ButterflyCio-Cio SanOpéra de Rouen

Utah OperaPucciniManon LescautManonTheater Bielefeld

Staatsoper BerlinPucciniToscaToscaDenver Lyric Opera

Badisches Staatstheater

Finnish National Opera

Opéra-Comique Paris

Deutsche Oper BerlinPucciniTurandotTurandotSavonlinna Opera Festival

Teatro Argentino de la Plata

Teatro Colón Buenos Aires

Auditorio National Mexico City

Esplanade Singapore

Queensland Opera

Welsh National OperaSchrekerIrreloheEvaTheater BielefeldSmetanaThe Bartered BrideMarieTheater BielefeldSpohrFaustKunigundeTheater BielefeldJohann StraussDie FledermausRosalindeOpernhaus Dortmund

Staatsoper BerlinJohann StraussDer ZigeunerbaronSaffiTheater FreiburgRichard StraussArabellaArabellaOpernhaus Dortmund

New National Theatre TokyoRichard StraussAriadne auf

NaxosNajadeTheater FreiburgRichard StraussDie Frau ohne SchattenDie KaiserinTheater Bielefeld

Finnish National OperaRichard StraussDer FriedenstagMariaConcert Version GermanyRichard StraussElektraElektraTiroler Festspiele Erl

Theater FreiburgRichard StraussSalomeSalomeOpernhaus Dormund

Australian Opera

New National Theatre Tokyo

Opera of Philadelphia

Finnish National Opera

Opéra national du Rhin

Teatro municipal Rio de Janeiro

Staatsoper Berlin

Bayerische Staatsoper

Teatro Nacional de São Carlos

Royal Swedish Opera

Scottish OperaVerdiAidaAidaEstonian National OperaVerdiUn ballo in mascheraAmeliaOpernhaus Dortmund

Opéra de Rouen

Semperoper DresdenVerdiFalstaffAlice FordUniversity of ColoradoVerdiLa forza del destinoLeonoraBadisches Staatstheater

Savonlinna Opera FestivalVerdiLuisa MillerLuisaTheater BielefeldVerdiMacbethLady MacbethSavonlinna Opera Festival

Teatro Colón Buenos Aires

Theater Bonn

Teatro alla Scala MilanoVerdiNabuccoAbigailleEstonian National Opera

Royal Opera Covent Garden

Queensland OperaVerdiOtelloDesdemonaOpernhaus DortmundVerdiLa traviataViolettaOper Graz

Theater Freiburg

Deutsche Oper am Rhein

Badisches Staatstheater

Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz

Theater Bielefeld

Opera Corpus Christi

Staatsoper BerlinVerdiIl trovatoreLeonoraOpernhaus Dortmund

Finnish National Opera

Teatro Municipal de São Paulo

Teatro Colón Buenos Aires

Opera Leipzig

Royal Danish OperaWagnerDer fliegende HolländerSentaTheater Bonn

Tampere Opera

Musikfestival WelsWagnerDie Meistersinger von NürnbergEvaOpernhaus DortmundWagnerDas RheingoldFreiaTheater FreiburgWagnerTannhäuserVenus, Elisabeth VenusSavonlinna Opera Festival Teatro Real MadridWeberDer FreischützAgatheTheater BielefeldWeillAufstieg und Fall der Stadt MahagonnyJennyTheater Bielefeld

Operahaus DortmundZandonaiFrancesca da RiminiFrancescaTeatro Colón Buenos Aires