The healing songstress

Eva Maria was born to sing. She was born to heal. Her voice. From another time. Otherworldly. Her name. A song. A destiny.

When you listen to Eva Maria sing. It captures your imagination. Her voice is magical. She has a gift. When I first heard her sing, it took me somewhere beyond. I heard her soul. In her singing. And it touched my soul. It is easy to hear past the notes when Eva Maria sings.

A mezzo-soprano.

Before meeting Eva Maria. I had not heard of this term. Mezzo-soprano. I sang when I was younger. I come from a musical family. But somehow this name for a singing range had slid past me. Unnoticed. In case, like me, you are also new to this word I will save you having to look it up. Like I did. A mezzo-soprano is the voice range between soprano and contralto. And it usually overlaps the two it sits between. A mezzo-soprano singer is comfortable with low and high notes. Not just the high of a soprano. A mezzo-soprano can typically hit the A below middle C and two octaves higher.

I wish I had heard this term before. I may not have felt so lost as a singer myself. In choir they would typically pop me in with the sopranos. I could do it, I could hit most of the high notes, but I never felt as comfortable there, I longed to sing with what our teacher called the altos. I felt more connected to their deeper notes. I now suspect after reading a little more about singing ranges, they were probably more correctly, contraltos. Alto is a vocal range one rung higher than a tenor, whereas contraltos are in the range between the mezzo and a tenor. Reading this I now know. I was not a contralto called an alto, nor was I the lyrical soprano. I was in between the two. Now I understand. I was a mezzo-soprano.

What does an mezzo-soprano sound like? Adele is said to be a mezzo-soprano. But with a shorter range. Frida from ABBA is a mezzo-soprano whereas her counterpart, Agnetha, is a soprano. Lady Gaga is a mezzo-soprano. They can all hit the high notes, but there is something deeper to their voices. And not just in range. In timbre. That is, in the character and quality of their voice. There is a beautiful depth to their voices. And so there is with Eva Maria’s voice.

Eva Maria Riedl is a renowned, internationally acclaimed, Austrian singer. Who has blessed audiences for over 15 years. She can sing anything from Baroque through to newly composed music. She is a respected lead mezzo soloist at Austrian Federal Theatres. She has sung in all major concert halls in Austria and has also graced the stage in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, Turkey and Israel.

She has worked with world revered conductors, including one of the leading conductors of our time, Ádám Fischer. A Hungarian conductor. Founder and General Music Director of the Österreichisch-Ungarische Haydn Philharmonie. Chief Conductor of the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. Principal Conductor of the Düsseldorf Symphoniker. He knows his stuff. He believes music carries a message. I am, therefore, not surprised Eva Maria has worked with him. When she sings it isn’t music alone. It is definitely music with a message.

There is a mysticism to Eva Maria. A deep knowing from another time, which comes to the world through her voice. Guided, perhaps, by the spirit of a wolf. She sings to the moon through her heart. Unleashing her spirit in its divine expression. Courageously vulnerable on stage. Stripped of any pretence. She shares her feelings and what she holds within, with the audience. It is no surprise her performances are spoken of as ‘breathtaking’.

It was as though Heaven
Had softly kissed the Earth

You can hear Eva Maria’s storytelling by listening to her sing one of her favourite songs, the wonderful "Mondnacht" by Robert Schumann. She will take you to another world as you listen to the beautiful live recording from the 2016 Liszt- Festival. The first words of this song is exactly how many feel when listening to this recording. A gentle kiss. From a world beyond.

And although she is a magnificent creature on stage. What makes Eva Maria a gorgeous human, is what she offers when she steps off the stage. And meets her desire to share her knowledge with other people. She is a sensitive vocal coach. Sincere. Empathetic. Competent. She understands the gift of voice. The message of music. It is little wonder, even established and experienced singers seek her guidance. And the wisdom she offers her students is beyond the voice. Guiding those new to the industry through all aspects of what it is to be a performer. Financially. Emotionally.

She is the healing songstress. There is a healing quality to her voice. A healing power, which comes from deep inside her. And she is reaching deep inside her inner being. Touching that healing knowledge and bringing it to the world not just through her voice, but through her person. Not just by performing on stage. But by walking on the stage of life. She is a blessing for many.

Eva Maria. I am so grateful to have met you. To hear you sing. To hear your soul in the message of music. We all need to hear your soul. Again and again and again. In all the beautiful ways you are able to package it up and hand it to us.