Cynthia Azarcon is celebrating her 25th anniversary as Music Director at Belmont Heights United Methodist Church with a solo vocal recital, The Arc of Venus: Singing to the Moon, her first in many years. The recital is being held on Sunday, October 13, at 4PM, in the church sanctuary.

Sander: What inspired the rather spectacular title?

Cynthia: I wanted a title that said something about the passage of 25 years, and all the phases that a woman goes through from age 19 to mid-40s. I also wanted it to say something about my name. My name, in Greek, is translated as “of the moon,” as is Artemis, the Goddess of Light. Sometimes my name is described as that transition time of passing between sunset and the moon rising.

I couldn’t really think of anything that I really liked, until I put it out on my Facebook page to my friends. A very smart response came from a friend, Daniel Savino, who suggested “The Arc of Venus.” I loved it because of the feminine archetype of Venus, and because Venus is considered a sister planet to Earth. So many similarities, and yet evolving very differently.

I did a little research and found out that the Arc of Venus was an unexpected revelation that was discovered in 2012, during Venus’ transit of the Sun. The Arc is what appeared to be a ‘ring of fire’ around Venus, which occurred as sunlight shone through the planet’s cloudtops, creating a spectacular view, a bit of which appears on my flyer. I thought it was a brilliant concept, both the implication of the arc of of phases in one’s life, as well as being backlit by the sun. I’ve had so many people cheering me on during these past 25 years, but especially this past year, that I feel supported by nothing short of the sun’s power and warmth.

SRW: Tell me about the process of selecting material for the upcoming recital.

CA: I chose the repertoire as a way of chronicling some of my first exposure to operatic repertoire over the years. It was my brother, Armando, that really turned me on to opera. We always had classical, jazz, pop, etc. playing in the house, but it was watching my brother get swept up in the stories and the melodies that caught my interest. I don’t think he even realized this until I told him recently. So this recital, I’ve been planning for 5 years, and just kept putting it off.

The very first song on the recital is the one I quickly crammed on and learned for my auditon for UCLA. The French set is the first set of French songs I learned as a freshman and sophomore. Some songs were too ingenue for my now darker, richer voice than when I first started, so had to throw those out. My brilliant voice teacher, Dr. Cheryl Anne Roach, introduced me to some of the newer material, and indeed, the most challenging. A couple of the biggies, the show stoppers, are from Maria Callas’ “Voice of the Century,” album, which my brother played for me. So much of the repertoire directly correlates to what is going on in my life now, it’s almost scary.

Being that this is a big ‘come back’ of sorts for me, I wanted to pick arias that have been in my head and heart for decades, but I’ve never sung them in a real legitimate performance, on an actual stage.

SRW: If you’ve been wanting to organize a recital for more than five years, what finally pushed you to do it now?

CA: 1999-2000 was the last time I did anything focused solely on my own craft and, even then, I was spread way too thin. I did a recital while also producing a very full concert series. I was studying with tenor Jonathan Mack, one of the best in the business. Due to all the stress of preparing, late nights working, I came down with a touch of laryngitis. By 3PM on the day of the concert, I just barely started getting some of my high range back, for a 4PM concert. Although I did my best, and friends and family were extremely supportive, it wasn’t my best product. It was still a big achievement, but I completely lost my voice for the next two weeks.

In the years following, I started having constant vocal problems, due to side effects of blood pressure meds, and I became discouraged. I focused on helping other people and their dreams, which had its rewards, but I personally, felt completely lost artistically, and I was using these other projects to escape dealing with whatever was really troubling me.

So, I thought, okay, time to get back on track, set a goal. I thought I could make turning 40 my big come back year. But then so much happened. Over these past five or six years, I’ve experienced co-writing three college textbooks, helping to raise my step-daughter, undergoing major emergency surgery, and finally, working through some intense and difficult changes in my personal life. The latter has been the single-most challenging obstacle and yet, the driving force that pushes me to continue practicing and working on this recital. It has also very nearly caused me to cancel this recital all together, several times over.

However, through it all, my impending 25th anniversary at BHUMC was a major inspiration that helped me to persevere. You only celebrate a 25th anniversary once, right? I had to set a date and stick to it. The actual date of my anniversary at BHUMC was in March, so you can see, I still put it off for several more months!

I never thought I could feel this good again about singing. The recital has given me something to channel all the pain and uncertainty, and find joy again, find myself again. To quote a favorite song of mine, “victory hides in darkest places.” Practicing long hours can be very lonely for musicians, and hard on family life. I hope to keep striving for balance, and to never shortchange my own dreams or deny that still small voice inside, ever again. I am so grateful and thankful for this gift of singing that continues to be a blessing to me and hopefully, to others as well.

SRW: How did you discovered singing, as a child?

CA: I was influenced by the things my brothers listened to on the radio, a lot of Beatles. Also, my dad used to sing along to records with me, songs that stand out are “Cruising Down the River,” and Andy Williams singing “Moon River.” My mom used to sing Santa Lucia to me, and I had no idea what it meant, but I liked it. My earliest memories are from age 5 and on. I actually remember belting out “Both Sides Now,” at a very young age.

SRW: What was the ‘aha’ moment when you realized that you could pursue singing more seriously?

CA: I think I was aware that I had something when older kids in the neighborhood would sort of do a double take, that this hearty sound was coming out of such a little kid. Even then, I knew I wanted to study singing in college. Higher education was always talked about in my house, so I pretty much made up my mind at around 8 years old that I was going to be a music major. Beyond that, I really had no idea.

In my neighborhood, we actually had a “little rascals” kind of interaction. We put on plays and narrations with silent film-type action. Long before anything electronic. Sounds idyllic, and I guess now more than ever, I realize it was.

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I grew up singing first in church, Holy Family in Artesia and, as I improved, I became the lead singer or “cantor.” I sang a little in school by the time I got to junior high but, oddly enough, there was not much funding for choirs, so I mostly learned music by playing in bands, and playing clarinet in school. Choir performances were limited, even through high school.

I was in a couple musicals at Cerritos High School. I was in “Damn Yankees,” and “Guys and Dolls.” My sister, Mercy, played flute in the pit orchestra, and my mom made a bunch of the costumes. I was always in the chorus as a ‘strong singer’, never the leads though. Didn’t have the ‘right look,’ I guess!

For church, I did get to play the lead, Julie Jordan, in “Carousel.” That was a lot of fun and a great experience. I was SO young. I still have some of the costumes from the shows. Can’t believe how tiny I was.

SRW: How did you develop the ability to read music?

CA: By doing it the best way: Taking piano lessons (thanks to my parents), and playing clarinet. It makes one such a stronger singer when one learns via an instrument, first. Physically, vocal folds take time to develop, so you can’t just take off running. Instruments are a superior way of getting a leg up on musicianship.

SRW: Tell me about your early college experiences. What did you expect, and what surprised you?

CA: I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just knew I wanted to study voice performance. I auditioned for UCLA and got in to the school of music but, unfortunately, not into the school academically. Missed it by a few fractions. I had my heart set on UCLA so, when I didn’t have a plan B, my mom and I literally went to CSULB the day of open enrollment and applied. A teacher, now Dr. Lee Vail, remembered me from the Press Telegram Outstanding Achievement awards in high school, out of hundreds of kids. He helped set me up in his choirs, and that got the ball rolling.

Later on, I guess I was surprised at the varying levels of talent within the voice performance option. Voice performance, back then, was regarded as one of the harder options, and you were held to a higher standard, having to do two recitals, rather than just a senior one. Being the over-achiever, I did a pre-junior one, so I did a total of three.

One thing that surprised me, coming from a strong Catholic upbringing, was that I was struggling with the spiritual quandry I felt when asked to act “sexy” or “seductive.” That was all very new to me! One mentor told me, “Well, Cynthia, somebody has to play Judas, too.” I guess that woke me up a little! I was a sheltered kid.

I thank my mom so much because, all through junior high and high school, I thought I was gonna be the next Pat Benatar, I sang my heart out to her songs. Linda Ronstadt, too. I had had a few lessons with a “pop” focused teacher. It wasn’t until my mom got fed up with this frivolity and insisted that my teacher start teaching me real vocalises, that I discovered, oh my gosh…I sound so different…and so much more powerful, singing Italian vowels and melismas – fast notes in succesion. How my mom knew anything about this, I don’t know.

SRW: Growing up, you probably weren’t exposed to a huge classical repertoire. What was it like to be swimming in this huge new sea of material?

CA: I dug in, and loved my repertoire and diction classes. I had such great teachers at CSULB, and we had to churn out two or three songs a week, translating, learning, presenting, and then of course the required appearances at “Semester Recital,” which was often dubbed “Siesta Recital.” We made fun of all that, but the grueling pace and endless pages of notes… I loved it. It probably was my first real experience with passionate, stimulating research, which is what makes singing such a full experience, mind, body, spirit.

SRW: You mentioned that you found some aspects of acting to be a challenge. How did you overcome that?

CA: I think I just had to reframe it. I had been in church plays, where we reenacted powerful emotions, such as betrayal, greed, lust, etc…but it was all so subtle and covert. I just reminded myself that we are but players on a stage, just acting. It was definitely an adventure, sort of giving myself permission to feel such forbidden emotions! Very scandalous. [laughs]

SRW: What was the plan for yourself after graduation?

CA: I participated in competitions and did some work with the Long Beach Opera, Opera Pacific (now defunct), and large community choirs. I didn’t have the drive or confidence to travel abroad and study in Europe, or even the East Coast, like a lot of my peers. So I just stayed local and actually, while I was just a sophomore in college, landed the soprano soloist job at Belmont Heights UMC. That kept me grounded, and maybe in a certain state of denial that I wasn’t throwing myself fully into an opera career. It was exciting to be a real paid musician, so I thought, this’ll do me just fine, and it has for 25 years!

SRW: Looking back across that span of time, what really stands out for you?

CA: I have been able to collaborate with amazing musicians at BHUMC, and seen a lot of concert endeavours come to fruition. I don’t think I would have been able to do this as organically if I hadn’t been based in a church. I dabbled in writing and composing for Shakespeare companies, and I discovered, I really do enjoy acting too, and have even been flattered with compliments from “real” actors, that I was pretty good at it.

When I am singing from my heart and soul, I am never more truthful to who I am, what I was born to do, than in those moments, with the power of the music going through me. It makes time stand still for me, and it’s taken me 25 years to be able to even articulate this into words.

It’s an interesting relationship I have with singing. Sometimes I feel as though I am afraid, and running away from its power. I am a bit of a dilettante too, easily distracted by other things I like to do. But I am now trying to embrace that singing has got to be the most powerful, passionate thing that makes me who I am.

Cheryl Anne Roach, my teacher, mentor, and friend, has had to really hammer it over my head, that what my heart really wants to do is sing. I have the utmost respect and admiration for her. I am usually busy producing concerts for everyone else, and not comfortable making this whole recital a solo offering. So when she says things like, “You have such soul in your voice, a quality that is so gorgeous,” and she insists “YOU ARE A DIVA! A nice one, but still, a DIVA!” I had to go with it. I even asked her to say that into my digital recorder to remind myself of this. Everyone needs someone in their corner to record that message for them!

SRW: Who is serving as your accompanist for the recital?

CA: The magnificent Mark Uranker. He plays for the American Ballet Theater in New York in the summers, and is on the faculty of CSULB. He has not just been an amazing accompanist, he has also been an incredible coach, and cheer leader for me! There’s accompanists and then there are coaching accompanists. Mark knows his stuff, and has an expansive breadth of knowledge of operatic repertoire, art songs, and overall musicianship interpretation. Working with him has been so invigorating for me. When I get something right, especially in the first one or two tries, he shouts, “YES!” and gets so excited for me. It’s been a blast working with him, moreso than I ever imagined. We’d worked together before, even started on a recital years ago, but now is the time that it is all coming together. He has remarked on how much my voice has improved over the years, thanks also to the brilliant technique of Dr. Roach.

SRW: In addition to the artistic and technical aspects of preparing for this recital, there’s also a physical aspect. What’s it like to prepare to ‘run’ a vocal marathon?

CA: At this level of full body singing, I often wish I was more diligent with cardio training! It is SO physical. The body needs to be so strong, so one can feel that connection from the breath to outside the body to fill the room and let go. Singing is a combination of tension and relaxation, all working simultaneously, not unlike athletes. Tighten up, and you’re doomed. The most challenging thing is having the body kick in and do it’s thing, whether you’ve eaten enough or slept enough, it’s good to test yourself to sing through it, and still come out sounding great.

I take that back. The most challenging part has got to be the mental game. If I’m off emotionally, it can take my will to sing out for a week, and that’s a ton of time for a musician. The brain almost atrophies but, hopefully, your training is there to pick up the pieces and compartmentalize the pain, heartache, joy, or whatever it is that is distracting you. It has to be used, or else you just run out of time. It has to be channeled into the music, and that’s your soul, that’s where your story come through, all the ‘acting’ through the characters in the songs.

During her recital, Cynthia will be featuring the art of celebrated painter and arts educator, Thea Robertshaw, who will be hosting an opening reception of a solo exhibition, presented by the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach, at the Bungalow Arts Center, this Saturday, October 5.

Belmont Heights United Methodist Church is located at 317 Termino Avenue. Arrive early, as parking can be tricky. Admission to the recital is free, and there will be a reception following the performance.  

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