From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, opera singer Anne Maguire, a native of Washougal, has experienced a wide range of emotions during the past few weeks.
Shortly after winning one of the biggest awards of her professional singing career, Maguire is temporarily out of work due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has forced the cancellation or postponements of public events, including musical performances.
Portland Opera, for instance, canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season today, but said the 2020-21 season is still scheduled to begin in September.
“Opera houses are shutting down across the globe, and singers are losing their livelihoods,” she said. “Things have been insane. The entire opera world is in shambles right now. People are losing contracts and income like crazy, and we’re all scrambling to figure out how to not go bankrupt and also maintain some sense of sanity.”
In stark contrast, the 29-year-old mezzo-soprano was celebrating last month after being named as one of five winners of the 49th annual George London Foundation Awards Competition for young American and Canadian opera singers.