Grammy-winning South Jersey woman is at center of 'Christmas in July' opera in Pennsauken

WILLINGBORO — Maren Montalbano grew up in San Francisco and got into opera at an early age, appearing in multiple productions in her youth.

The Grammy-winning soprano, who has appeared on more than 30 commercial recordings, performs with Opera Philadelphia.

She will appear in Opera Philadelphia's "Christmas in July" at 8 p.m. July 13 in Pennsauken.

The free concert is part of the Twilight Concert Series at Jack Curtis Stadium at Cooper River Park.

The 90-minute show will conclude with a full performance of Gian Carlo Menotti’s holiday classic “Amahl and the Night Visitors”, which shares the tale of a shepherd boy who encounters the three kings on their way to Bethlehem.

The family-friendly night of opera will be conducted by Collingswood's Elizabeth Braden.

“I haven’t done very many outdoor concerts like this,” said Montalbano, who has lived in Willingboro for about 20 years with her husband Ray Brehm.

“I’m really excited about it," she said.

In addition to “freelancing and gigging around”, Montalbano started a coaching practice during the pandemic and helps other musicians establish their own career paths. She says it’s part business coaching and part career coaching and strategy.

“It’s all related to music,” she added. “There’s no getting away from it.”

5 questions for Maren Montalbano:

How did you end up in South Jersey?

I went to school on the East Coast. I went to Tufts University and New England Conservatory (of Music), so I was in Boston and after I graduated, I stayed on the East Coast. Ended up in New York, doing the New York thing. I met my husband. He’s from South Jersey. We started dating and decided to move in together and bought a house and Willingboro just happened to be the best location for me to still be able to get up to New York but also into Philadelphia.

How did opera come about?

Both my parents are musicians. (Reni Lindley is a classical violinist and Peter Montalbano is a jazz trumpet player.)

I started playing violin at age 3. When I was 7, I started singing with the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Some girls got to be part of the children’s chorus and the opera. My first exposure to opera was like at age 8 when I got to be a ragamuffin in ‘Carmen’. I’ve done a bunch of operas as a child. Opera’s really always been a really big part of my life. I love singing opera. I love watching opera. I’ve been singing with Opera Philadelphia almost since I moved here. I think my first opera with Opera Philadelphia was ‘Aida’ in (2005) or something like that.

What’s your favorite thing about opera?

As a performer, my favorite thing about opera is just dressing up and playing somebody else. The really great thing about opera is everything is over the top. It’s just the tiniest things can be blown way out of proportion. You find these beautiful arias that are basically, ‘oh, I lost a ring.’ I think that there’s something really beautiful, magical about that. Any small moment in anybody’s life can seem like it’s the worst or the best thing in the world. It’s really cool to kind of be a part of that and magnify emotions in that way.

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Tell me about the performance in July

This particular opera is called ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’. It’s actually a Christmas opera. The story is basically this little boy who’s (disabled) and his mother. They’re very poor. They get these unexpected visitors, who happen to be the three wise men. They’re on their way to visit Jesus and bring these gifts. On the way, they stop at their home for shelter. It really kind of focuses not so much on the glory on the birth of Jesus but about normal people who are struggling who can also find redemption in generosity. My role is the mother. She just wants to protect her child.

Are you involved with other projects?

I’m a freelancer. Right now, I’m also singing with this group called The Crossing. It’s a new music choir in Philadelphia. We’ve won a few Grammys. We just opened a choral theater piece called ‘Farming’. I’m performing that right now and also at the same time…I have another workshop of a new musical that I’m working on that’s going to be in LA. I’ve got multiple projects that I’m learning the music for and have to practice.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Grammy-winning Willingboro woman to star in 'Christmas in July' opera