JUNE 15, 2009
Smoke Signals 9
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'Accident-prone soprano' teaching in Vienna, Austria
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal member Marie Lan
dreth is e-mailing from Vi
enna. The Tribe's newly minted Doc
tor of Musical Arts in Voice Per
formance from the University of
Oregon lives and works in the
Austrian capital.
It is a world that, she writes, is
filled with singing and teaching,
and where she has made a career
starting in 1988 on the wings of a
one-year Rotary Scholarship. Now,
with the help of the Tribe, she has
earned her doctorate.
"Vienna has been voted many
times of being the most wonderful
city to live in the world," she writes.
'The city is beautiful and the parks
are breathtaking.
I believe about 50 percent of Vi
enna is green; one of the greenest
cities in the world. There are nu
merous concerts to attend every day
and the performance opportunities
are many."
Her e-mail says that she has to
pick up her husband at the hospital.
Dr. Doremus Scudder, also an in
ternational singer, had broken his
leg. And then she has a concert that
night. The everyday mixes with her
otherwise dreamlike life.
Landreth may now be a world-renowned
classically trained singer,
but she was born and raised in Red
mond, where her mother (Tribal
Elder Anna Landreth), father
(Clifford), sister (Tribal member
Estelle McCafferty), brother-in-law
(Raymond McCafferty) and their
children still live. And where her
heart remains.
"I grew up in a highly religious
and musical family," she writes.
"My mother can play about any in
strument she touches and my sister
is an excellent pianist and organist
as well as a wonderful singer. I
even remember my father playing
hymns on the organ on Sundays
before church."
Land ret h's own first performance
came at the age of 6 in church,
singing, "Jesus Loves Me." Her
sister's first performance, also at
about that age, brought forth, "All
Things Are Poccable." (She could
not correctly pronounce the word
"possible," Landreth remembers.)
At Redmond High School, she
"was involved in about every musi
cal group available." She graduated
third in her class and studied for
two years at Central Oregon Com
munity College.
"A couple of instructors report
ed that 1 did everything besides
clean the music school's floor," she
writes.
She continued her education at
the University of Oregon, where
she was voted the music graduate
student of the year before receiv
ing a bachelor of arts degree in
Music Education and Vocal Performance.
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Marie Landreth
She made her professional debut
at age 21 with the Eugene Opera as
the Queen of the Night in Mozart's
opera "The Magic Flute."
"I was to appear on the stage in
a tulip that opened as it was grow
ing from the stage floor and after
this flower had opened, I, was to
sing my first aria to the character
Tamino. As the flower was growing
and opening, something happened
and the flower bloom tipped over
and threw me out onto the stage of
the Eugene Hult Center.
"I sang my first aria lying on
the stage, then limped off into the
wings of the stage and was rushed
to the hospital. When the doctor
came into the room, I was crying.
He asked me 'What happed to you
my dear?' I replied, 'I fell out of a
big flower!'
"For a moment, I believe he
thought that I was in the wrong
hospital and should be brought to
one that could handle my mental
problem. However, he soon came
to understand that I was an opera
singer in the middle of an opera
production."
In subsequent years, she per
formed across the Northwest in
various operas and performances
and, unfortunately, her opening ac
cident was only the first in "a large
line of performances" where a new
accident of some kind punctuated
her performance.
She has become known as "the accident-prone
soprano," she writes.
In 1986, she began teaching voice
at Southern Oregon University in
Ashland, where she met her husband-to-be.
In 1988, she received that Rotary
Scholarship to study in Vienna for
one year, and the scholarship was
extended to two years.
"I studied music at the presti
gious Vienna Academy and began
my European career. For 15 years,
I traveled throughout the world
singing.
I appeared in Austria, Spain,
Japan, Italy, Germany, Poland,
Canada, most states in America,
and other countries."
Landreth and her husband trav
eled professionally during these
15 years.
"After being apart too much, we
decided to settle in Vienna," Lan
dreth writes, and together they
started a concert series, "Imperial
Concerts."
"We hired and trained about 60
musicians. That was our pool to
assure that we could present two
concerts a day, 365 days a year.
After about four years of being
music director of this series, in
which I performed as soloist 12
times every month, I decided to
begin my teaching career and con
tinue my formal education."
She received a position as a vocal
instructor in Vienna's Performing
Center Austria and started study
ing at the University of Oregon
winter and summer terms.
"At first, I thought that I would
not be able to continue the educa
tion, for the cost was far too great
for me to afford.
I applied for a scholarship from
Grand Ronde' and much to my
excitement was awarded this gift.
Without this financial aid, it would
have not been possible to receive
the degree of Doctor of Musical
Arts.
"It took six-and-a-half long years
to fulfill my dream of receiving the
title, 'Doctor Landreth.' "
During this time, she worked
"very closely" with the "wonder
ful" Grand Ronde Educatibn team.
She expressed thanks to Competi
tive Scholarship Program Director
Luhui Whitebear, Part-Time Col
lege Program Director John Harp
and Tribal member and Education
Division Manager April Camp
bell. 'They were extremely helpful and
supportive," Landreth writes. "I
would like to thank them publicly
for all of their advice and encour
agement they supplied me with
during these last difficult years."
At 49, Landreth has just been
named to the music director posi
tion for next year in the conserva
tory where she teaches in Vienna.
"I will be responsible for the stu
dents' overall education in music
and theater. I must oversee a facul
ty of about 25 members and assure
that the education is top-notch." In
short, she writes, "I plan to stay in
Vienna for a while longer."
However, if a wonderful music
position opens in the United States,
she said she could be tempted to ap
ply. The pull of home is still strong
in Landreth.
"Although I love Vienna, I will be
home with my mother and father as
much as possible. My father is 93
and my mother will be 84 in July.
I plan to be with them for a couple
of months every summer and for a
month or more every winter.
"I am very close to my sister, Es
telle, and brother-in-law, Raymond
McCafferty, and their children. To
be able to be a large part of their
lives is extremely important for
me and is my top priority. I thank
God that He has given me such a
wonderful and loving family and a
marvelous husband." B
in J
VP
Photo by Mkhcll AUlmo
Karen Larsen was presented with a Tribal logo blanket during her
farewell party at the Adult Education Building on Friday, May 29.
Larsen retired from the Natural Resources Department as a senior
administrative assistant after working there for almost 1 6 years.
June 1 would have been her 16-year anniversary. Standing next to
Larsen Is Tribal Council member Valorie Shaker, who presented the
blanket to her.