Frequently Asked Questions

How did someone from a small, farming town in Wisconsin become interested in a singing career?

Ever since I was a little girl, I remember constantly singing. My father always joked that the cows would milk better to country music, but that didn't stop me. I was involved in church choir, show choir, musicals, and I played clarinet, and struggled through some piano lessons as well. Eventually, I began college and decided I would get a degree to be a music teacher. Slowly I realized I didn't want to teach, but perform. I still teach masterclasses and private lessons, but decided I was drawn to performing and the excitement of walking onto the stage.

Who inspired you to become a singer?

It all began with my parents, who always encouraged their children to be creative, and were very supportive of anything we did. Just call us von Heideman family! My mother saw The sound of music early on, and was so inspired she taught herself to play the guitar so we could all sing together as a family. I am one of three children: My sister is a gifted poet and singer, my brother has a beautiful tenor voice and also played trombone, and I became a professional singer. (Not bad for a family from a small, farming community in Wisconsin). At a very young age, I decided to play the clarinet as well as sing. I remember trying to learn to count by tapping my foot to the beat. I couldn't do it, so my mother got down on her hands and knees and physically moved my foot until it became second nature. I wish more mothers were like her! Outside of my immediate family, I was fortunate enough to have amazing elementary music teachers, who encouraged me in band and choir. In second grade I had to write an few lines on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said I wanted to be a music teacher! I guess that dream came true.

What's playing on your Shuffle now?

Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Buble, Chris Botti, Katie Melua, Beverly Sills, and Bryn Terfel.

What is your favorite piece of music to sing?

Handel's Messiah. I've performed as many as 17 concerts in one season. Maestro Polochick's version sticks out in my mind as being extraordinary! He embellishes every single number, and changes it from year to year, so you never know what he will expect of the singer when you walk in the door. It contains fast tempos, embellishments jumping to the extreme vocal limits, followed by a simplicity I find hard to explain. It's truly a work of art.

Have you always been named Esther? Or did you change your name after the pop star Madonna changed hers?

I swear I have always been named Esther! Esther means "star". I guess you could say I was the true Primadonna!

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?

As an undergraduate, I had my wisdom teeth removed, and after that had months and months of intense headaches and jaw pain. Eventually I discovered I had TMJ, that had probably happened when my jaw was over-extended while I was under during the surgery. For those of you who are not familiar with this, it means that my jaw locks in certain positions, and then pops loudly, causing intense pain. Months went by when I could barely open my mouth, and I was on high doses of ibuprofen for the pain. I considered giving up singing, but couldn't. I finally found a chiropractor and accupuncturist who were able to help me control the pain. My jaw still bothers me at times, but it no longer hinders my performing.

What is the best part of being a singer? And the most difficult?

Getting paid to do what you love is amazing. There is nothing in the world as exciting as standing on a stage with an orchestra behind you. The vibrations and emotions connected with music are so strong that I feel I am being lifted from my seat, and at the same time, my soul is being filled. The hardest thing to overcome is the journey. As a singer you receive hundreds of rejection letters before you ever receive good news. Your voice is such a part of you, that it becomes difficult not to take the criticism to seriously. Fix the problem and move on. Don't let the rejection play with your mind.

What is the best gift a fan has ever given you?

A standing ovation! I was told early on in my career that your job as a singer is to "touch one person's life and change it for the moment". I love performing, and I have had several people approach me after a performance and say, "I could have been deaf and I still would have understood every word you sang just by watching the emotions on your face". This is what music is all about. To have someone walk up to you 20 min after the concert ended, and they are still emotional from what they heard...that is a gift!

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on stage?

I'm one of those people that seem to have lots of embarrassing moments. Let me just list a few of my favorites:

• Hanging upside down, one story up, from scaffolding, by my skirt hem, during a dress rehearsal of an opera.
• Playing the role of a clown in a children's opera when I tripped and dislocated my shoulder in front of a sold out audience. The kids started to cry, so I jumped up, made a funny clown face to get them laughing, then ran offstage to have the shoulder popped back into place.
• Singing a concert in Aspen when the zipper on my gown broke, and opened up all the way down my back. I had to sing 30 min or so onstage before I could run off and get it pinned up. It was made even worse by the fact that there were monitors set up to view the conductor. Every time I looked up, the monitor was displaying the back of my open gown, so I could see just how much "exposure" I was giving the student orchestra....

Do you have any recordings available for purchase?

I am working on funding for two recordings as we speak.

If you had to name the most memorable performance you have ever had, what would it be, and why?

Singing Pamina in Mozart's Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera. I was asked to cover the role, and was given a performance. Although I knew ahead of time that I would be going on, I was still very intimidated. To suddenly sing a lead role at the MET was almost too much to bear. However, it was a dream come true. There is no place in the world like the Metropolitan Opera.