Cindy Halgrimson-Walzer
Class of 1975Alumni Recognition Award, 2001
Cindy Halgrimson-Walzer, or better known to most by her stage name, Amanda Halgrimson graduated in the class of 1975. At Naperville Central she participated in choir and became a member of the chorale where she served as Vice President and Secretary. Her senior year she was awarded the Outstanding Musician Award.
After high school Amanda attended the College of DuPage where she received her associates degree and then attended Northern Illinois University where she received her Bachelors degree in Music and is among the Outstanding Alumni at both schools.
Amanda's professional singing career began with the national Opera Company in 1980. Her successful stage career began when she played the title role in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, which she performed with the Houston Grand Opera and the Sacramento Opera. Her European debut started with the Netherlands Opera Amsterdam with a role in Konigin Der Nacht. Her successes with this role brought her to major opera houses in Europe such as the Volksopera Vienna, Vienna State Opera, Semper Opera Dresden, Staatsoper Berlin, Deutsche Opera Berlin, and the opera houses of Zurich, Geneva, St. Gallen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, and Cologne. Some of her past roles include Donna Anna from Don Giovanni, Konstanze from Die
Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, Fiordiligi from Cosi fan tutte, and the Countess in Le Nozze di Fiagaro.Amanda Halgrimson has also widely known as a concert singer. She is especially known for her Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and her Beethoven's 9th performances. Over the years, she has won many competitions such as the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, the Bel Conto Foundation, The Eleanor Steber award, the BaltimoreVocal Competition and the Voci Verdiane.
She is very involved in her church in Berlin and she has set up and participated in AIDS galas to raise funds and awareness in Naperville as well as Berlin.
Amanda currently spends most of her time in Germany where she is married to a German man and has a stepson and a two-year-old son. Her parents and sister still live in Naperville and she enjoys coming to visit and singing at her old church in Naperville.
MS. HALGRIMSON'S MESSAGE TO STUDENTS: Look at life as an adventure. By learning to look at the good times as blessings to help you through what difficulties come your way!
