05/27/2026
, Leading up to our 18th anniversary Legacy Gala, we will be posting some spotlights of our members! The first one is of our lovely Celia Curran Amancio!
Spotlight on a Star
Celia Curran: Singing Between Spotlight and Harmony 🎶
Seattle Jewish Chorale: What makes your musical journey unique?
Celia: I think what makes me different is that I love being both a choral singer and a solo singer at the same time. I really enjoy blending into a group sound, but I also love stepping forward and telling a story on my own. Those two things feed each other for me.
Seattle Jewish Chorale: Where did your love of music begin?
Celia: My early musical experience is tied directly to Judaism because my first experience was in the Temple Youth Choir at Congregation B'nai Torah. I joined right away. My grandparents loved musicals, so I grew up going to Broadway shows and listening to cast recordings constantly. I even used to sing commercial jingles to cashiers before my family ordered food. Music, theater, and performing arts were just woven into my life from the very beginning.
Seattle Jewish Chorale: How did New York City shape you as an artist?
Celia: Moving to New York to attend Manhattan School of Music changed everything for me. I started receiving a lot of solos when I was 10. Middle and high school was so much fun, singing even more! I sang "On My Own" from Les Miz at my 8th grade graduation. During the performance, I noticed some of my friends getting emotional and crying... and my first reaction was "Am I that bad?" That's when I realized my voice could really stand out. I loved being around working artists and at the same time realized how hard it is to be a working artist! New York teaches you resilience. It gives you thick skin. Oddly enough, it was freeing to realize that everyone is so focused on their own dreams that you stop worrying about being judged all the time.
Seattle Jewish Chorale: What brought you back to Seattle?
Celia: I realized I didn’t want performing to be everything in my life. I loved opera, theater, and working at places like Lincoln Center, but I wanted music to remain something joyful and meaningful, not just something that kept me living out of a suitcase.
Seattle Jewish Chorale: How did you first discover the Chorale?
Celia: Completely by surprise! In 2008, I was visiting the hospital with my grandfather when a doctor came out and said, “So, I hear you’re a singer?” That doctor turned out to be Steve Greene, a founding member of the Seattle Jewish Chorale. I joined soon after, and I’ve been here ever since.
Seattle Jewish Chorale: What do these traditional songs mean to you?
Celia: Some of these melodies are ancient. Singing them makes me feel connected to generations before us. Audience members recognize songs their grandparents used to sing, and sometimes they quietly sing along. It feels like history breathing through music.
Seattle Jewish Chorale: What inspires you outside the chorale world?
Celia: I became a recent Swiftie during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour era. I admire how much thought she puts into every lyric, costume, and performance detail. I also love artists who genuinely care about their audiences. And if I could dream big for a collaboration with the Chorale? Having Yo-Yo Ma perform with us would be absolutely mind-blowing.
Seattle Jewish Chorale: If you could describe your life in one genre, what would it be?
Celia: My life has been a choose-your-own-adventure story. Every day feels a little surprising. Every morning, I wake up wondering: Who is Celia going to be today?
Music: Debbie FriedmanPiano: Steven Jal FeldmanVideo & Audio production: Tom HillmanThis is a piece that is near and dear to my heart. I sang this for Friday...
