We had the good fortune of connecting with Gina Soranno McCann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gina, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I wouldn’t say I chose an artistic career, but rather it chose me. Growing up listening to Top 40 radio at home and in the car with my family, and singing in school choirs and musicals, I thought I wanted to be a pop singer, but I also wanted to be a well-trained and skilled musician and not just a decent sound with a marketable look. I attended the University of Illinois and earned a Bachelor’s in Music – Vocal Performance. It was a difficult course of study having had zero exposure to classical music beforehand other than some voice lessons in high school and the occasional Handel’s Messiah piece. To launch my pop music career while still at Illinois, I sang in a few Top 40 cover bands while trying to keep my voice healthy for upcoming classical music recitals. As soon as I graduated I tried to get my career going in the Chicago area singing in bands and a few clubs. But I was so green with no stage presence. And honestly it started to dawn on me in my later 20s that I didn’t even like performing. I just wanted to sing. But not wanting to give up on my lifelong dream of becoming a pop singer just yet, I moved to Southern California, sent out recordings and head shots, and nothing happened. I missed singing and decided to return to the familiarity of a choir and joined the Pacific Symphony Chorus. That decision changed my course completely. Meeting other professional musicians and hearing about the options to be paid as a vocalist was enlightening. Suddenly I’m singing in opera choruses…and I don’t even like opera or classical music in general. But it was so musically rewarding! From there I discovered my perfect niche of professional small ensemble singing which I’ve now done for 35 years, most of that based in Tucson, Arizona.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being a vocalist in a small ensemble, you have to be vocally nimble and versatile and be able to sing in many styles ranging from straight tone to full vibrato, sometimes in the same program. I wouldn’t consider myself a soloist, although many in professional ensembles also have successful solo careers. But I can blend with anyone which makes me an ideal ensemble vocalist.

It was a long road to get here. At the beginning of this part of my journey (once I decided I did not want to continue to pursue a career as a pop singer), there were very few small professional vocal ensembles. Mostly I sang in opera choruses (Opera Pacific in Orange County and San Diego Opera) which paid well but were seasonal. About the time I decided to no longer seek opera chorus jobs, I discovered Tucson Chamber Artists which later became True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Tucson’s only Grammy-nominated (Best Choral Performance) ensemble. We’re recording 2 pieces by Minneapolis-based composer Jocelyn Hagen in May, and our 3rd album of 2 pieces by composer Jake Runestad which we recorded in May 2023 will be released this fall. As someone who still considers myself a musician and not a performer, recording is the best thing there is!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Any trip to Tucson has to incorporate time to explore the terrain (desert and mountains) as well as the many delightful dining options. To familiarize someone with the Sonoran Desert, a stop at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a must. Consider it a small museum combined with a zoo and an easy hike. Other places to hike are Sabino Canyon, Ventana Canyon, and for the more adventurous, Seven Falls. And the food in Tucson! So many great places! For breakfast our favorite dive breakfast place is Frank’s but we also love 5 Points Market & Restaurant for something a little healthier that also has breakfast cocktails. Lunch at Tohono Chul Garden Bistro is simply lovely, but if it’s a Sonoran Hot Dog you’re craving, BK’s or El Guero Canelo is ideal. For a downtown pub crawl start at the Tough Luck Club and make your way to Juniper. Once you’re downtown, may as well see live music at The Rialto, The Century Room at Club Congress, or the Fox Theater. Outside of downtown you’ll find a delicious dinner at Feast whose menu changes monthly, and for a high-end elegant experience journey out to PY Steakhouse at Casino del Sol.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people have directed and redirected my journey, even if I didn’t think I wanted this path. I had the good fortune to grow up in the Homewood-Flossmoor School District in Chicago’s South Suburbs where the arts were highly funded and supported. The talented vocalists I met in CA (all in our mid-late 20s at the time) were very encouraging as we all figured it out together. Laura Fries (Metropolitan Opera Chorus), Beau Palmer (Georgia Southwestern State University Music Faculty), and Kevin St. Clair (Cal State Dominguez Hills Music Faculty) would be considered my most crucial pivot points who completely shifted my direction. Dr. Patricia Murphy Lamb (Organist and Music Director of Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, CA) for hiring me in her inaugural professional church choir quartet. And finally, Dr. Eric Holtan, Music Director, True Concord Voices & Orchestra (Tucson, AZ) who asked me to audition for his ensemble after hearing me audition for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus in 2009.

Website: https://trueconcord.org/

Image Credits
Headshot: Britta Van Vranken

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.