Her grandmother sang a lot, her mother, both did it with great joy.

Then the older brother started playing the piano.

Of course, the little sister wanted that too.

Barbara Zechmeister was just seven years old.

But that was it: music moved into her life and hasn't let her go ever since.

She has since sung many major roles, is a permanent member of the Frankfurt Opera, has been a member of the ensemble since 1996 and has held the title of Kammersängerin since 2011.

But it all started in the school choir.

Because after the piano came the violin (at the age of fourteen) and the luck of a good music teacher.

"I've turned my voice up," she says, from alto to mezzo and higher to soprano.

They sang demanding things, the St. Matthew and St. John Passion and the Carmina Burana, and in the upper school there was also a small a cappella choir.

After umpteen concerts and concert tours, she had her first solo appearance at the prom, with the Bandel trio, one of Mozart's witty and ironic pieces.

Absolutely Mozart.

Sometimes sing love when you're in trouble

Professionally it should be something with music - or with medicine.

But a career as a pianist?

"Me with my small hands?" And how to play Brahms?

She ruled out the way.

The soprano is certainly not overly tall, but all the more agile.

Not just on stage.

She is temperamental and at the same time full of feeling, puts herself in the shoes of the people to whom she lends her voice, which she plays.

There's no other way for her.

Again and again during the overture she develops a film within herself about what is about to happen and is happy when the audience forgets that Barbara Zechmeister is on stage.

It's not easy, it's not easy for every singer to sing love when you're heartbroken.

Barbara Zechmeister likes to compare her job with competitive sports.

"I have to adjust to being able to function at a certain point in time." You don't see the work that has gone into it up to this point.

That's the art.

But unlike an athlete, "I'm not allowed to sweat."

Trained at the Mannheim Opera School

Barbara Zechmeister grew up near Bad Mergentheim.

Her father was a carpenter, and she still admires him for having the courage to set up his own business, set up a small business and work off the loans.

All her furniture is from her father, she lives with them.

She completed her training as a music teacher at the State University of Music in Heidelberg/Mannheim.

A Hungarian, Eva-Maria Molnár, recognized her talent there and took her under her wing.

After the first state examination, she switched to the opera school in Mannheim, where Rudolf Piernay became her teacher.

They did a good job, so to speak.

Guest performances as far away as Novosibirsk, performances at festivals, working with renowned conductors and directors - Barbara Zechmeister's singing life is rich in experience.

She is also a recital and concert singer and a lecturer at Dr.

Hoch's Conservatory.

Of course she is happy that she has been given big roles.

Let's just take two Mozart operas: She was Donna Elvira and Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Pamina and the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute.

The singer admires many composers, but Mozart in particular: "He's so strong." Who would she take to an island?

Mozart and Bach.

And Mozart knew his Bach.