Meet Miss Emerald City

     Honor student, award winning opera and jazz vocalist, love for Jesus, family, friends, music, community, and a strong advocate for kindness towards self and others are among the pillars in Madison Zantello’s life that drive her to excel each day.  Madison is proud to have previously served her community and state as Miss Seattle’s Teen 2020/21, and Miss Washington’s Teen 2022; she is thrilled beyond words to have returned to the Miss Seattle family upon her crowning in February as Miss Emerald City 2024 and is deeply honored to continue the legacy her title holds.

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    Having received her diplomas simultaneously from Bonney Lake High School and Pierce Community College via the Running Start program, Madison earned her associate in arts degree (AA-DTA), and graduated with honors, including the National Honor Roll and Dean’s List. As a sophomore at Pacific Lutheran University, Maddy’s area of study is focused solely on her Bachelor of Music Performance degree with special concentration in vocal performance; she is the recipient of the Agnes Berge Smith Award, one of the most prestigious music scholarships offered.  Maddy is grateful for the many scholarships received via PLU and the Miss America Opportunity, as they are the foundation towards her ultimate goal of earning her doctorate in music vocal performance and brightening the lives of others through singing on stages across the globe.

 

     Madison, a native Washingtonian, lives in Bonney Lake, however, previously lived in Spokane where she was born and still visits often to see family and friends. Outside of maintaining a full-credit load at PLU, voice lessons, music theory and foreign language study, and preparing for upcoming auditions and performances for both opera and jazz, Madison has recently begun teaching private voice, and loves to spend time drawing, baking, cooking, working out at the gym, paddle boarding, roller skating, playing the piano, ukulele, and guitar.  Rounding out her skills as the consummate entertainer, Maddy finds humor in most everything, loves doing voice impressions, and with her bright smile, and infectious laugh, she is sure to bring joy wherever she goes.

 

     While her musical roots were first formed in jazz at a very young age, Maddy began her formal study of voice and opera at the age of 12.  Before turning 17, Madison’s accolades included her role as Morticia in the Addams Family musical comedy, an IMDb credit via a short film, an Amazon back-to-school radio spot, an 8-month bi-weekly study with the Seattle Opera Teen Vocal Studio, qualification for both soprano and alto categories by blind audition for the American Choral Director’s Association regional and national honor choirs, a regional finalist in the Schmidt Vocal Arts Competition, and the proud winner of the soprano category for the 2022 Washington Music Educators Association Solo and Ensemble State Championship. 

Madison performed the role of Adina in a full stage production of L’elisir d’amore opera her freshman year at PLU.  Her junior year has been just as exciting as she performed the role of Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus operetta with the Northwest Sinfonietta and was honored as one of five invited to compete for the Angela Meade Vocal Competition. In July 2023, Madison honed her craft in a three-week culture and opera study at the Branchaleoni Music Festival in Piobbico, Italy which included her solo performance of Quando m’en vo from La Boheme’. Madison has also studied ballet, tap, lyrical dance, and attended several film, stage, and voice workshops, including at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre.

 

     Madison’s Community Service Initiative, Choose Kindness First, is based on her personal life experiences which includes having Crohn’s disease, her grandmother having dementia, her brother afflicted with autism, and her father having ventricular tachycardia and congestive heart failure.  Maddy’s ongoing journey through adversity has cultivated a deepened insight for herself and what others may be experiencing in their lives. Her rich lived experiences have shaped who Madison is today and inspired her desire to prioritize leading through positivity, grace, love, gratitude, and kindness in all she does. Maddy recognizes the importance of self-awareness and implores us to keep kindness at the forefront of our thoughts, words, and actions towards others as well as ourselves.

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     Madison looks forward to the many speaking and community engagement opportunities that await her.  Through her endearing personality and ability to connect with all ages and walks of life, Maddy intends to teach that kindness is critical to changing our world.  As her year unfolds with new and exciting adventures, Maddy says she is ‘over the moon’ to represent Seattle as Miss Emerald City 2024 and looks forward to sharing her story and inspiring others through her music and advocacy to Choose Kindness First.