Doug Robinson: Her rise in opera world started with lackluster music lesson

The beauty and the voice are a strong combination. Her calling card is a powerful, rich, deep soprano; it has caught the ear of opera's aficionados since she began singing. It is unique in the profession. Some would call it almost an alto.

"Because of my voice, I tend to get certain roles," she says. "I'm the bad girl, the boy, the witch, the vixen."

She hopes for more success if for no other reason than it will allow her a forum for her faith and to do many things, such as start a conservatory in Utah and sing on stage with her sisters. Miriam still studies the art and Marina, who gave up ballet because she grew too tall, is studying voice in Philadelphia. According to Ginger, "she's on the Met's radar."

"There have never been three sisters on the same stage in opera," she says. "And we're all different voice types — I'm a mezzo, Miriam is a high soprano and Marina is a fuller-sounding soprano." On Aug. 11, the three sisters will perform in St. George at the Green Valley Spa conference center in a benefit for children's autism (ticket information is on their website).

In many ways, Ginger's has been a lonely climb in the world of opera. She left home at 17 and entered an adult world when she was still developing. She had to grow up fast and missed out on a normal teenage experience. But it's a tradeoff for practicing her art. That's what drives her. On Sunday, she sang in a local LDS Church meetinghouse that left many in the congregation in tears.

"At the end of the day I'm going to go where God wants me to go — sacrament meeting or my own home or the stage," she says. "It's all the same. Of course I love performing. I'm a stage animal. I love acting. Afterward, when I can talk to people and know I affected their lives and that my music somehow touched someone, that's amazing."