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PINK BREAKFAST

PINK BREAKFAST

Schubert. Favorites come and go, but Verdi’s Falstaff is still up there.

Do you tend to gravitate toward villain roles? I am attracted to the bad boy repertoire. But who doesn’t like playing the villain? REPRISE

Why do you sing so rarely in Vienna? Vienna was undoubtedly the place where I had some of my most cherished musical experiences – the Brahms Requiem at the Musikverein under Claudio Abbado and Don Giovanni with Riccardo Muti at the Staatsoper, to name a few. If I could, I would live in Vienna and perform every week. So I guess I wouldn’t put it that way. It has more to do with my schedule, which sets the pace. You are now performing the role of the Dutchman at the Wiener Staatsoper, is it a diffi cult role?

The story of the Flying Dutchman can be The Dutchman? In a word: intense. traced back to motifs from age-old sailor’s What role would you like to perform in tales which can be heard all over the world, the near future? such as the ship of the dead, the ghost ship Dilemma. One day a new engagement or the ship from hell. The core motif each time is the curse of eternal sailing for a captain who has done bad things … might come along, a project that interests me a lot, or maybe I should just

DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER (THE FLYING DUTCHMAN) check out Hindemith’s Cardillac or Berg’s Wozzeck. Something I can really by Richard Wagner, in the Wiener dig into. No rest for the wicked! Staatsoper, started on November 17th.

Conductor: Bertrand de Billy. Direction: When will you perform in Vienna again? Christine Mielitz. With Anja Kampe (Senta) and Bryn Terfel (Dutchman). wiener-staatsoper.at As luck would have it, I’ll be back in 2022 with Jonas Kaufmann, Lise Davidsen and conductor Simone Young in Peter Grimes. Which music do you listen to at home to relax? At home, poor Alexa must be confused. From Tom Jones to Michael Bublé to Franco Corelli, from Shirley Bassey to Cecilia Bartoli and Beyoncé. But when I can steal a moment for myself in my studio, Bach and Beethoven rule my world.

Canadian-South African model and dietitian Maye Musk is also the mother of Elon, Kimbal and Tosca Musk. She has been a model for 50 years, appearing on the covers of magazines, including a Time magazine health edition, Woman’s Day, and Vogue.

T E X T

URS U LA S CHEIDL

MAYE MUSK MY BEST AGE IS NOW

She is an international supermodel, a globally sought-after keynote speaker and a respected nutritionist – at the age of 73. Maye Musk proves: Woman is never too old for something new. All it takes is a plan. In our heart to heart interview, she gives an honest and unembellished insight into the many stages of her life and career.

You’re well known over the world, beautiful, talented, a successful business lady and look half your age. You are defi nitely an international role model for millions of women all over the world. What is your secret of your magical appearance? Is there a little formula for that? MAYE MUSK: My secret formula is eating well. As I’ve said in my book, I follow a fl exitarian diet. Research work shows that this is benefi cial for a healthy weight and to reduce the risk for chronic diseases. If you fall ill, you would have very little energy and defi nitely not a magical appearance. Also, for public events, I have a stylist, hair and make-up artists who make me look fabulous. I am so happy Benevento books published my book in Austria as there are many more details in the beauty segment.

You’ve already been a model with 15 years. Today your success is at its peak. How do you explain this? is at its peak. How do you explain this? My success is at its peak because I have a great agent at CAA My success is at its peak because I have a great agent at CAA Fashion, and use social media to show that women of all ages can be relevant, intelligent, successful and stylish. It’s about time!

Did you ever believe, you will inspire so many Did you ever believe, you will inspire so many women with your style and attitude? If yes, why? women with your style and attitude? If yes, why? If no, why not? If no, why not? I have always inspired women to eat well to stay in good I have always inspired women to eat well to stay in good health, because I am a dietitian. Now with social media, and health, because I am a dietitian. Now with social media, and my glam team, women are I SHOW THAT inspired to do their best to look stylish and confi dent. I think WOMEN OF that’s fabulous! At the same time you’ve defi nitely ALL AGES CAN noticed women putting themselves under pressure to look “perfect”. BE RELEVANT, Some of them are addicted to Botox at a very young age. How can we detach ourselves from this INTELLIGENT, beauty ideal and fi nd our way back to individuality? SUCCESSFUL Women should be able to do whatever they like with their appearance. As a nutrition sciAND STYLISH. entist, there is no need to hide wrinkles because people respect you for your intelligence and research knowledge. Now in my seventies I am booked because I have wrinkles and can my seventies I am booked because I have wrinkles and can frown, so I don’t have any pressure to look younger. frown, so I don’t have any pressure to look younger.

Of course we’ve all read your touching book. Life isn’t always Of course we’ve all read your touching book. Life isn’t always a bed of roses. You have given us honest and deep insights from a bed of roses. You have given us honest and deep insights from your marriage. Abuse in marriage is still a strong issue nowayour marriage. Abuse in marriage is still a strong issue nowadays. Probably, when it happened to you nobody dared to talk days. Probably, when it happened to you nobody dared to talk about it. Could you confi de in someone? about it. Could you confi de in someone?

Duckie Thot, Maye Musk and Parris Goebel – UGG celebrates its autumn/winter 2021 apparel campaign.

When I was in an abusive marriage, I was shocked that a man could hit a woman. I didn’t want to tell anyone. When my brothers and twin sister read my book, they asked why I didn’t confide in them. I think women need to confide in their family and friends so they can leave a bad situation quicker than I did.

You pulled the plug and have raised your three children on your own. A bold decision. What gave you the strength and courage for this step? To run away with three children and no income, you have to be desperate, not bold. I had had enough of living in misery and being bullied, insulted and screamed at every day. It was really hard because you have no confidence and you are scared, but it is still better than living with an abusive partner.

How did you manage that? Which obstacles did you have to overcome? The main obstacles I had to overcome were financial. Fortunately the public schools were very inexpensive and I could afford secondhand school uniforms and books.

MY CHILDREN SAW HOW HARD I WORKED ALL THE TIME.

women struggle to bring motherhood and their career under one roof. They expect to be perfect in both roles. Do you have any piece of advice? When your children are very small, you cannot be highly successful otherwise you’ll never see them. As a dietitian, I worked from home and would only see nutrition clients when I had someone to watch my children in the afternoon. Over time, my children spent a lot of time at school, that freed up my time to increase my practice. I saw clients at my dining room table or converted a bedroom into an office. Being able to work from home was a big advantage.

You have three very different children. Each has taken a successful career path. What’s your secret in raising them? Which seeds (values) did you put in them? My children saw how hard I worked all the time. They helped me by behaving well at home and doing their homework. They chose the direction they wanted to go. This made them happy and me happy.

What would you say makes a good father and husband? My father, brothers, sons and nephews are good fathers and husbands. Being kind and considerate is good.

Maye Musk helps students at Eucalyptus Elementary School learn to plant a vegetable garden in preparation for Plant a Seed Day in Hawthorne, California.

You shape the image: We do not necessarily need a man by our side to become successful and happy. Isn’t that insight a valuable step forward? It would have been nice to have a man by my side, but I was not lucky that way. Men were not supportive of my work and the time I spent with my children. Other women are more successful than me. Lucky them.

You have two master degrees. As a science nutritionist, is there an overall formula how to get a lean, healthy and fi t body. (Vegetarian, vegan or still meat? Carbohydrates yes, or no?) I eat a high carbohydrate diet, with low-fat dairy, plenty of fruit and vegetables and whole grains, as described in my book. That is my formula that works best for me.

How do you resist culinary temptations? The Christmas season is about to begin, there are treats everywhere you look. It is hard to resist temptation. I have to be very careful. I am not a naturally lean person so I have to plan my meals every day and every hour. With the holiday season, I will be very careful, but may gain 1 kg. I will then lose it immediately after the holidays. I control my weight very carefully so I can fi t into my clothes. It is expensive to go up a size, and also makes us unhappy.

You have a lot of grandchildren. What kind of grandma are you? As my daughter has twins with a sperm donor, I lived with her for the fi rst eight months and helped her with the babies. Just FYI, that’s more than many men do. I also took them to school when she had to direct a Passionfl ix movie at 5 a.m. When all the 12 grandchildren get together, I am very happy just to see how nicely they play.

What does happiness mean to you? Happiness means my children and grandchildren are in good health and enjoying their lives.

Looking back, which age was the best and why? Now is the best age because I have learned to avoid nasty people and to say no to something I don’t want to do.

If you had come to the “Women of the Year” gala in Vienna, what would you have done fi rst? I would’ve come in a day early and spent that time sightseeing beautiful Vienna. I enjoy learning about different cities and cultures.

What does this award mean to you? This award is very special, because it acknowledges that a divorced mother and successful entrepreneur in her seventies can be appreciated and honored.

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