After winning a prestigious national opera competition in New York, Josefina Maldonado still sings where many first heard her powerful voice — inside a Dallas church
DALLAS, Texas — Most might not be willing to admit it, but a lot of people pick which church service they attend based on the music.
Maybe it’s the choir. Maybe it’s the band. At Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, one voice leading the hymns could fill the balconies of a grand theater.
And every Sunday, the congregation gets front-row seats.
That voice belongs to Josefina Maldonado, a 29-year-old opera singer from Oak Cliff who recently won first place in a prestigious national vocal competition in New York. But the news doesn’t shock the people who hear her sing every week.
A national win — far from ‘American Idol’
In January, Maldonado placed first at the 49th Artist Awards competition hosted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
The finals were held at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where singers from across the country compete after advancing through regional rounds.
“This was some of the best singers in the nation,” Maldonado said. “It was strong competition.”
The event is about as far from a TV talent show as you can get. Singers must prepare 14 classical pieces, fully memorized, and judges can ask them to perform any of them on the spot.
“You have to be very prepared and know all of your music really well,” she said.
Inside the sanctuary at Preston Hollow Presbyterian, Maldonado’s voice is already well known.
She has been a member of the church choir since 2019 and frequently performs solos during Sunday services.
And yeah, church officials admit that it’s quite the treat.
“You can see it, and you can feel it,” said Steve Jobman, the church’s artistic director in residence. “They’re sitting up straight and paying total attention.”
Maldonado didn’t grow up singing opera; she even admits that she didn’t sing in an ensemble until high school.
In fact, one of her early inspirations was pop superstar Christina Aguilera.
“Christina Aguilera was actually one of my favorite singers,” Maldonado said. “I loved trying to riff as she did.” She discovered opera later while studying music at UNT, and the genre stuck with her.
“That’s actually when I learned about opera,” she said. “I’ve been leaning toward that ever since.”
Like many artists, Maldonado’s path wasn’t straight. During the pandemic, she stepped away from music and worked in the corporate world at AT&T for several years, but the pull toward singing never left. She joined the choir there in 2019 and calls it a compass for a new career.
“I think singing here at Preston Hollow really anchored me to music,” she said. Maldonado made a life-changing decision and decided to pursue opera full-time. She’s now getting her master’s in music at SMU.
“I rage quit my job,” Maldonado said with a laugh. “I just up and left and said, ‘This isn’t for me.’”
Finding her voice — and purpose
For Maldonado, the church became more than a performance space. It became a place that helped guide her back to music.
“My heart has always been here,” she said. Today, she’s preparing for performances around the world — including South Africa and an appearance as a featured soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra holiday concert later this year.
But every Sunday, she still returns to the sanctuary where many first heard that voice.
A voice that surprised plenty of visitors and members. And helped Maldonado find something, too: the path she was meant to follow.
