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Meet Meagan Miller
Meagan Miller is a classical soprano and voice teacher, nature-lover, and all-around arts and food enthusiast who grew up in the Midwest and East Coast of the U.S.
She is a Juilliard-trained soprano who has recorded CDs of Beethoven, Bruckner, Libby Larsen, and Strauss, and her most recent recording, the title role in the world premiere uncut recording of Cesar Franck’s Hulda. She is a passionate advocate for the next generation and avocational artists.
She and her Albanian-Austrian husband Dino, along with Andalusia, 8, Orion, 7, and Apollon, 19 moved from Vienna, Austria in late October of 2021. The family currently lives just outside of Watkins Glen, in Rock Stream, NY with their two cats, and 17 chickens.
“We were looking for a homestead lifestyle in an area where we could also be connected to culture and community,” Meagan said, adding, “It’s how my husband grew up, and we wanted it for our kids, too.”
Meagan had visited Watkins Glen about 15 years before. She stayed and volunteered at the Farm Sanctuary and hiked the Gorge Trail. Her parents also went wine tasting in the Finger Lakes early in their marriage, boated on Seneca Lake, and saw a race in Watkins Glen International. Through their descriptions, those trips became memorable for Meagan and her whole family.
And she was excited about all the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes, and the added space for her family. “In large cities, for better or for worse, there is anonymity: your small actions each day aren’t noticed, and don’t have much of an effect on your community. Here, the opposite is true. In a small community, we’re all in this together on a totally different level,” Meagan said. “It makes a difference where I have my kid’s birthday party or buy a cake, or where I take my visiting friends out to eat. Here there is absolutely everything you could want – really that’s true – but instead of there being many choices, there may be just one option, so you need to plan ahead, cherish what is here, and not burn your bridges.”
Soon after her move, Meagan would come to experience the unity of a smaller community in a way that few do.
“About six weeks after moving here, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Up until then, I had been very blessed with good health,” Meagan said. “My immediate thought was that we needed to move back to Vienna, where we would be covered by their universal health care system. We had not focused on the health care system much in choosing our home and I panicked by how little I knew about medical care here. I was worried that I would not be able to get treatment close to home, that I might need to consult doctors in bigger cities to get the most current information, and maybe would face restrictions and long delays.”
Meagan’s biopsy was scheduled at Schuyler Hospital for December 23, 2021. Despite Meagan’s concerns about long waits and delays, she said the staff expedited the process, sparing her the anxiety of not knowing the results over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
She was most impressed with the level of care. “On December 27, my wonderful surgeon Tran Tu Huynh video called me while visiting her family in California to discuss the details of my diagnosis and the current research about my treatment options,” Meagan shared. “My first appointment with my medical oncologist, Timothy Bael was on January 3rd, followed by my first chemotherapy treatment on January 11. Schuyler Hospital and the Cayuga Medical Center planned to work together to allow me to receive my care close by. My case was discussed at least weekly by my entire team, nurse navigators were calling me to see if I had questions – in short, I was astonished by the speed and attention each cancer patient received. I knew at that point that everything was going to be fine. And it was going to be fine right here.”
It has been almost a year of active treatment for Meagan. “I lost my hair (which has grown back to shoulder length now) and my kids and husband helped me shave my head when it was time,” she said. “I had wonderful advice and support from many, near and far, to help me. I had dear friends come and help during tougher points in my care. I alerted the school to support my then 5 and 6-year-olds and to offer them grace if they needed it, My amazing husband picked up every bit of slack and watched Outlander and Downton Abbey with me on the days when I needed just that.”
Meagan said her chemo treatment worked better than anyone expected, and during the month break after chemo and before her surgery, she was able to put on a long wavy red wig and sing the soprano solos in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) with the Houston Symphony. Then came radiation and now at least five years of medications to keep her free of cancer.
“I am still in physical therapy to rebalance and rebuild after surgery. I am singing, and finding the new twists and turns in my voice. I am teaching many wonderful students, and I have a new interest in helping rehabilitate voices after illness, pregnancy, or other life changes.” Medications make me tired, but I am here and doing much better than I could have expected.”
Meagan’s medical journey and experience here in the Southern Finger Lakes influenced other family decisions. “My 84-year-old father is coming this spring to live with us on our homestead,” she said, adding, “I can confidently say that as he ages, and if he is ever in need of medical care, he will be in good hands in this area!” She found that contrary to her initial concerns, the lower population density served as an advantage “because long waiting times are simply not a thing and “within easy driving distance, any medical care I could need, and he would need, is available at the highest level.”
Nevertheless, she says, there is room for improvement. “Dental Care and Veterinary Care is much more complicated in this area – and it depends very much on your insurance. Many practitioners simply are not accepting new patients. These areas of care will require focus, money, and attention to detail.”
As far as settling into the community as a whole, a lot has happened for Meagan and her family. Some challenges they’ve experienced have been associated with language as their oldest and her husband are still working to perfect their English. Also, Meagan said, applying for their Green Cards was especially hard during the pandemic. “Thankfully, that is all resolved now,” Meagan said, “so, full speed ahead: my husband is now able to start his masonry and mosaics business and my stepson is working on his driver’s license. (Many Europeans living in a city would never need to drive, but here he will need to.)”
And Meagan continues to flourish in her career as a classical singer. “In May, I’ll travel to Helsinki, Finland to sing the 1st Soprano in Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. It’s a familiar and beloved piece for me, so I hope to enjoy it as a return to the stage.”
Today, a normal day for Meagan and her family starts at 6:30 in the morning. “My favorite thing of the day is checking out the sunrise from our window or the porch as we prep the kids for school, and gazing at the lake on the drive to school. Dino heads out to the chicken coop with dinner scraps and feed and then moves on to repairs in the house, the hoop houses, or a stone or mosaic project,” Meagan said.
“I am usually in my studio early to answer emails or research for a student, vocalizing a bit before my first teaching appointment. The time difference with Europe keeps me busy in the mornings.”
Meagan said the single best thing she ever did was buy an Empire Pass as they love kayaking, especially on Seneca Lake, hiking the Gorge in Watkins, and heading to Taughannock Falls where she says they have great cabins for overnight, or Letchworth State Park. Summer for them is mostly spent at the Watkins Glen State Park swimming pool. “We also love to visit Havana Glen for picnics and the Sugar Hill Forest for snowmobiling.”
They also often go to Clute Park in Watkins Glen for swimming, ice skating, and the splash park – and of course 4th of July fireworks!! They frequent the Glen Theater for movies and other family events, as well as Tabora Farms for their Viennese Sacher Torte, Scuteri’s for cannoli, Jerlando’s for take-out pizza, and P’s Macaron’s at the Burdett Exchange. “Farther afield, I am a true fan of Moosewood in Ithaca, Casa Mezcal in Penn Yan, and Beijing Garden in Elmira. “We have had memorable concert and theater experiences at Opera Ithaca, Dream Barn Productions, the Clemens Center, and 171 Cedar Arts.
For those considering a move to the Southern Finger Lakes, Meagan says, “Take the plunge! I cannot claim to know what long-time residents here know, but I can say that there is a lot of room, a lot of warmth, and that each person I’ve met so far has a surprising story to share. Take the time to get to know which areas interest you in the region. Some things may take extra planning, but the quiet, nature, and relaxed atmosphere are worth it.”
Thank you, Meagan, for sharing your story! Read more SoFLX stories to learn about life, work, and play in the Southern Finger Lakes.
