Montevallo, Ala. – The University of Montevallo College of Fine Arts and the Department of Music’s Opera Ensemble will present the Grand Opera Sampler on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21.
The performance will include nine scenes from five operas composed by some of the world’s greatest opera composers such as Mozart, Rossini and Bizet. The Ensemble also performs scenes composed by British and American composers from the 20th and 21st centuries such as Gian-Carlo Menotti and Carlisle Floyd.
“Our fall performance of the Grand Opera Sampler allows our students to gain experience and learn scenes from operas that would otherwise be too large to perform if we tried to do the full production,” said Dr. Charles Wood, Associate Professor of Music.
“The Opera Sampler gives us experience to put on our resumes and prepares us for future auditions,” commented senior vocal performance major Caitlyn Reynolds, who will be featured in a scene from Susannah during the weekend performances.
Grace Conner, senior vocal performance major, also added that the sampler provides preparation for future performances the department will produce.
“A scene from our spring opera, Cosi fan tutte, will be featured, so this is helping us already prepare for that production. We also attend scene competitions at the National Opera Competition, so performing various scenes allows us to prepare for that as well,” said Conner.
The Opera Ensemble class is open to students of all majors, and provides students in other areas of study lessons into the history of opera and behind the scenes production.
“As a music education major, I’m learning lessons that I may want to incorporate into my own classroom one day, whether it is the music or how to put on a production,” said junior, Tucker Ratcliff.
The scenes that will be performed provide students exposure to a wide repertoire of music and the entire history of opera. The class also allows undergrads an opportunity to perform and have learning experiences through performing, an opportunity that is rare in many other music programs.
“Students from our music program have gone on to be hired over students that attended schools that are world renowned for their performing arts programs, simply because our class size allows our students many opportunities to perform and learn from their performances,” Dr. Wood added.
The production will run Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in Lebaron Recital Hall on the University of Montevallo Campus. Tickets are $10 for general admission and can be purchased at the door.
For more information on the University of Montevallo Opera Ensemble and Music program, please contact Dr. Charles Wood at 205-665-6670.