Opera UTEP (Opera Workshop)
Current Events
- Thursday, September 28, 2023, 7:30 p.m.
- Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
- Tickets*
$10 adults
$8 seniors, military, students
FREE for UTEP students, faculty and staff, and children 12 and undernder.
- Tickets*
Fall Opera Showcase: Songs & scenes from The Sound of Music, Il cambiale di Matrimonio, Le nozze di Figaro, Werther, La fille du Regiment, and more.
- Saturday, October 28, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, October 29, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
- Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
- Tickets*
$10 adults
$8 seniors, military, students
FREE for UTEP students, faculty and staff, and children 12 and under
- Tickets*
*We encourage you to buy tickets in advance in person at any UTEP Ticket Center (see this link for locations: https://www.utep.edu/utep-ticket-center/ ). You can also buy tickets online through TicketMaster which is convenient but you will be charged an additional fee. You may purchase tickets at the door and suggest you arrive early if you choose that option.
An Evening of Songs and Arias - The students of Opera Workshop will perform a recital of songs and arias with Dr. Esequiel Meza (piano) to conclude the semester. All are welcome, and admission is free.
- Thursday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m.
- First Baptist Church (Chapel)
World Premiere
THE FOX AND THE COOKIE
This semester, Opera UTEP will present the world premiere of an opera for young audiences with words and music by Maria Thompson Corley. THE FOX AND THE COOKIE is a 30-minute work based loosely on Aesop's Fables. It addresses themes of bullying, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, and personal growth. In addition to our 2 public performances in Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall, Opera UTEP student singers will have several performances for area young people, at UTEP and beyond.
This project is made possible with support from the UTEP College of Liberal Arts Deans' Office, The Center for Community Engagement, Women's and Gender Studies, African American Studies, the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Department of Art, UTEP Children's Choir, the Aaron and Sylvia Wechter Family Excellence Fund, and the Department of Music.
WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCES
- Monday, March 27, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. featuring a reception with the cast and composer
- Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. featuring a talkback with the composer
- Location: Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
- $15 general admission
- $10 military, seniors, students, and UTEP alumni
- Free for children 12 and under and UTEP faculty, students, and staff
The program will run for approximately 60 minutes without an intermission. Parking is convenient and free in the Sun Bowl Parking Garage on Sun Bowl Drive.
Related Events
Virtual Discussion: "Entrepreneurship through the Arts"
Representatives from The Black El Paso Voice, UTEP’s African American Studies Program, and Opera UTEP will talk with our guest composer, Maria Thompson Corley, about building a career in the arts. Panelists include UTEP Dance and African American Studies professor, Dr. Tawanda Chabikwa, Director of Opera, Cherry Duke, and EPISD administrator and EPSO musician Adria Dunn-Harris. The moderator is Shonique Tornes.
Monday, February 27, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Art Showcase Opening Reception
A celebration bridging the Black History Month art showcase with the Women's History Month art showcase. Featuring Opera UTEP singers in performances of songs and scenes by Black female composers.
March 6, 2023, 6 pm
UTEP Union Gallery, 2nd Floor
Free and open to the public
The Multicultural Impact of Aesop’s Fables
History and African American Studies professor Dr. Selfa Chew-Melendez leads an exploration on how Aesop's fables have impacted the ethical teachings of Mexican, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and other cultures. Featuring Opera UTEP students performing excerpts from THE FOX & THE COOKIE. Panelists include: Dr. Larry Lesser (Math), Alireza Vaziri (Graphic Design), Cristina Morales (Sociology).
March 21, 2023, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
Free and open to the public
Meet the Composer
Bring your lunch and your questions for a casual chat with pianist, composer, and writer, Dr. Maria Thompson Corley.
Monday, March 27, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
UTEP Fox Fine Arts Center, M340 (Choir Room)
Free and open to the public
Lunch and Learn: “Black Female Voices and Social Movement”
Head of Women and Gender Studies Dr. Hilda Ontiveros leads a discussion, following a performance of “I Am Not an Angry Black Woman,” words and music by Dr. Corley, performed by UTEP music major Abeni Merriweather. Light lunch is provided by the Women and Gender Studies Program.
Tuesday, March 28, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
UTEP Student Union West, 2nd Floor (common area)
Free and open to the public
- ¡Celebración! featuring guest baritone Levi Hernandez in concert with the Opera UTEP students and UTEP voice faculty
- Thursday, October 13, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
- Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
- Ticket Prices:
$10 General Admission
$5 Seniors and Military
FREE for UTEP Students, Staff, and Faculty; and children 12 and under.
Our Fall Opera Showcase will feature scenes from traditional opera, zarzuela, and musical theater repertoire.
- Fall Opera Showcase: SOLOS & DUOS: Songs & scenes from Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, Die Fledermaus, Julius Caesar, Bohemios, Candide, Street Scene, Guys & Dolls, and more.
- Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, November 6, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.
- Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
- Ticket Prices:
$10 General Admission$5 Military and children 12 and underFree for UTEP faculty, students, and staff
We encourage you to buy tickets in advance in person at any UTEP Ticket Center (see this link for locations: https://www.utep.edu/utep-ticket-center/ ). You can also buy tickets online through TicketMaster which is convenient but you will be charged an additional fee. You may purchase tickets at the door and suggest you arrive early if you choose that option.
Opera UTEP's spring production will be a full production of the beloved zarzuela, LUISA FERNANDA, in collaboration with the UTEP Symphony and Concert Chorale. Directed and produced by Cherry Duke, with Bohuslav Rattay, conductor, and Elisa Fraser Wilson, chorus master.
LUISA FERNANDA by Federico Moreno Torroba, featuring UTEP Voice professor Dr. Phillip Hill as Vidal; New York City-based tenor, Diego Valdez, as Javier; Senior Odalis Aguirre in the title role of Luisa Fernanda; and Senior Rebeca González sings the role of Duchess Carolina.
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- Thursday, April 7, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 9, 2:30 p.m.
- UTEP's Magoffin Auditorium
- TICKETS on sale at TicketMaster and at all UTEP Ticket Centers.
The second annual GIVING VOICE festival--a joint production of Opera UTEP and El Paso Opera--will take place September 18-21, 2021 in Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. Opera UTEP will perform an all-Spanish concert with guest mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte.
- Opera UTEP: Giving Voice: featuring guest mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte in concert with the Opera UTEP students
- Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 7:30 p.m.
- Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
Our Fall Opera Showcase this year will feature scenes from the traditional operatic repertoire as well as scenes from our Spring 2022 full production of LUISA FERNANDA.
- FALL OPERA SHOWCASE: Scenes from Hansel and Gretel, HMS Pinafore, The Magic Flute, Die Fledermaus, Luisa Fernanda, and more.
- Friday, November 5, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 2:30p.m.
- Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
About Opera UTEP
Opera Workshop (aka "Opera UTEP") is an ensemble class that teaches student singers the fundamentals of operatic performance. Skills such as body awareness, movement, dance, role preparation, character development, acting, stage combat, and audition techniques are among the topics to be explored and practiced in the course.
Repertoire for public performances is selected to meet the voice types and skill levels of the enrolled students and may include scenes from opera and/or musical theater, one-act operas, and/or major works from the operatic repertoire.
Additional Performance Opportunities
Opera UTEP singers often perform in small roles or as choristers or young artists with El Paso Opera. Additionally, they have performed as soloists with El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras, on faculty concerts, and various outreach events throughout El Paso.
Community Engagement and Leadership (CEL)
Opera Workshop has been a member of the Community Engagement and Leadership (CEL) program since its inception in 2020. The purpose of CEL classes is to emphasize engagement with the community around us and foster critical leadership skills in students. Opera students learn these skills by working on and leading production crews (props, sets, tech, publicity, etc.), by performing not only on UTEP stages but in schools and retirement communities, and as well by honing their public speaking and other communication skills.
Past Productions
Guest Artists and Recent Productions
Opera UTEP hosts residencies, masterclasses, and talks with guest artists several times a year. Upcoming and recent guest artists include:
- Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano, opera legend
- Pablo Zinger, conductor pianist, coach and Spanish music specialist
- Kevin Burdette, bass
- Alan E. Hicks, director, author of Singer and Actor
- Josey Pickett, choreographer, dance instructor
- Darci Balkcom, Alexander Technique instructor
- Jorge Martín, composer, pianist, and vocal coach
- Jay Stratton, guest director, acting coach
- Luis Alejandro Orozco, baritone
- Lisa Vroman, Broadway soprano/actor
- William Sharp, Grammy-award winning baritone
- Levi Hernandez, baritone, director
- Danielle Talamantes, soprano
- Adrienne Danrich, soprano, composer, actor, writer
- Brian DeMaris, conductor and vocal coach
- Mandy Herrera, choreographer, dance instructor
- Dr. Risa Renae Harman, soprano and career coach, director of voice at Bay View Music Festival
- Lisa Smith, choreographer, dance instructor
- Randall Bills, international tenor
- Maestro Steven M. Crawford, vocal coach and conductor, former assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera
- Randi Rudolph, vocal coach
- Justin Lucero, director, acting coach, Artistic Director of El Paso Opera
- Kevin Deas, baritone
- Jessica Medoff, mezzo-soprano/actor
- Ricardo Rivera, baritone
- Sandra Paola Lopez Ramirez, movement coach
Photos and videos from recent productions are available on our Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
- SOLOS & DUOS (Fall 2022)
- FLUISA FERNANDA: A Celebration of Zarzuela (April 2021)
- ARIA SOIRÉE (Fall 2020)
- GIVING VOICE: A collaboration with El Paso Opera, amplifying Latinx voices in opera (Fall 2020)
- WHAT IS OPERA?, PART 2 (Spring 2020, produced entirely online due to the pandemic)
- WHAT IS OPERA? (Fall 2019)
- SISTER ANGELICA (Spring 2019)
- LA BOHEME, Act 2 (Spring 2019)
- THE TELEPHONE (Fall 2018)
- A HAND OF BRIDGE (Fall 2018)
- Scenes from LA BOHEME, MADAMA BUTTERFLY and SUOR ANGELICA (Fall 2018)
- Scenes from BEFORE NIGHT FALLS by Jorge Martin (Fall 2018)
- I'M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF: Scenes and Songs by Kurt Weill and Friends (Spring 2018)
- ON BROADWAY! (Fall 2017)
- FLEDERMAUS & FRIENDS (Spring 2017)
- CHEERS! A Toast to Opera & Musical Theater (Fall 2016)
- SPEED DATING TONIGHT! an opera by Michael Ching (Spring 2016)
- PASION! Opera scenes with Spanish passion (Fall 2015)
- THE MAGIC FLUTE (Spring 2015)
- SWEENEY TODD (Fall 2014)
Course Information
Since 2015, the class has been taught by Director of Opera Cherry Duke with pianist Dr. Esequiel Meza. Student leaders include graduate teaching assistants, a student administrative assistant, and student production crew leaders.
The Opera Workshop class meets 6 hours a week in the fall and spring semesters. There are no prerequisites for the course but prior performance experience and the ability to independently learn assigned music are helpful. Enrollment must be approved by the director. Qualified students from any major are encouraged to join the class. Auditions are scheduled as needed.
Opera Workshop may fulfill undergraduate (MUSA 2253) or graduate ensemble credit (MUSA 5101, CRN 11998). Two semesters are required for undergraduate vocal performance majors, though the course is open to all qualified singers, and many choose to take the course multiple times.
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClGIwbjkmWqx7WmqvoHQ3zw
