by Angela Fischer
The Brigham Young University School of Music will present a night of Mozart’s operas featuring students from the BYU Opera Department Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 22-25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.
Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend.
The opera scenes program will honor the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth by performing excerpts from several of his operas, including “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Idomeneo,” “Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail,” “Die Zauberflote” and “Cosi fan tutte.”
“The Opera Scenes program permits singers to develop their dramatic skills for the stage while immersing themselves in the music of some the world’s operatic masterpieces,” said director Arden Hopkin. “Becoming a believable singing actor requires many layers of skill brought into balance.”
The opera scenes will be performed in original languages, with English supertitles, by 40 advanced singers from the BYU School of Music. Not only are performers required to master the difficult pieces from the selected operas, but they are also required to act and stage the scene.
Stage direction will be provided by professors Clayne Robison and Ruth Christensen, as well as advanced students Heather McMurray, Emily Williams, Eric Hansen and Juan Pereira. Musical coaching is under the direction of adjunct faculty member Barbara Allen, assisted by Rebecca Mordo.
“In the scenes, students discover if they have an aptitude for, and an interest in, opera,” Hopkin said. “For some, it will be their first experience in this medium; for others, it will be a continuing development of singing and acting skills. For the audience, it will be an evening of beautiful singing and inspiring acting featuring some of Mozart’s most glorious music.”
For more information, contact Arden Hopkin at (801) 422-3157.
Source: BYU News