Fairy Tales, Comedy & Tragedy at 2019 Opera Scenes

Every spring the Ashland University Department of Music offers audience members a chance to experience live opera through a variety of scenes from a collection of well-known titles. In 2019, the two evenings of opera scenes will be performed on Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the intimate Studio Theatre at Ashland University. The performances are free and open to the public.

The variety of this year's scenes range from a fairy tale to comedies and a tragedy with many of them featuring story lines of love and romance. One similarity among all four of the operas is the idea of hidden and mistaken identities or masks. Also, all four of these operas are written by well-known composers (Mozart, Verdi, Strauss, and Humperdinck) and their titles (The Marriage of Figaro, La traviata, Die Fledermaus, Hansel and Gretel, respectively) are cornerstones of the opera world.

Based on the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel is associated with the holidays and is often performed around Christmas. The Ashland performance will feature the opening scene where Hansel and Gretel are at their home and Hansel becomes very hungry. We all know what that leads to.

Several songs will be performed from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus (aka The Revenge of the Bat) which is a story of mistaken identities, flirtations at a masked ball, elegant frivolities and confusions of all kinds. Our cast will perform "The Drinking Song" duet, Orlovsky’s aria, "Meir Herr Marquis" and "Sing to Love."

W. A. Mozart's comic opera The Marriage of Figaro tells the story of how the servants, Figaro and Susanna, taught their employer a lesson in fidelity and then succeeded in getting married. Selections from this comedy will include "Porgi Amor," "Voi che sapete" and "Sull’aria."

The most serious of the evenings' opera scenes will come from Giuseppe Verdi's tragedy, La traviata (The Fallen Women). However, the song selection for Ashland's opera scenes is one of the lighter moments of the story as the ensemble performs "The Brindisi," the opera's famous drinking song and one of the best-known opera melodies.

Under the direction of Sandra Ross and accompaniment by pianist Deb Logan, this annual event features vocal performances from student singers. This year's cast includes Drew Berlin (Barberton), Kendra Garver (Shreve), Maggie George (Independence), Mia Kardotzke (Clyde), Maya Rickard (Wooster), Dave Tomlinson (Cleveland) and Rebecca Young (Sherwood, Oregon).

Spring 2019 Music Events

A full listing of Ashland University Department of Music events for the Spring 2019 semester is now available online at Ashland.edu/Music. From rehearsals for the Ashland Area Chorus and Ashland Area Community Concert Band to the Annual Maplerock Jazz Festival -- the listing includes many performances which are free and open to the public.

2018 Opera Scenes: An Evening of Menotti

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of opera scenes on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 which will feature the theatrical operas of Gian Carlo Menotti. The nightly 7:30 p.m. performances will be held in the intimate Studio Theatre at Ashland University, and are free and open to the public.

The performances will present scenes from four of Menotti's operas including The Old Maid and the Thief, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Medium and The Consul. Complete with theatrical staging, the scenes will include lighting design by Seth Morrison, costume design by Justin Bilewicz and Drew Berlin, while Kendra Garver is the properties master.

Under the direction of Sandra Ross and accompaniment by pianist Deb Logan, this annual event features vocal performances from student singers. This year's female cast includes Samantha Eron (Brighton, MI), Gracie Fumic (Avon), Kendra Garver (Shreve), Mia Kardotzke (Clyde), Maya Rickard (Wooster), Anna Rivero (Ashland), and Rebecca Young (Sherwood, Oregon). Male singers include Cory Turpin (Ashland) and Drew Berlin (Barberton).

Equally at home on both operatic and musical theater stages, Ms. Ross has performed with Cincinnati Opera, Cleveland Opera, Central City Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Opera North, Sorg Opera and nine seasons with the Ohio Light Opera. Some of her favorite roles have been Orlovsky, Carmen and Cherubino. In Hamburg, Germany Ms. Ross appeared for 2 years as Madame Giry in Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Phantom of the Opera. A frequent concert soloist Ms. Ross has performed works including Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings Symphony, under the direction of the composer, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Beethovens’s Missa Solemnis, Prokofieff's Alexander Nevsky, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Mass in Bflat Major, Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria, with organizations including the orchestras of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Ashland, Toledo and Youngstown. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio Ms. Ross holds a bachelors degree from Heidelberg University and a masters degree from the New England Conservatory where she studied with the renowned Ed Zambara.

Opera Scenes to Journey Through G&S

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of opera scenes which will take audiences on a journey through some of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's most-loved comic operas. The performances which are free and open to the public are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at Ashland University.

With scenes from five different Gilbert & Sullivan operas each evening, the program presents scenes from The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, The Gondoliers, Ruddigore and The Mikado. Under the direction of guest artist Sandra Ross, this annual event features vocal performances from student singers. This year's female cast includes sopranos Abigail Brady (Geneva), Gracie Fumic (Avon), Elisha Hofer (Sandusky) and Fatima Imani Smith (Copley) along with mezzo-sopranos Grace Keller (Perrysville) and Hannah Wise (Hartville). Male singers include tenor Jacob Poiner (Wellington) and baritones Deric Dove (Newark) and Darion Dow (Bedford Heights).

Equally at home on both operatic and musical theater stages, Ms. Ross has performed with Cincinnati Opera, Cleveland Opera, Central City Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Opera North, Sorg Opera and nine seasons with the Ohio Light Opera. Some of her favorite roles have been Orlovsky, Carmen and Cherubino. In Hamburg, Germany Ms. Ross appeared for 2 years as Madame Giry in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera. A frequent concert soloist Ms. Ross has performed works including Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings Symphony, under the direction of the composer, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Prokofieff’s Alexander Nevsky, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Mass in Bflat Major, Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria, with organizations including the orchestras of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Ashland, Toledo and Youngstown. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio Ms. Ross holds a bachelors degree from Heidelberg University and a masters degree from the New England Conservatory where she studied with the renowned Ed Zambara.

Fuhrmann Publishes Book About Foreign Opera at London Playhouses

Dr. Christina Fuhrmann, Professor of Music, announces the publication of her new book "Foreign Opera at the London Playhouses" now available through Cambridge University Press.

In the early nineteenth century over forty operas by foreign composers, including Mozart, Rossini, Weber and Bellini, were adapted for London playhouses, often appearing in drastically altered form. Such changes have been denigrated as 'mutilations'. The operas were translated into English, fitted with spoken dialogue, divested of much of their music, augmented with interpolations and frequently set to altered libretti. By the end of the period, the radical changes of earlier adaptations gave way to more faithful versions.

In the first comprehensive study of these adaptations, Dr. Fuhrmann shows how integral they are to our understanding of early nineteenth-century opera and the transformation of London's theatrical and musical life. This book reveals how these operas accelerated repertoire shifts in the London theatrical world, fostered significant changes in musical taste, revealed the ambiguities and inadequacies of copyright law and sparked intense debate about fidelity to the original work.

• Sets operatic adaptations within the complex context of theatre and opera in early nineteenth-century London
• Provides an appendix of all operas adapted for the playhouses during this period, including those that have never been studied before 
• Charts critical reactions to operatic adaptations, as well as changing standards for fidelity to the original opera

Dr. Fuhrmann's other publications include articles in Nineteenth-Century Music Review and Gender, Sexuality and Early Music and a volume on Romanticism and Opera. Her critical edition of Henry Bishop's adaptation of The Marriage of Figaro was published in 2012.

Fairy Tales & Opera Join Forces This Weekend

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of opera scenes which will feature scenes from fairy tales and more.  The performances which are free and open to the public are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, 7:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora, Professor of Music and Head of the Voice Area in the Department of Music at Ashland University, this annual event features vocal performances from student singers. This year's female cast includes sopranos Abigail Brady, Rachel Gollhardt, Maria Cardona, Fatima Imani Smith, Grace Keller and Hannah Wise along with mezzo-soprano Sarah Napier. Male singers include tenor Corey Turpin, and baritones Deric Dove, DR Haught and Jake Riley.

With scenes from seven different operas each evening, the program presents scenes from fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel along with Donizetti's Elixir of Love, Delibes'Lakme, Bucci's Sweet Betsy from Pike (A Horse Opera), Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, and The Tenderland by Aaron Copland.

TWO FUN EVENINGS OF OPERA SCENES & ICE CREAM

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of opera scenes from The Marriage of Figaro to Carmen and Man of La Mancha.  The performances which are free and open to the public are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, 7:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora, Professor of Music and Head of the Voice Area in the Department of Music at Ashland University, this annual event features vocal performances from twelve student singers. The female cast includes sopranos Abigail Brady, Rachel Gollhardt, Victoria Horak, Fatima Imani Smith, Grace Keller and Erin Lingenfelter along with mezzo-sopranos Andrea Disch and Alexandra Newhouse.  Male singers include tenor Caleb Stout, and baritones Darion Dow, Deric Dove and Andrew Shaffer.

With scenes from eight different operas each evening, the program presents scenes from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Loesser's The Most Happy Fella, Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado, Bizet's Carmen, Leigh and Darion's Man of La Mancha, and Street Scene by Weill and Hughes as the grand finale including a special discount for audience members at Eva's Treats after each performance.

UNIVERSITY OFFERS TWO FUN EVENINGS OF OPERA SCENES

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of "Magic, Marriage & Merriment" with opera scenes from Mikado to The Pirates of Penzance and The Most Happy Fella. The performances which are free and open to the public are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20, 7:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. 

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora, Associate Professor of Music and Head of the Voice Area in the Department of Music at Ashland University, this annual event features vocal performances from twelve student singers. The female cast includes sopranos Rachel Gollhart, Fatima Imani Smith, Erin Lingenfelter, Colleen Mathias and Katie Vargo along with mezzo-sopranos Emily Plank and Grace Keller. Male singers include tenors Derek Jackenheimer, Christopher Sherer and Caleb Stout; baritone Andrew Shaffer; and bass-baritone Bret Cowden. 

With scenes from eight different operas each evening, the program presents scenes from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute and Abduction from the Seraglio, Lehar's The Merry Widow, Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Loesser's The Most Happy Fella and Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance.

UNIVERSITY OFFERS TWO FUN EVENINGS OF OPERA SCENES

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of music, romance and fun with opera scenes from The Magic Flute to The Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata.  The performances which are free and open to the public are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14, 7:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora, Professor of Music and Head of the Voice Area in the Department of Music at Ashland University, this annual event features vocal performances from fifteen student singers. The female cast includes sopranos Jessica Blake, Chanae Curtis, Rachel Gollhart, Kara Minton, Brandy Riha and Katie Vargo along with mezzo-soprano Susie Strobel.  Male singers include tenors Jordan Black, Derek Jackenheimer, Chris Sherer and Caleb Stout; baritones Christopher Goffos and Andrew Shaffer; and bass-baritones Bret Cowden and John Fielding.

With scenes from six different operas each evening, the program presents scenes from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, Donizetti’s Elixir of Love, Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Lehar's The Merry Widow and Verdi's La Traviata. 

JUNIOR VOICE MAJOR BRET COWDEN RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR TALENT

Ashland University Department of Music congratulates junior, voice-performance major Bret Cowden (United Local High School, Hanoverton, Ohio) for recent achievements based on his talent.  

In Akron Tuesday Musical Association's annual competition, Cowden was awarded second place in the voice area.  This scholarship program is widely recognized as one of the best in Northeastern Ohio. Since its inception in 1955, nearly 500 scholarships have been awarded in categories of voice, piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, organ and music education.

Bret also auditioned and was selected to participate in this summer's Johanna Meier Opera Theatre Institute in Spearfish, South Dakota.  Now in its fourteenth year, the institute selected 20 to 25 aspiring pre-professional opera singers from all over the United States and Canada for this unusual two-week program. Students are assigned roles in April and are asked to memorize their roles before arriving in South Dakota. World famous operatic soprano Johanna Meier is the artistic director, and the stage director is Bruce Donnell of the Metropolitan Opera and the Santa Fe Opera. Operatic conductor John Stewart is a former leading tenor at the Metropolitan Opera and in Europe who recently retired from teaching voice and opera at the University of St. Louis. New York pianists Charis Dimaris and Elizabeth Hastings serve as vocal coaches and accompanists. Melanie Palm provides instruction in movement and dance. By working in an ensemble atmosphere, student camaraderie develops an important understanding of future rapport with colleagues, coaches, and those in charge of opera production.

Studying under voice professor Stephanie Sikora, Cowden will present his junior recital at Ashland University with fellow voice major Brandy Kay Riha on Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.  He also will appear in the music department's annual Opera Scenes performances on Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14, 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall.  These events are free and open to the public.