Luther College opera scenes workshop to present ‘Once Upon an Opera: Magic, Mystery, and Music’ Nov. 17-18

The students of Luther College’s opera scenes workshop class will present “Once Upon an Opera: Magic, Mystery, and Music,” an evening of opera scenes, in the Noble Recital Hall of the Jenson-Noble Music Hall on the Luther campus.

Performances are Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m.  The performances are open to the public with no charge for admission.

The performance will explore themes of magic and mystery and cover a diverse musical and dramatic palate.  It will include a compilation of excerpts from works of Rossini, Poulenc, Purcell, Mozart, Humperdinck and Johann Strauss.

The cast includes sophomores Rachel Barkel, Laura Dietmeyer, Sam Eaton, Brittney McClary, Emily Moore, Alex Newkirk, Joe Olynyk, Zach Owen, Jill Phillips and Heidi Smorstad; juniors Mandy Inhofer, Beth Jeddeloh, Lindsey Johnson, Laura Krumm, Matt  Myers, Matt  Neuberger, Kirstin Roble and Bethany Tisthammer; and seniors Christina Douglas, Jason Drahos, Jenny Harrison, Amanda Rowles, Andrew Stenson, Julia Stuebner-Holt and Kylie Toomer.

Pianists for the program are senior Eric Layden, and juniors Zachary Busch, Brett Cooper and Matt Myers.

Andrew D. Whitfield, Luther assistant professor of music, directs “Once Upon an Opera: Magic, Mystery, and Music.”
Whitfield holds the bachelor’s degree from Butler University, the master of music degree from Wichita State University, and the doctor of musical arts degree from Louisiana State University.

In addition to appearances with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Southwest, and Pensacola Opera, Whitfield has also been a resident artist with Portland Opera Works and has sung with educational outreach programs for Opera Birmingham and Opera Kansas.

As a director Whitfield staged “The Ballad of Baby Doe” for Utah State University in April 2006. Currently, he teaches studio voice and opera performance at Luther.  For the past two summers he has taught and performed at Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival.