Opera Archives - �鶹ӰԺ University

�鶹ӰԺ University to present world premiere of the opera, A Nearer Mother

Communications — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:13:30 +0000

�鶹ӰԺ University to present world premiere of the opera, A Nearer Mother Ruth Coker Burks, pioneering AIDS activist and subject of the work, to attend

�鶹ӰԺ University will present the world premiere of A Nearer Mother, a new American opera by award-winning composer Evan Mack and librettist Joshua McGuire, on March 5 – 7, at 7:30 p.m., and March 8, at 3 p.m., in �鶹ӰԺ’s Stansbury Theatre.��

The opera is based on the activism and allyship of Ruth Coker Burks, the Arkansas advocate who, during the height of the AIDS crisis, cared for hundreds of men abandoned by their families and communities.��

Burks will be in Appleton for post-performance talkbacks, and community events in the week following the production’s premier, giving participants the rare and unique opportunity to engage with the actual protagonist of the opera. Mack and McGuire also will be in residence at �鶹ӰԺ for the performances and talkbacks.

Fearless Empathy: Bringing the Story of Ruth Coker Burks to the Opera Stage

(2-minute Video) Copeland Woodruff, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Director of Opera Studies, and Kristin Roach, Assistant Professor of Music and conductor of the performances, share what makes this production special.��

Blending lyrical intensity with intimate storytelling, A Nearer Mother explores compassion, chosen family, and moral courage in a time of national fear and silence.��

“We wanted to write a piece that centers around allyship,” said composer Evan Mack. “Ruth Coker Burks represents the kind of clarity that cuts through fear. This work is not just about the AIDS crisis—it’s about what it means to show up for another human being when the world turns away.”

McGuire added, “Ruth’s story forces us to look within. Given the same stakes she faced, the same fears present in the face of that crisis— we can ask, would we step up to help? I like to think the opera helps people dig deep and find that little voice that says ‘I can’, no matter what they’re facing.”

The world premiere of A Nearer Mother reflects �鶹ӰԺ University’s commitment to presenting new works that engage contemporary social themes while fostering meaningful artistic dialogue between artists, students, and the wider community.��

“Commissioning this opera is a true gift for the community,” said Copeland Woodruff, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Director of Opera Studies at �鶹ӰԺ. The process is in its fourth year, so many students over those years were able to interact personally with the development of the work and to learn about hidden and erased histories in the LGBTQIA+ community. In a time when we are witnessing minorities face hardship, erasure, and violence, Ruth’s story gives us all an example of allyship through action and fearless empathy.”

Kristin Roach, Assistant Professor of Music and conductor of the performances, noted, “Sometimes artists wonder if their performing makes a difference to the wider world. Working on this opera has affirmed that, indeed, storytelling through opera performance is a current, vibrant, and necessary tool for building a world we are proud to live in.”

The evening also will feature The Clever Artifice of Harriet & Margaret, a one-act chamber opera with music and libretto by Leanna Kirchoff. Adapted from Alice Gerstenberg’s 1913 play, ��ٴǲԱ��,��the opera explores themes of rivalry, love, and societal roles among women.�� Kirchoff will attend the March 6 performance and participate in the post-production talkback.

Tickets are available now at .

Related Community Events

In partnership with local organizations, �鶹ӰԺ will host additional free public events during the week following the performances:

Monday, March 9 | 7:00-9:00 p.m. The Velvet Fox 501 N. Richmond St., Appleton, WI “Sharing Histories and Perspectives:” An intergenerational LGBTQ+ event, co-sponsored with Diverse & Resilient.��

Tuesday, March 10 | 6:30-8:00 p.m. Appleton Public Library 200 N. Appleton St., Appleton, WI “Allyship in Action,” co-sponsored by Celebrate Diversity Fox Cities and Fox Cities PAC.��

These events extend the opera’s themes of allyship, remembrance, and community dialogue beyond the stage and into the broader Fox Cities community.��

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�鶹ӰԺ Opera Theatre, Kristin Roach honored by The American Prize

Communications — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 15:11:00 +0000

�鶹ӰԺ University’s Opera Theatre program has once again been honored by The American Prize, an organization that annually recognizes excellence in the performing arts among nonprofit arts organizations and schools across the country.��

Kristin Roach, assistant professor of opera, was named a prizewinner in two categories in Opera Conducting. She received second prize in the University/Community Opera division for her work on Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon at �鶹ӰԺ University; she also received third prize in the Professional Division for Jake Heggie’s Two Remain at Lyric Opera of Orange County.

Kristin Roach (Photo by Rachel Crowl)

Roach credits the entire team for the recognition.

“Any recognition of one member of an opera production belongs to the whole team,” said Roach. “More than 100 Lawrentians worked on our production of one-act operas, onstage and backstage and in the pit and behind the scenes.”

The 2024 production of Cendrillon at �鶹ӰԺ was paired with Alice Tierney, a piece by Melissa Dunphy and Jacqueline Goldfinger, to celebrate the contributions of women in the opera world.��

“We are always sharing resources between the two shows and really trying to present both these operas written by women,” Roach said. “Trying to bring forward creators who might be underrepresented in the opera field is at the forefront of the opera program’s mission.”

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Meanwhile, Two Remain is based on the true stories of two Holocaust survivors, Krystyna Zywulska and Gad Beck.

Roach said one of the most powerful aspects of the theater is its ability to keep history alive by wrestling with challenging themes and stories.

“It’s so important that we continue to tell these stories through works in the theater,” Roach said. “It’s important that we don’t lose the narrative, the truth behind what happened. Part of why we’ve chosen to perform an excerpt of this work at LU this coming year is that our students are able to tell these important stories, keeping history alive and in the forefront.”

Act 2 Finale of Jake Heggie’s Two Remain at Lyric Opera of Orange County. (Photo by Molly Noori)

The �鶹ӰԺ Opera Theatre program plans to perform a portion of Two Remain in their fall scenes program this year.

Looking ahead, Roach is excited by the upcoming season, which includes the world premiere of a new opera, A Nearer Mother, by composer Evan Mack and librettist Joshua McGuire. The piece was commissioned by Copeland Woodruff, director of opera studies at �鶹ӰԺ, and the �鶹ӰԺ Opera Theatre program. For the past three years, Woodruff has worked closely with the creative team to bring the opera to life.

A Nearer Mother explores the story of AIDS activist Ruth Coker Burks, known as the “Cemetery Angel,” and her daughter Allison. Burks and her daughter will be in attendance at the March 2026 performance, which will be paired with the one-act opera A Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margaret, by composer Leanna Kirchhoff.��

“I am so excited about doing a brand-new piece; we will be working hand-in-hand with the creators of these works,” Roach said. “Working on this opera will continue to tell the story of the many important, wonderful people that we lost in the early years of the AIDS epidemic.”

These latest honors are a testament to the talent and commitment of �鶹ӰԺ Opera Theatre. �鶹ӰԺ has received 11 awards in The American Prize, including two special judges’ citations and two productions tied for first place. Roach has won the prize in Conducting, College/University division, for Suor Angelica and the prize in Conducting both in Professional and College/University divisions. Woodruff has won the Charles Nelson Reilly Prize in Directing and was the first stage director to be given The Independence Day, Honored Artists Award for Sustained Excellence. �鶹ӰԺ is also in the National Finals of The American Prize for Best Production for Cendrillon/Alice Tierney, and Copeland Woodruff is once again up for the Charles Nelson Reilly Prize in Directing.��

Save the dates for this season’s performances:

Fall Opera Scenes: Thursday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m. in �鶹ӰԺ Memorial Chapel. Free Admission.

Mainstage Opera: The Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margaret and A Nearer Mother (world premiere): Thursday, March 5-Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m. in Stansbury Theatre.

Spring Opera Scenes: Thursday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Stansbury Theatre. Free admission.

Update: Nov. 17, 2025

The 2024 �鶹ӰԺ Opera Theatre production of Viardot’s Cendrillon and Melissa Dunphy’s Alice Tierney were also awarded third place in the American Prize competition for Opera Performance in the college/university division!

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Emily Richter, a 2020 �鶹ӰԺ graduate, a winner in Met Opera’s prestigious Laffont Competition

Communications — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 15:44:54 +0000

�鶹ӰԺ University alumna Emily Richter ’20 has joined impressive company in being named a winner of a prestigious 2024 Metropolitan Opera competition.

Richter, a soprano who was a standout performer during her undergraduate years in �鶹ӰԺ’s Conservatory of Music, is one of five rising opera singers named winners of the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, an annual showcase that has helped launch numerous opera careers, among them Denyce Graves, Renée Fleming, and �鶹ӰԺ Brownlee.

Richter was one of 10 finalists who performed March 17 at the Met Opera’s Grand Finals Concert, hosted by Graves, a competition alumna. The singers each performed two arias on the iconic Met stage, accompanied by the Met Orchestra and conducted by Evan Rogister. Five winners were then announced, including Richter.

Emily Richter ’20

“This has been my dream for so many years,” Richter said as she traveled Monday from New York back to Pittsburgh, where she is a second-year resident artist with the Pittsburgh Opera. “To say I’m humbled, honored, and grateful to be here would be an understatement. I had the most exciting week of my life, and singing with that orchestra was nothing short of joyous.”

Richter studied music performance (voice) and performed in the Opera Theatre program at �鶹ӰԺ before going on to earn her master’s degree from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.

“I’m so grateful for my time at �鶹ӰԺ that didn’t just teach me how to sing but taught me how to feel and think deeply about the world,” Richter said.��

Beginning in May, Richter will join Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Center Ensemble.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” she said.

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Richter was named a winner in the Met competition along with tenor Daniel Espinal, soprano Lydia Grindatto, baritone Navasard Hakobyan, and mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall. In addition to a $20,000 cash prize, the win comes with great prestige and opportunities to network.

The competition is operated at the district and region levels across the United States, Canada, and Mexico before finalists are named for the Grand Finals Concert. Richter came through the Great Lakes Region. The competition, now in its 70th year, was formerly known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Emily Richter ’20 performs in The Marriage of Figaro during her senior year at �鶹ӰԺ.��

While at �鶹ӰԺ, Richter performed in numerous ensembles and operas, including taking on the role of Countess in The Marriage of Figaro during her senior year in 2020. Her performance would helpearn �鶹ӰԺ a national honor in the 2021 American Prize Awards.

Copeland Woodruff, director of opera studies and associate professor of music at �鶹ӰԺ, said Richter was a “rock star” in the making during her time in the Conservatory.

“She always brings a curiosity, a humanity, and an infectious, warm spirit into any space she enters,” Woodruff said. “I could not be happier for her, for her successes so far, and the myriad ahead of her. I am lucky to have learned alongside her.” Richter’s time at the Pittsburgh Opera has included performances as the title character of Iphigénie en Tauride and Ginevra in Ariodante. She has sung Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and the Governess in The Turn of the Screw at McGill, covered Micaëla in Carmen at the Santa Fe Opera, and made her debut with the Seattle Symphony as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah.

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Conservatory lands multiple semifinalist nods for 2023 American Prize

Communications — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 13:45:50 +0000

�鶹ӰԺ University’s Conservatory of Music has been named a national semifinalist in multiple categories for the 2023 The American Prize.

The American Prize annually hands out awards of excellence in the performing arts among nonprofit arts organizations and schools across the country. Award recipients are announced in the fall.

�鶹ӰԺ has been selected as a for two Opera Theatre productions: Suor Angelica/Curlew River and The Nefarious, Immoral, but Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare.

Copeland Woodruff, director of opera studies, is a .

Kristin Roach, music director, is a .

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With four degree options, integrate intellectual virtuosity with musical virtuosity in a supportive, creative community.��

�鶹ӰԺ has fared well in The American Prize in recent years. In 2022, faculty and students who were part of the �鶹ӰԺ University New Music Ensemble (LUNME) during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic won an American Prize in Virtual Performance for a music video recorded mostly on cell phones while scattered across the country.

In 2021, Mark Dupere, director of orchestral studies, received a third-place honor for the �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra in the College Orchestral category, and Woodruff received a third-place honor in the College Opera category for the 2020 production of The Marriage of Figaro.

Opera Theatre, meanwhile, has had a history of success with The American Prize. In 2017-18, two �鶹ӰԺ productions tied for first place: The Beggar’s Opera and Hydrogen Jukebox; and Woodruff won the first Charles Nelson Reilly Prize in Stage Directing. In 2018-19, Count Ory won a Special Judges’ Citation.

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Conservatory faculty, students, alumni honored with five American Prize awards

Communications — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 18:29:49 +0000

The �鶹ӰԺ Conservatory of Music drew high praise in the recently released 2021 The American Prize Awards, with two faculty—and the students they direct—and three alumni being honored.

The American Prize annually hands out awards of excellence in the performing arts among nonprofit arts organizations and schools across the country.

This year’s recipients include:

Mark Dupere, director of orchestral studies, received a third-place honor for the �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra in the college orchestral category.

Copeland Woodruff, director of opera studies, received a third-place honor in the college opera category for the 2020 production of The Marriage of Figaro.

Evan Williams ’10 received a Special Judges’ Citation for Music Both Relevant and Thought-Provoking. He was honored for his piece, Dead White Man Music, in the orchestral performance category.

Nicolas Bizub ’16 received a Special Judges’ Citation for Social Relevance and Musical Quality. He was honored for his piece, Fill The Swamp, in the composition category.

Nick Fahrenkrug ’20 received a Special Citation for Artistic Achievement. He was honored for his short performance film, Dichterliebe: Within + Without, in the opera category.

See more on the �鶹ӰԺ Conservatory of Music here.

Dupere and the �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra

Mark Dupere leads a rehearsal of the �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra in the Shattuck Hall of Music in October 2019.

While Dupere’s name is on the award, he said it’s really an honor for the students who perform with the �鶹ӰԺ Symphony Orchestra. The performances cited for the award pre-date the arrival of the pandemic in March 2020.

“I’m deeply proud of our students for receiving this honor and thankful for the opportunity to show the great things �鶹ӰԺ students are doing,” Dupere said. “It is a privilege to work with these highly motivated students who are committed to pursuing an excellent level of playing and creating meaningful and memorable performances. I love coming to work every day with these students.”

Woodruff and the cast of 2020’s The Marriage of Figaro

Erik Nordstrom as Count Almaviva and Max Muter as Figaro during a dress rehearsal for The Marriage of Figaro in March 2020.

�³��The Marriage of Figaro took to the stage in early 2020, Woodruff heaped praise on the students in the cast for the way they embraced the challenges of staging the comic opera.

“It’s one of the most generous casts I’ve worked with in a long time,” Woodruff said. “They’re just generous with each other as far as sharing the stage space and working with one another.”

The American Prize called it a team effort between students and faculty worth celebrating, one that is seen often in �鶹ӰԺ’s opera theatre program: “Recent productions have garnered national attention because of their well-crafted and dedicated musical and dramatic performances.”

�¾��:��Dead White Man Music

Evan Williams ’10

Williams, a composer and conductor, received the citation for his harpsichord concerto with chamber orchestra, which he says is at times a love letter to the classical music of Bach, Brahms, and Dowland and at other times a celebration of jazz, soul, and gospel.��

“Most of my musical training consisted of studying works of the Western canon—so mostly the music of dead European men,” Williams said. “As someone who doesn’t look like that, I started to question if I should continue to study and make music in this tradition.��Dead White Man Music is me grappling with that question.”

Williams said he heard some negative feedback related to the title of the piece but otherwise has gotten an overwhelmingly positive response.

“This special citation from the American Prize is further proof that this is a conversation worth having in the concert halls and music classrooms around the world,” he said.

Williams serves as assistant professor of music and director of instrumental activities at Rhodes College in Tennessee.

Bizub: “Radiance and light”

Nicolas Bizub ’16

Bizub describes his music as “dark, striving, and yearning, which also points toward radiance and light.”

For Bizub, music is one more outlet to speak up for social and environmental justice.

“Most of my work is concerned with advocating for rights within the LGBTQIA+ community, of which I am a part, as well as responding to the climate change crisis,” he said. “So, for me, receiving this particular honor from The American Prize was quite special and humbling, as it is affirmation that the social relevance I attempt to imbue in music I write is starting to hit an intended mark.”

It also speaks to the lessons he learned as an undergraduate at �鶹ӰԺ.

“I began this journey at �鶹ӰԺ, and the training I received from their composition department has stayed with me as I continue writing music today,” he said.

Bizub graduated in May from the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati with a doctoral degree in music composition.

Fahrenkrug: A new vision

Nick Fahrenkrug ’20

Fahrenkrug began his Dichterliebe: Within + Without video project while a senior at �鶹ӰԺ.��It was conceived as a response to the initial outbreak of COVID-19.

“I was not interested in going through the motions of performing a voice recital to an empty room,” he said. “At the time, we didn’t even have the livestreaming system that �鶹ӰԺ now uses.”

He began talking with professors and others about creating a voice project that would cater to a virtual, screen-based viewing experience. He quickly realized his initial recital repertoire wasn’t going to work, so he shifted his vision.

“From there I decided to pare down the music to only Schumann’s Dichterliebe, and took the following three months to realize and complete the entire video cycle, which very much realized itself in real time,” Fahrenkrug said. “What I mean by this is that while I was able to form a loose concept in the beginning, it really was more a set of guidelines and boundaries from which I could play in, rather than a preconceived vision of how everything would go. It was truly the most artistically liberating project I’ve ever worked on.”

Fahrenkrug is currently pursuing a master’s in vocal performance at Louisiana State University.

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