Opera Ensemble
Director: Professor Patti Myers
The Augusta State University Opera Ensemble (Opera Workshop program) has its origins in the 1960s and 1970s, and has been funded by student activities funds for approximately 2 decades. The program is designed for students interested in the performance of operatic and musical theater repertoire. The organization presents a recital of scenes in the fall and a fully mounted production of either an opera or a musical at least every other spring semester. Since the Spring of 2000, the program has produced many scene recitals, full opera productions, and Broadway revues, in which several hundred students have participated.
The Opera Ensemble strives to keep a vibrant presence on the ASU campus. In addition to our public performances we have appeared in campus events such as the Music Department's Gala Concert and in conjunction with the community-wide Westobou Festival, and have also performed at events such as the Phi Kappa Phi Student Research and Fine Arts Conference. We consistently strive to provide presentations appropriate for our Humanities students and which can also be enjoyed by the wider campus community.
The organization also wishes to represent the university in our wider community. We have performed at other area colleges and area public schools.In the fall of 2008, we implemented a partnership with the Augusta Opera, as eight members of the Ensemble participated in the Opera's production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. We were also invited to perform for the residents of Brandon Wilde retirement community, and presented a program of selections from Oklahoma! to a very enthusiastic audience on February 2009. In addition, several members of the community were involved in our productions in one capacity or another.
The recent past has brought about a great growth in awareness of our program among the student body and the ASU and Augusta communities. Our performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Cinderella were seen and enthusiastically enjoyed by nearly 2000 audience members, and have helped cement our position in the community as providers of quality arts presentations in the operatic and musical theater realms.
Upcoming Performances for SPRING 2013
The Department of Music presents
The GRUA Opera Ensemble in
The Medium
A tragedy in two acts (about one hour in length)
By Gian Carlo Menotti
February 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Please note: NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN
General Public $10
Seniors (60+) $7
Non-GRU Students $5
GRU faculty and staff $5
GRU students are admitted free with a valid University ID
