Faculty and students of the Indiana Wesleyan University Division of Music are spending their weekend as hosts and performers at the 2016 National Opera Association 61st Annual National Convention and The National Association of Teachers of Singing Winter Workshop. The joint event titled “Heritage & Hope: Celebrating Diversity in Performance and Pedagogy,” began on Jan. 6 and will conclude on Jan. 10 at The Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis.
The conference features performances, panel discussions, workshops, and other educational opportunities for opera educators, professionals and students. One of the many performing highlights of the convention will be the opera “The Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margaret,” by Leanna Kirchoff. The opera will be presented on Friday, Jan. 8 entirely by IWU faculty and students. It will be co-directed by Drs. Keith Brautigam and Lisa Dawson, both IWU Music professors. The cast—featuring students like Morgan Pay, Mickey Simpkins, Gabrielle Foreman and Abigail Dawson— will present the opera on IWU’s campus the weekend of Jan. 15.
Among the many IWU Music faculty members who will be performing this weekend are Drs. Lisa Dawson, Tammie Huntington and Phoenix Park-Kim. The talented trio makes up the ensemble Soprani Compagni and will present “Portraits of Women in Contemporary Soprano Duet” on Saturday, Jan. 9. The performance will showcase works composed specifically for soprano duet by award-winning, contemporary American composers.
“We are excited to have such a strong voice and presence at this meeting of such great talent from around the country,” said Davy Chinn, community arts coordinator at IWU. “It is our sincere hope as a Division of Music that through the presentations, lectures, performances, collaborations, and other networking opportunities, we will continue to build relationships with the musical community as well as the greater Indianapolis community.”
To see the full convention schedule, visit www.NOA.org. For more information about the IWU Division of Music, visit www.indwes.edu/music.