CU Boulder New Opera Workshop (CU NOW)

Voice performance听听 Voice pedagogy听听 Eklund Opera Program听听 CU New Opera Workshop听听 Musical theatre

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Welcome to the听CU Boulder New Opera Workshop (CU NOW) at the University of baby直播app Boulder College of Music!

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Conceived by Leigh Holman, director of the Eklund Opera Program, CU NOW is the first program of its kind in a U.S. academic institution: An extended workshop period where graduate voice and composition students have direct interaction with living composers to develop and perform their music.听Guest composers have included Mark Adamo, Mark Campbell, Tom Cipullo, Herschel Garfein, Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen, Gene Scheer and Kamala Sankaram.听In 2024, Gene Scheer returns鈥攖his time as visiting composer with librettist Bill Van Horn to workshop 鈥淧olly Peachum.鈥� This year鈥檚 workshop dates are May 29-June 16, 2024.

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Nestled at the foot of the Boulder Flatirons, composers love the oasis of CU NOW where their creativity blossoms with invaluable resources at their fingertips: Skilled and eager singers as well as premium music staff, directors and production personnel. Says Jake Heggie, one of the most well-known living opera composers:听

The longest workshop I鈥檝e ever had was five or six days. So to have nearly three weeks to work on it and change it every day is extraordinary. 鈥擩ake Heggie

The student impact is even greater. Says Grammy Award-winning bass Wei Wu (MMus 鈥�13):听听

I鈥檓听so grateful that CU NOW was introduced to me by the Eklund Opera Program and Leigh Holman more than a decade ago. Back then, I worked from scratch with composers and librettists鈥攏ow, I sing commissioned works at major houses. CU NOW opened a new door for me. 鈥擶ei Wu

CU NOW CU NOW is often a student鈥檚 first professional opportunity to implement their academically prepared skills in a familiar setting with Eklund Opera support staff. They grow new skills interfacing and developing with industry professionals, including those visiting from prominent opera companies and established artists. With every major opera house performing new opera, CU NOW offers our students an advantage in the current Golden Age of American Opera. CU NOW is funded exclusively by the generosity of donors.

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Personnel

Leigh Holman, Founder + Artistic Director听
Bud Coleman, CFI听Director
Nicholas Carthy, Music Director听

Previous:听
Jeremy Reger, Music Director (2015-2022)听
Robert Spillman, Music Director (2010-2015)听
Patrick Mason, CFI Founder, Managing Director (2014-2016)
Daniel Kellogg, CFI Managing Director (2017-2019)听

CU NOW 2024

Gene Scheer returns to CU NOW as guest composer鈥攁longside collaborating librettist Bill Van Horn鈥攚ith 鈥淧olly Peachum,鈥� a rollicking romantic musical comedy set in the early 1700s that depicts the intertwining worlds of government intrigue, London criminal life and the world of theatre. The story follows John Gay as he endeavors to bring his masterpiece 鈥淭he Beggar鈥檚 Opera鈥� to the stage. In the process, he crosses paths with Jonathan Wild鈥攖he foremost criminal mastermind in London鈥攁nd his beguiling mistress Polly. As this fiery triangle develops and opening night approaches, Gay and his colleagues risk their lives and reputation for love, the bonds of friendship and to bring an enduring work of art to life.

Performances (all in the Music Theatre):

Friday, June 14, 7:30 p.m.: Presentation of 鈥淧olly Peachum鈥�
Saturday, June 15, 7:30 p.m.: Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) Scenes
Sunday, June 16, 2 p.m.: Presentation of 鈥淧olly Peachum鈥澨�

, guest composer

Gene Scheer鈥檚 work is noted for its scope and versatility.听With the composer Jake Heggie, he has collaborated on many projects, including the critically acclaimed 2010 Dallas Opera world premiere, 鈥淢oby-Dick,鈥� starring Ben Heppner as Captain Ahab; 鈥淭hree Decembers鈥� (Houston Grand Opera), which starred Frederica von Stade; and the lyric drama 鈥淭o Hell and Back鈥� (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra), which featured Patti LuPone. Other works by Scheer and Heggie include 鈥淐amille Claudel: Into the fire,鈥� a song cycle premiered by Joyce di Donato and the Alexander String Quartet.听

Scheer worked as librettist with Tobias Picker on 鈥淎n American Tragedy,鈥� which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 2005 and on Therese Raquin which was produced by the Dallas Opera in 2001.听

Other collaborations include the lyrics for Wynton Marsalis鈥檚鈥淚t Never Goes Away,鈥� featured in Marsalis鈥檚 work 鈥淐ongo Square.鈥澨� With the composer Steven Stucky, Scheer wrote the oratorio August 4, 1964, for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The work was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for best classical composition.听

In 2015, Scheer collaborated with Joby Talbot on the opera 鈥淓verest,鈥� based on the doomed 1996 Everest expedition. With Jennifer Higdon, Scheer wrote an operatic adaptation of 鈥淐old Mountain,鈥� which premiered in the summer of 2015 at the Santa Fe Opera. This work won the International Opera award, presented in London, for the best World premiere in 2015. Recently, along with Higdon, Scheer was nominated for a Grammy for his work on 鈥淐old Mountain鈥� for best classical composition.听

In December 2016, Scheer and Heggie premiered an operatic adaptation of 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Wonderful Life鈥� for the Houston Grand Opera.听

Also a composer in his own right,听 Scheer has written a number of songs for singers such as Ren茅e Fleming, Sylvia McNair, Stephanie Blythe, Jennifer Larmore, Denyce Graves and Nathan Gunn.听

The distinguished documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns, prominently featured Scheer鈥檚 song 鈥淎merican Anthem鈥� (as sung by Norah Jones) in his Emmy Award-winning World War II documentary for PBS entitled 鈥淭he War.鈥�

Bill Van Horn, guest librettist

Polly Peachum听

John Gay听	Tommy Bocchi听
John Wilde	Sam Wetzel
Polly Peachum	Kailyn Martino
Swift (poet) and Clark	Miguel Ortega Ba帽ales
Pope (poet) and Harry (Wilde鈥檚 assistant)	Reese Phillips
Arbuthnot (poet) and Officer	Ben Axlund
Walpole The first Prime Minister of England	Marcus Schaller
Pennington and Reverend Moore (pants role/ham actor)	Sarah Cain
The Duchess and Mrs. Ditchit	Melissa Lubecke
Princess Caroline and Livinia	Rebecca Seifert

Since 2014, the Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) inspires College of Music composition students to explore the opera medium through professional mentorship of visiting CU NOW composers and librettists.

Participating composers鈥櫶齭hort opera scenes develop under the guidance of CU NOW industry titans and are then rehearsed, staged, costumed and performed within the summer festival of CU NOW ... and beyond. CFI scenes from the 2023 CU NOW workshop were featured in concert by听CU Boulder SoundWorks.

2024 CFI artists听presenting scenes by Alan Mackwell, Holly McMahon and Joshua Maynard:

Soprano	Kristina Butler
Mezzo	Alleigh Watson听
Tenor	Simeon Wallace听
Baritone	Max Vann

Recent workshops

Returning to CU NOW was award-winning composer Tom Cipullo whose critically-acclaimed opera, 鈥淕lory Denied,鈥� is one of the most frequently performed 21st-century operas. CU NOW workshopped Cipullo鈥檚 new two-act opera, 鈥淭he Calling.鈥� With the inherent drama of near-constant revelations of corruption and hypocrisy, televangelists are an easy target. But the opera is less concerned with scandal than those aspects of contemporary American life that push some people of faith toward these controversial performers. 听

CU NOW presented guest composer Kamala Sankaram鈥檚鈥淛oan of the City鈥濃€攁 site-specific multimedia opera using augmented reality/mixed reality to tell the story of a modern-day Joan of Arc. The libretto for the piece came听from collaborations with community organizations that serve homeless populations.

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Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) operas + opera scenes
鈥淭he Spare Room With the Shag Rug鈥濃€擨lan Blanck
鈥淩uPaul鈥檚 Drag Race Allstars鈥� (Season 2: Phi Phi vs. Alyssa)鈥擩essie Laus茅听(music), libretto adapted from 鈥淩uPaul鈥檚 Drag Race鈥� (Season 2: Episodes 4 and 5)
鈥淔ragments鈥濃€擩ames Morris (music), Nnamdi Nwankwo (libretto)

With their third CU NOW Workshop, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer teamed with 2021 MacArthur Fellow Jawole Willa Jo Zollar鈥痜or their civil war era opera 鈥淚ntelligence鈥� based on a true story. Zollar鈥檚 Urban Bush Women were in residence collaborating with students, guest artists听and the creative team. Commissioning company Houston Grand Opera will premiere听鈥淚ntelligence鈥� in October 2023.听

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鈥淰indicta鈥� (Act 1, Scene 3)鈥擟hase Church
鈥淎s You Like It鈥� (Act 1, Scene 1)鈥擪evin Gunia (adapted from William Shakespeare)
鈥淧erspective鈥� (An opera in one act)鈥擝en Morris (music), Nnamdi Nwankwo (libretto)

CU NOW hosted award-winning composer Tom Cipullo and his comic opera 鈥淗obson鈥檚听Choice鈥� based on the play written by Harold Brighouse and premiered in New York and London in 1916. In its exploration of gender roles, class听and social mobility, 鈥淗obson鈥檚听Choice鈥� was far ahead of its time.听

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Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) operas + opera scenes
鈥淒ear Love鈥濃€擬argaret R. Friesen
鈥淚ncense and Embers鈥濃€擝rian Lambert 听
鈥淟ook What We鈥檝e Done鈥濃€擠ianna Link

Returning to CU NOW was powerhouse team Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer with their opera 鈥淚f I Were You,鈥� commissioned and premiered by the Merola Opera Program in 2019. In this modern telling of the 鈥淔aust鈥� story, the devil makes a bargain with a dispirited young writer.

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Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) operas + opera scenes
鈥�..鈥濃€擩ohn Boggs
鈥溾€濃€擬argaret R. Friesen
鈥溾€濃€擡lena Specht

CU NOW presented Mark Adamo鈥檚鈥淭he Gospel of Mary Magdalene鈥澨齣n a revision of his 2011 San Francisco Opera commission. 鈥淚t utterly transformed the piece, and I鈥檒l be forever grateful for the opportunity and the experience,鈥� said Adamo.听

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Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) operas + opera scenes
鈥溾€濃€擩ohn Clay Allen
鈥溾€濃€擪evin Michael Olson
鈥溾€濃€擡lena Specht
鈥淒ame Not Lady鈥濃€擲elena (now Silen)听Wellington听

Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer brought 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Wonderful Life鈥� to CU NOW based on the iconic 1946 Frank Capra movie (by permission of Paramount Licensing, Inc.) and on Philip Van Doren Stern鈥檚听鈥淭he Greatest Gift.鈥� Commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera and Indiana University, it premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 2016. The College of Music鈥檚 Eklund Opera Program presented a new production in 2019.

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鈥淭he Pansophony Codex鈥濃€擜idan Patrick Cook
鈥溾€濃€擪evin Olson 听
鈥淓lement 88鈥濃€擳revor Villwock
鈥溾€濃€擲elena (now Silen) Wellington

CU NOW presented 鈥淎 Song for Susan Smith鈥� by Zach Redler and Mark Campbell. This chamber opera explores the psychological and sociological factors that drove this woman to commit filicide and how the act affected her community.

Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) operas + opera scenes
鈥淒reams of Stonewall"鈥擠aniel Cox
鈥淥pera Scene鈥濃€擱yan Dakota Farris
鈥淧resident Chair鈥濃€擝rian D. Kelly
鈥淏ehrouz, An Untold Story鈥濃€擡gemen Kesikli
鈥淢urder Scene鈥濃€擪.D. Mueller

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CU NOW presented Alberto Caruso and Colm T贸ibin鈥檚 opera 鈥淭he Master鈥� based on Toibin鈥檚 novel听about Henry James and how, in the wake of the disastrous failure of his play 鈥淕uy Domville,鈥� he gradually retired from public life and devoted himself to writing. It premiered at Wexford Festival Opera in 2022.听

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Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative (CFI) operas + opera scenes
鈥淭he Frisco Devil鈥濃€擱yan T. Connell
鈥淲ho鈥檚 Afraid of Oscar Wilde鈥濃€擠an Cox
鈥淎 Doll鈥檚 House鈥濃€擱aechel Sherwood
鈥淪even Against Thebes鈥濃€擳revor Villwock

CU NOW presented 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time鈥� by Libby Larsen based on the novel by Madeleine L鈥橢ngle; directed by Leigh Holman with assistance from Libby Larsen.听

CU NOW presented 鈥淟udlow鈥� by Lori Laitman with libretto by David Mason; directed by Beth Greenberg. The epic story听is based on the 1913-14 coal mining wars of southern baby直播app known as the 鈥淟udlow Massacre.鈥�

CU NOW presented two critically acclaimed composers-in-residence: Kirke Mechem鈥檚听鈥淧ride and Prejudice鈥�; and Herschel Garfein鈥檚鈥淩osencrantz听and Guildenstern are Dead.鈥�

The inaugural season of CU NOW premiered Daniel Kellog鈥檚鈥淎utumn Orchard鈥� and excerpts from 鈥淓lmer Gantry鈥� by Robert Aldridge with libretto by Herschel Garfein.听

News + ovations

听(June 16, 2023, CPR News)
听(June 14, 2023, Sharps & Flatirons)
Summer Intensive (August 2019, Opera News)

鈥淣ew operas are performed in every major opera house. I鈥檓 so grateful that CU NOW was introduced to me by the Eklund Opera Program and Leigh Holman more than a decade ago. Back then, I worked from scratch with composers and librettists鈥攏ow, I sing commissioned works at major houses. CU NOW opened a new door for me.鈥澨�
鈥擶ei Wu (MMus 鈥�13),听Grammy Award-winning bass; CU NOW singer 2011-2014听

鈥淚 became a modern American opera enthusiast after creating the role of Krystyna Zywulska in the collegiate premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer鈥檚鈥極ut of Darkness: Two Remain鈥� at LSU in 2019. While I was researching and applying to graduate programs, a family friend sent me an article in Opera News about an exciting new opera program (CU NOW) where both Heggie and Scheer workshopped their new works with graduate students at the University of baby直播app Boulder.听Before reading that article, CU Boulder wasn鈥檛 even on my radar. However, the prospect of getting new works on their feet with two of my heroes was an absolute dream I couldn鈥檛 pass up. I decided to pursue my graduate studies at CU Boulder in the hopes of being able to participate in CU NOW.听My educational dreams were realized after my first year at CU Boulder when I was cast in the CU NOW CFI Scenes program where I created three separate roles in fully-staged and costumed scenes written by composition students under the close mentorship of both Scheer and Tom Cipullo.听Having worked directly with such industry greats was the opportunity of a lifetime鈥攁n opportunity that inspired me to commission works to raise awareness about homelessness in a project I'm currently working on with two of the composition students from CFI last summer.听Truly, my experience with CU NOW has been a pinnacle of my music education as a whole and I hope that it serves as a template for other institutions to follow.听The future of our art form depends on it.鈥�
鈥擲avannah Scott, student singer 2022

鈥淟eigh Holman鈥檚 CU NOW is unique, not only for its format but also for its impact.听The workshop combines some of the nation鈥檚 most important composers鈥搃ncluding Jake Heggie, Mark Adamo, Lori Laitman and Kamala Sankaram鈥搘ith the time and resources they need to craft and revise the next generation of operatic masterworks.听As the guiding force behind every aspect of the workshop, Holman has made a major contribution to the field of contemporary American vocal music. In its scope and duration, as well as in the quality of its preparation and presentation, there is not another program like CU NOW in the nation. Those that love opera and wish to see it thrive in the 21st-century thank the stars for CU NOW and for Leigh Holman. Of course, when you work with young people, that鈥檚 extra special. The enthusiasm and energy that I get from them is a really great joy.鈥�
鈥擳om Cipullo,听composer of 鈥淕lory Denied鈥澨�(2007) based on the true story of America鈥檚 longest-held prisoner of war. With over 20 productions, the piece is one of the most frequently performed operas of the 21st-century.听

鈥淎ll sorts of possibilities emerge, but they can really only emerge when you actually see it on its feet.鈥�
鈥擥ene Scheer,听composer, librettist and songwriter with multiple Grammy Award nominations. Frequent collaborator of Jake Heggie and other prominent creators including Wynton Marsalis and Jennifer Higdon. .听听

鈥淭he longest workshop I鈥檝e ever had was five or six days. So听to have nearly three weeks to work on it and change it every day is extraordinary.听Working in the Boulder setting is like getting Broadway previews without the critics.鈥�
鈥擩ake Heggie

In addition to several full-length operas and numerous one-acts, Heggie has composed hundreds of听art songs, as well as concerti, chamber music, choral and orchestral works. New York鈥檚 Metropolitan Opera has announced bold new productions of 鈥淒ead Man Walking鈥� and 鈥淢oby-Dick鈥� for upcoming seasons. 鈥淒ead Man Walking鈥濃€斺€渢he most celebrated American opera of the 21st century鈥� (Chicago Tribune)鈥攈as received 75 international productions since its premiere in October 2000.听

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鈥淟eigh Holman and CU NOW鈥�which, I鈥檝e long said, is the best acronym in the business鈥�offered me their sterling singers, their flexible space, their faultless professionalism and their unstinting artistic support when I revised and directed a new version of 鈥楾he Gospel of Mary Magdalene鈥櫶齣n Boulder in 2016. It utterly transformed the piece, and I鈥檒l be forever grateful for the opportunity and the experience. Here鈥檚 affirming many more years of fruitful operatic work by CU NOW.鈥�
鈥擬ark Adamo, who听first attracted national attention with his uniquely celebrated d茅but opera, 鈥淟ittle Women,鈥澨齛fter the Louisa May Alcott novel. Introduced by the Houston Grand Opera in 1998 and revived there in 2000, 鈥淟ittle Women鈥澨齣s one of the most frequently performed American operas of the last 15 years, with more than 135 national and international engagements.听

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鈥淐U NOW offers an experience unequalled anywhere in this country: The opportunity for singers, composers, librettists听and directors to come together under fully professional conditions to nurture and develop new works for the operatic stage.听Leigh Holman knows precisely how that difficult work gets done. The time I spent there, as both a creator and a teacher, was inspiring! No conjecture, no theory, all practice.鈥澨�
鈥擧erschel Garfein, two-time Grammy Award winner Herschel Garfein is active as a composer, librettist and stage director. In 2012-13, he earned an NYU Teaching Excellence Award.听

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鈥淓klund Opera and CU NOW are extremely important. Many music schools and conservatories don鈥檛 train musicians in opera [...] Programs like CU NOW train our future composers and librettists how to tell stories passionately and adroitly through music and text. By creating new operas about the American experience, CU NOW helps ensure that opera remains relevant鈥攁nd that it will have a future. [...] We can never really know how an aria sounds until it is sung by that soprano that we鈥檝e written it for.鈥�
鈥擬ark Campbell whose Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning operas of are among the most successful in the contemporary canon.听A prolific writer and librettist/lyricist, Campbell has created more than 40 opera librettos, as well as lyrics for musicals, and the text for song cycles and oratorios.听

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鈥淚t鈥檚 so valuable to have a safe space with really talented actors, directors, music directors who can handle changes within a very short amount of time to get a piece to the next level.听[...]听These kind of development opportunities don鈥檛 really exist too much in the world anymore.鈥澨�
鈥擹ach Redler,听composer and baby直播app at NYU Tisch鈥檚 Graduate Music Theater Writing Program.听

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鈥淚 can鈥檛 stress enough how important programs like this are for opera. For young composers today, the biggest challenge we have is that we cannot get enough performances.鈥澨�
鈥擡gemen Kesikli,听2015 CFI student composer听now on baby直播app at CU Boulder and CSU.听

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鈥淐U NOW helped me learn that I love opera and have a passion for bringing together all the theatrical pieces of storytelling into one art form. Because of CU NOW, I was able to build a repertoire of opera music which helped me tremendously in opening new doors, including at the Kennedy Center through the American Opera Initiative.鈥澨�
鈥擲ilen Wellington

鈥淐U NOW is one of the great examples of how contemporary American opera has established its place in the operatic ecosystem. The opportunity for music students to work alongside living composers and librettists, and for those creators to hear their work performed live, is an invaluable combination. Houston Grand Opera has had two workshops with CU NOW, both of which were essential to the creative process for each opera. The work that the Eklund Opera Program has done to build a program of artistic excellence and exploration already has and will continue to enhance the world of opera and the musical lives of so many.鈥澨�
鈥擩eremy Johnson, Associate Director of New Works, Houston Grand Opera

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