CU Boulder New Opera Workshop (CU NOW)
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
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. 鈥擶ei Wu
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.
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
, guest composer
Gene Scheer鈥檚 work is noted for its scope and versatility. 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Also a composer in his own right, 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.
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
John Gay | Tommy Bocchi |
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 short 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 CU Boulder SoundWorks.
2024 CFI artists presenting scenes by Alan Mackwell, Holly McMahon and Joshua Maynard:
Soprano |
Kristina Butler |
Mezzo |
Alleigh Watson |
Tenor |
Simeon Wallace |
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.
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 from collaborations with community organizations that serve homeless populations.
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 (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 and the creative team. Commissioning company Houston Grand Opera will premiere 鈥淚ntelligence鈥 in October 2023.
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 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 and social mobility, 鈥淗obson鈥檚 Choice鈥 was far ahead of its time.
鈥淒ear Love鈥濃擬argaret R. Friesen
鈥淚ncense and Embers鈥濃擝rian Lambert
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.
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 in 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.
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) Wellington
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 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.
鈥淭he Pansophony Codex鈥濃擜idan Patrick Cook
鈥溾濃擪evin Olson
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.
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
CU NOW presented Alberto Caruso and Colm T贸ibin鈥檚 opera 鈥淭he Master鈥 based on Toibin鈥檚 novel 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.
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.
CU NOW presented 鈥淟udlow鈥 by Lori Laitman with libretto by David Mason; directed by Beth Greenberg. The epic story 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 鈥淧ride and Prejudice鈥; and Herschel Garfein鈥檚 鈥淩osencrantz 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.
News + ovations
- (June 16, 2023, CPR News)
- (June 14, 2023, Sharps & Flatirons)
- (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
鈥擶ei Wu (MMus 鈥13), Grammy Award-winning bass; CU NOW singer 2011-2014
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, composer of 鈥淕lory Denied鈥 (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.
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, composer, librettist and songwriter with multiple Grammy Award nominations. Frequent collaborator of Jake Heggie and other prominent creators including Wynton Marsalis and Jennifer Higdon. .
鈥擩ake Heggie
鈥擬ark Adamo, who first attracted national attention with his uniquely celebrated d茅but opera, 鈥淟ittle Women,鈥 after the Louisa May Alcott novel. Introduced by the Houston Grand Opera in 1998 and revived there in 2000, 鈥淟ittle Women鈥 is one of the most frequently performed American operas of the last 15 years, with more than 135 national and international engagements.
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.
鈥擬ark Campbell whose Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning operas of are among the most successful in the contemporary canon. 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.
鈥擹ach Redler, composer and baby直播app at NYU Tisch鈥檚 Graduate Music Theater Writing Program.
鈥擡gemen Kesikli, 2015 CFI student composer now on baby直播app at CU Boulder and CSU.
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
鈥擩eremy Johnson, Associate Director of New Works, Houston Grand Opera
Personnel
Leigh Holman, Founder + Artistic Director
Bud Coleman, CFI Director
Nicholas Carthy, Music Director
Previous:
Jeremy Reger, Music Director (2015-2022)
Robert Spillman, Music Director (2010-2015)
Patrick Mason, CFI Founder, Managing Director (2014-2016)
Daniel Kellogg, CFI Managing Director (2017-2019)