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 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 麻豆影院 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
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)
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)
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
鈥..鈥濃擩ohn Boggs
鈥溾濃擬argaret R. Friesen
鈥溾濃擡lena Specht
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
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
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
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
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 麻豆影院.听Before reading that article, CU 麻豆影院 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 麻豆影院 in the hopes of being able to participate in CU NOW.听My educational dreams were realized after my first year at CU 麻豆影院 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
鈥擩ake Heggie
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
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
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
鈥擹ach Redler,听composer and faculty at NYU Tisch鈥檚 Graduate Music Theater Writing Program.听
鈥擡gemen Kesikli,听2015 CFI student composer听now on faculty at CU 麻豆影院 and CSU.听
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