Opera Preview Lectures
NEW DAY - Lectures will now be held on WEDNESDAYS
Held at the Salt Lake City Public Library 2008-09 Utah Opera Preview Lecture Series All lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the downtown Salt Lake City Public Library
Thomas Cimarusti on Puccini’s Madama Butterfly Wednesday, October 15, 2008 Thomas M. Cimarusti is Assistant Professor of Musicology at Texas Tech University. Upon completion of his Masters degree in musicology from BYU, he pursued doctoral studies at Florida State University where he recently defended his dissertation, “The Songs of Luigi Gordigiani (1806-1860), “the Italian Schubert.” He has presented papers for the Music Libraries Association, the American Musicological Society, and the International Association of Music Libraries. His publications have appeared in The Organ Encyclopedia and Perspectives on Ernst von Dohnányi. He recently completed an edition of Dohnányi’s Piano Quartet in F# minor, the score of which he provided for the North American premiere in New York. Mr. Cimarusti's research interests include verismo opera, musical paleography, watermarks, nineteenth-century Italian song, and the music of Astor Piazzolla.
Ardean Watts on Marc Blitzstein’s Regina Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Ardean Watts was a Professor of Music at the University of Utah for 30 years. He conducted Operas at the U from 1960-1970, and helped oversee 20 operas produced on the Kingsbury Hall Stage. He served as pianist and Associate Conductor with the Utah Symphony until Maestro Maurice Abravanel retired in 1979. Maestro Watts was music director of Ballet West for 18 years; he also conducted at Pioneer Theatre. In 1992, the University of Utah honored him with a Distinguished Teaching Award. Since his retirement from conducting and teaching, he has become a popular speaker and lecturer on music-related topics.
Dale Monson on Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Dale Monson has worked on the musicology faculties of the University of Michigan, Penn State, and BYU (1999-present). He is the Director of the Pergolesi Research Center and Editor-in-Chief of the Pergolesi Complete Works Edition. He has published writings in the field of 18th-century Italian opera, particularly in the study of singers and their influence on the music of opera seria. Other interests include aesthetics, 19th-century Romantic literature, and Stravinsky. As a young clarinetist, he performed in the BYU Philharmonic as a student and was featured as a youth soloist with the Utah Symphony’s "Salute to Youth" program. Dr. Monson studied orchestral conducting and was guest conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City; he has also served as assistant conductor at the Lake George Opera Festival and of the orchestras at Brigham Young University and Columbia University.
Karen Brookens on Donizetti’s Don Pasquale Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Karen Brookens has appeared in opera and concert performances throughout the United States and Canada. Her opera roles include Despina in Così fan Tutte and Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Recital credits include the complete songs of Henri Duparc for Northern Arizona University and the Op. 39 Liederkreis of Robert Schumann for the Temple Square Recital Series. Karen has premiered works of Judith Cloud, Michael Cunningham and David Hansen. Her particular interest lies in concert and chamber works. She has taught vocal master classes in technique and interpretation in New York, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and for universities and private studios across Utah. She holds a doctor of musical arts degree from Arizona State University. Dr. Brookens is Associate Professor and head of the voice area at Weber State University.