2017-2018 Production Competition Winners
The winners of the 2017-2018 Opera Production Competition have been announced. Due to the vast range of resources available to producing organizations, the entrants are first divided into Undergraduate and Graduate levels (based on predominant age group or training level of the cast) and then each level divided into four divisions according to production size and budget. A total of 26 awards have been given by the judges.
2017-18 Div VIII, 1st Place
Cendrillon, University of Miami, Frost School of Music
Division I
1st place (tie) – The Pirates of Penzance, University of Missouri - St. Louis, Stella Markou, Director & Music Director
1st place (tie) – Hansel and Gretel, Western Connecticut State University, Margaret Astrup, Fernando Jimenez, Josh Bob Rose, Matthew Dettmer
2nd place – Strawberry Fields, Central Washington University, Tor Blaisdell, Director, Mia Spencer, Music Director and Pianist, Nikolas Caoile, Conductor and Pianist
3rd place – Little Red Riding Hood, Central Washington University, Gayla Blaisdell, Director, Adrienne Shields, Music Director
Division II
1st place – The Tender Land, The Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, Director: Alison Moritz, Music Director: Kirk Severtson
2nd place – The Mikado, Friends University, Matthew Schloneger, Music Director; Rolaine Hetherington, Stage Director; Kurt Priebe, Technical Director; Debbie Roberts, Costume
3rd place – The Telephone, Trouble in Tahiti, Tale for a Deaf Ear, Opera d'arte, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Amy S. Johnson, Director and Co-Producer, Gabriella Sam, Assistant Director, Kenneth Shaw Co-Producer, Brett Scott, Musical Director, Daniel Mallampalli, Assistant Conductor
Division III
1st Place – Die Zauberflöte, Northern Arizona University, Eric Gibson; Daniel O'Bryant; Michele Collins
2nd Place – Serse, Texas A&M University Commerce, Jennifer Glidden, Director, Randall Hooper, Conductor, Laura Maxwell, Pianist
3rd Place – Julius Caesar, The University of Montana Opera Theater and UM Symphony Orchestra, Anne Basinski, Director; David Cody, Music Director; Luis Millán, Conductor; Heather Adams, Choreographer
Division IV
1st Place – Le comte Ory, Lawrence University, Copeland Woodruff, Stage Director; Andrew Mast, Conductor; Andrew Crooks, Vocal Coach & Music Director
2nd Place – Il Matrimonio Segreto, Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory, Scott Skiba, Producer, Noa Naamat, Stage Director, Tiffany Chang, Conductor, Jeff Herman, Scenic Design, Steve Shack, Lighting Design
3rd Place – The Turn of the Screw, Texas State University, Dr. Joshua Miller, stage director, Kristin Roach, conductor/coach, Stephanie Busing, projection designer, Scott Vandenberg, lighting designer
Division V
1st Place – La Voix humaine, University of Missouri, Kansas City- Conservatory of Music and Dance, Fenlon Lamb (Director), Jefferson Ridenour (Scenic Designer), Hector Quintero (Lighting Designer), Kris Kirkwood (Projections Designer)
2nd Place – Letters to Quebec from Providence in the Rain, University of Alabama, Paul Houghtaling, Director; Caleb Harris, Conductor and Music Director, Scott Santoro, pianist
3rd Place – A Midsummer Night's Dream, Texas Christian University, David Gately, Director, Stephen Carey, Conductor
Division VI
1st Place – The Falling and the Rising, Texas Christian University, David Gately, Director, Tyson Deaton, Conductor, Staff Sergeant Ben Hilgert, Executive Producer, Darren K. Woods, Executive Producer
2nd Place – The Turn of the Screw, University of Wisconsin-Madison, David Ronis, Director; Kyle Knox, Conductor, Daniel Fung, Musical Preparation
3rd Place – The Mikado, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Justin John Moniz, Stage Director, Val Underwood, Artistic Director, Jennifer Tung, Music Director
Division VII
1st Place – Dog Days, The Turner-Fischer Center for Opera at LSU/Louisiana State University, Dugg McDonough, Stage Director; Michael Borowitz, Music Director
2nd Place – The Vaudevillian, Oklahoma City University, David Herendeen, Jan McDaniel, Zach Polasek, Alex Phelan
3rd Place – H.M.S. Pinafore, Arizona State University, Brian DeMaris, artistic director and conductor; Dale Dreyfoos, stage director
Division VIII
1st Place (tie) – The School for Scandal, Moores Opera Center, University of Houston, Buck Ross, stage director; Raymond Harvey, music director
1st Place (tie) – Cendrillon, University of Miami, Frost School of Music, Directed by Jeffrey Marc Buchman, Music Director/Conductor Alan Johnson, Set Design by Stephan Moravski, Costume Design by Nuria Carrasco Dominguez, Lighting Design by Stevie O’Brian Agnew, Hair and Make-up Design by Emily Malin
2nd Place – The Cunning Little Vixen, The Turner-Fischer Center for Opera at LSU/Louisiana State University, Dugg McDonough, Stage Director, Michael Borowitz, Music Director, Jennifer White, Choreographer
3rd Place – Impressions de Pelléas, University of North Carolina School of the Arts AJ Fletcher Opera Institute, Stage Director, Nicholas Muni; Conductor, Christopher Allen