El Paso Opera and the UTEP Music Department are thrilled to present New York City Opera star Lauren Flanigan, who comes to El Paso expressly to teach a very special series of master classes for the UTEP Music Theatre Company. The residency will culminate with a public master class and student performance at 7:30 p.m. on February 17 at UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. This performance will be open to the public and tickets will be made available shortly.
The New York Times has compared Flanigan to Maria Callas while Time magazine says her “Olivier-like immersion in her roles has won her a well-deserved reputation as the thinking person’s diva.” Reviewing the New York City Opera’s November 2009 production of Esther, The New York Times called Flanigan’s performance “a milestone…vocally blazing,” while Newsweek said, “Lauren Flanigan was stunning, using her voice with ferocity” and Time called her performance “electric.”
“This is huge for our students!” says Dr. Elisa Wilson, director of the UTEP Music Theatre Company. “It is the first time that we have brought in a guest of this caliber to work on acting techniques and work with the students on stage.” Dr. Wilson is also serving as musical director for El Paso Opera’s “Art of Opera” lunchtime series, which will take place every Wednesday in March at the Museum of Art. These events will present UTEP vocal students demonstrating their breathtaking skills during free shows open to the public. Dr. Wilson’s position is new at UTEP, heralding a renaissance of the music department and an exciting partnership for El Paso Opera.
The partnership was formalized last summer and has provided students with opportunities to work alongside professionals at showcases including the “Opera For All!” concert at the Abraham Chavez Theatre and the dinner theater production of La Vie de la Bohème. Music Theatre Company students will also be part of the chorus for El Paso Opera’s benefit performance of Porgy and Bess in March.
El Paso Opera Artistic Director David Grabarkewitz has staged Flanigan in Benjamin Britten’s eclectic chamber opera The Turn of the Screw and Verdi’s classic grand opera Macbeth, both for the New York City Opera. In addition, he collaborates with Flanigan on her annual benefit recital for the homeless, “Comfort Ye”, at Manhattan’s Symphony Space. “It’s very encouraging to have major international talent like Lauren supporting what we do and spreading the word about El Paso’s talent to the rest of the world,” says Grabarkewitz.
