Cover story: Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays

Opera Edwardsville debuts at Dunham Hall

EDWARDSVILLE — Opera Edwardsville (OE) now has the distinction of being the first local organization to be invited to debut the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Arts and Issues series, with Opera Edwardsville at Dunham Hall.

The Arts and Issues series has welcomed illustrious speakers and artists, including Maya Angelou, Ken Burns, George Winston, and other impressive artists and speakers and now Opera Edwardsville joins this fine group of talent and creativity. Opera Edwardsville at Dunham Hall is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18. Tickets are on sale now for $50 per person and available at www.operaedwardsville. org/home/december2021 .

“I am proud that OE has been asked to perform as part of the SIUE Arts and Issues Series,” said OE’s Chase Hopkins, founder and artistic director.

“The university is becoming more and more of an important partner for OE,” he said. “We have collaborated with the music department to present three student-led productions as part of our Opera for Kids initiative, including ‘Pinocchio’ (2019), ‘The Three Little Pigs’ (2020) and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ (2021).”

Additionally, OE has presented masterclasses for SIUE vocal students with Karen Brunssen, a renowned voice professor from Northwestern University and the president of the National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS).

“But OE is very excited to be performing at the university,” said Hopkins, who also is general director of Haymarket Opera Co. in Chicago. “I look forward to bringing the full power of OE’s guest artists in a program of epic operatic highlights and classic holiday favorites to the SIUE Arts and Issues series. “December features a staggering amount of talent,” Hopkins noted. “Truly, these performers join from around the nation between projects at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the list goes on.”

“I am grateful to Grant Andree for making this invitation,” he said. “It is a very exciting debut, and

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Opera Edwardsville (OE) continues its 2021 season not only with the SIUE Arts and Issues concert, but also OE’s free online series, “The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville,” featuring 15 different performers, this Dec. 1 through Dec. 12.

Following the success of 40,000-plus views last year, OE will present The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville again this year. From Dec. 1 through Dec. 12, daily performances will be released via OE email blasts and at OE’s Facebook page. The performances are filmed on the historic stage of The Wildey Theatre in downtown Edwardsville by St. Louis production company Once Films.

“OE has found this incredible balance of featured guest artists from around the nation with the talent of our very own in the greater St. Louis region,” Hopkins said. “I’m extremely excited to present nine performers as part of The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville, who come from eight different local communities, six of which are here on the Illinois side.

“Of particular note, we look forward to another beautiful performance from OE’s artistic advisor and Grammy winning soprano, Christine Brewer. All performances are recorded by OE favorite and piano-extraordinaire, Joseph Welch.”

Another important reflection of OE’s values and effort to support arts education, the series will feature a student spotlight performance from soprano Delaney Holliday and welcomes back sopranos Angel Azzarra and Julie Kelsheimer.

“She dazzled the OE audience this past September with her dark and powerful voice, and soprano Julie Tabash Kelsheimer, who audiences will remember for her gorgeous performance in 2019, both of whom are based in St. Louis,” Hopkins recalled.

“I’m incredibly excited to feature St. Louis’ very own operatic couple, Jacob Lassetter and Karen Kanakis,” he said. “I’m also pleased to feature two fine singers and voice faculty members from SIUE, tenor Marc Schapman, who is a great friend of OE, having been a key part of our Opera for

Kelsheimer Lassetter Prince Redpath Robinson Schapman Wadlington Welch

see OPERA, Page 23