Thursday Scholarship Series: UGA Opera Theatre "The Ring of Polykrates" by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
THURSDAY SCHOLARSHIP SERIES UGA OPERA THEATRE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2025 at 3 p.m.
HODGSON CONCERT HALL
Friday, November 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 3 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
UGA Performing Arts Center
UGA OPERA THEATRE IN COLLBORATION WITH THE UGA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENT:
The Ring of Polykrates, Op. 7
By Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Libretto by Leo Feld and Julius Korngold
Author of Original Text – Heinrich Teweles
Southeastern US Premiere
World Premiere: March 28, 1916 – Müchen (D) Hoftheater
Conductor: Bruno Walter
By arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, U. S. and Canadian agent for Schott Music, publisher and copyright owner.
CAST
WILHELM ARNDT, Court Conductor
Floyd
LAURA, his wife Ziyi Zhang (Cover: Dongyang Li)
FLORIAN DÖBLINGER, Tympanist and Music Copyist Minseol Hong
LIESCHEN, Servant to Laura Yiqi Wang (Cover: Jinle Glover)
PETER VOGEL, Friend of Wilhelm Antonio Azpiri
Trey
Mark Cedel, Conductor
Nicholas Han, Assistant Conductor
VIOLIN I
Alexis Boylan, concertmaster
Sarah Nienhiser, co-concertmaster
Karla Mejias
Jhonni Campos
Jocelyn Andronache-Opris
Chelsea Afful
Ellis Kim
Sage Codispoti
Zeyu Yuan
VIOLIN II
Ori Kang, principal
Raunak Das
Abigail Kim
Vic Jeon
Mei Takuno
Han Yang
Briana Darden
VIOLA
Asha Baylor, principal
Rachel Liu
Jensi Perng
Daniel Boscan
Mason Minutella
Ashley Belcher
CELLO
Thomas LaMon, principal
Ryan Dater
Joshua Nguyen
David Zoblisein
Ian Koontz
BASS
Austin Carter, principal
Antonio Peirano
FLUTE
Kimberly Bateman, co-principal
Madeline Shell, co-principal
Heesoo Jeong
OBOE
Anisa Herbert, principal
Ashlyn Long
CLARINET
Luis Fernando Umbelino, principal
Claudia Reve Romero
BASSOON
Daniel Johnson, principal
Hsin Cheng
Tarryn Goldner
HORN
Joseph Johnson, principal
Baylee Cook
Connor Parr
TRUMPET
Will Tomaszewski, principal
Adriano Estraiotto
TROMBONE
Benjamin Novo, principal
HARP
Dania Lane
CELESTE
Lena Minko
TIMPANI
Drake Smith
PERCUSSION
Dane Warren
Rachel Martin
Jack Sweeney
Conductor
Stage Director / Producer / Director of UGA Opera Theatre
Music Director
Rehearsal Pianist
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Technical Director for the Department of Theatre and Film
Production Staff
Program Notes
Synopsis
Surtitles
HHSOM Director of Public Relations
HHSOM Productions & Events Manager
Mark Cedel
Daniel Ellis
Andrew Voelker
Lena Minko
Cody Russell
Ivan Ingermann
Graf Imhoff
Allison Hooks
Antonio Azpiri
Amanda Ferreira
Jinle Glover
Antonio Azpiri
Amanda Ferreira
Michael Chadwick
Shaun Baer
James Sewell
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
UGA Opera Theatre would like to extend our appreciation to the Franklin School of Art and Sciences, the School of Theatre and Film, UGA Theare Costume Department, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Suzanne Cooper Morris and the Alliance Theatre, Stagedoor Players, and the Patricia and Carl S. Hoveland Fellowship in Opera for making this production possible.
UGA Opera Theatre would also like to recognize the contributions made by the following teachers, staff and individuals who have all helped to make tonight’s performance possible: Julie Ray, Allison Hooks, James Sewell, Elizabeth Knight, Gregory Broughton, Michael Heald, Maggie Snyder, Amanda Ferreira, Sarasota Opera, Greg Brown, and Danny Doyle.
A very special thanks to our donors and supporters who have contributed generously to the UGA Opera Theatre Support Fund to further help or program and our opera students.
The Ring of Polykrates (1914)
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957)
Composed in 1914 by a 17-year-old Erich Wolfgang Korngold, The Ring of Polykrates is a one-act comic opera inspired by Friedrich Schiller’s ballad of the same name. The libretto, written by Leo Feld and Korngold’s father Julius, gives Schiller’s tale a witty, domestic twist.
The opera follows two couples: Wilhelm and Laura Arndt, and their servants, Florian and Lieschen. Both pairs are in love and enjoying different stages of life together. Florian and Lieschen dream of marrying and moving to Vienna, where Florian once worked as a copyist for none other than Haydn. For now, Florian works for Wilhelm, while Lieschen serves Laura in the Arndt household.
At first, everything seems perfectly harmonious. Wilhelm enjoys happiness and success on every front: a devoted marriage, a prestigious new position as Hofkapellmeister (court music director), and an unexpected inheritance from his late aunt. His only regret is the absence of his old friend, Peter Vogel—until news arrives that Peter is in town. Delighted, Wilhelm cancels a rehearsal to welcome him, asking Laura to prepare the guest room. But Laura, uneasy, is far less enthusiastic. Alone, she reflects on her past—particularly her former relationship with Peter.
When Peter arrives and sees Wilhelm’s contented life, envy quickly sets in. He recalls Schiller’s Ring of Polykrates, in which too much good fortune invites the wrath of the gods, who demand a sacrifice. Peter hands Wilhelm an old almanac containing the poem and urges him to test his happiness by provoking Laura—with a pointed question about whether she has ever loved another man.
Wilhelm, against his better judgment, complies. Florian, eager to support the idea, tries the same with Lieschen. When his plan backfires, Florian attempts to prove his point by having Lieschen read aloud from what he believes is Peter’s almanac. But instead of Schiller’s ballad, Lieschen unknowingly begins reading from Laura’s private diary, which had been accidentally swapped with the book. What she reveals is not betrayal—but something far more disarming.
As misunderstandings escalate, loyalties are tested, and the truth is told, both couples must decide how to protect what matters most. And while a sacrifice may still be necessary, it may not be the one Peter—or the audience—expects.
Synopsis by Amanda Ferreira
Korngold, the old soul storyteller: Operatic style as the secret for future film scoring. Munich’s Court Opera, now known as the National Theatre and the principal venue of the Bayerische Staatsoper, was the site of the premieres of many of Wagner’s most famous operas, including Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Das Rheingold, and Die Walküre. It also premiered Mozart’s La finta giardiniera at the now-lost Salvator Theater, which was destroyed by fire in 1823.
On March 28, 1916, this same theatre presented the world premiere of a double bill featuring Erich Korngold’s Der Ring des Polykrates and Violanta—his first and second one-act operas. The premiere was conducted by Bruno Walter and directed by Anton Fuchs. Polykrates is a comic opera based on the play of the same name by Heinrich Teweles (1856–1927), which caught the attention of the 16-year-old Korngold during the summer of 1913. At the time, Korngold was already searching for a subject for his first opera. Once he found it, he and his father, Julius Korngold—a major influence in his career—traveled to Prague to consult with the original author about adapting the work for the stage.
The libretto was originally commissioned from Leo Feld, but it ultimately became a collaboration between Feld and Julius Korngold, though the latter received no official credit. Korngold completed the piano score in December 1913 and finished the orchestration in March 1914. The decision to write a one-act opera came on the advice of Julius: for his son’s first operatic attempt, a shorter format was safer. Anticipating the need to round out a full evening’s program, Julius then encouraged his son to compose another one-act opera—this became Violanta
According to Brendan G. Carroll in his biography of Korngold, the premiere was a major success. Carroll emphasizes the remarkable impact such a young composer had on music history, particularly at that moment in time. Korngold was considered a prodigy; in fact, Carroll argued that compared to Mozart, Mendelssohn, or Beethoven, Korngold exhibited even greater genius at a young age. While the early works of those composers were often stylistically immature or not fully contemporary, Korngold’s early compositions—such as the ballet Der Schneemann (1910) and the Sinfonietta in B major (1912)—left a lasting impression on all who heard, performed, or studied them.
Julius Korngold once approached Gustav Mahler about teaching his son. After meeting the young Korngold, Mahler called him a genius and sent him to study with Alexander von Zemlinsky, who became perhaps Korngold’s only true composition teacher. Carroll also cites the praise of contemporary critics:
“[…] is the most amazing phenomenon in present-day music […] We have had plenty of youthful composers before, but I can recall none who, at the age of eleven or twelve, was already a master of the most subtle musical idiom of his day […].”
“[…] In these works of a sixteen-year-old, the problem of personal experience seems to have become non-existent, considering that an adolescent, purely by intuition, could so uncannily reproduce the emotions and passions he could not yet have lived. In both operas, all phases of love are described […].”
But how can someone, simply by listening to the music or watching the performance, perceive such maturity in the mind of a teenager? The answer is both simple and complex: it’s all in the music.
Polykrates is best understood in its historical context. By 1913–14, Richard Strauss, Korngold’s role model, had already premiered Der Rosenkavalier (1911) and Ariadne auf Naxos (1912), and earlier had stirred controversy with Salome(1905), an early exploration of atonality. At the same time, Alban Berg had just begun working on Wozzeck (1914–22). In contrast, Polykrates was the work of an adolescent composing with a profound command of human emotion, achieving a level of mastery more comparable to the mature works of Strauss than to the early efforts of any composer.
Although set in the era of Gluck, Polykrates preserves Korngold’s distinctly modern musical voice while weaving in stylistic elements of the earlier period. The opera features archetypal characters drawn from dramma giocoso and opera buffa traditions. Structurally, it includes arias and ensembles, but the music unfolds seamlessly, avoiding the division into discrete numbers typical of classical opera. The opera also employs leitmotifs, a common stylistic tool of the time, to signify key symbols, characters, or objects—such as the recurring motif associated with the Schicksalsfrage (“fatal question”).
Perhaps the most striking aspect for performers is Korngold’s treatment of the vocal line. Despite its rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic challenges, the vocal writing shows an astonishing naturalness, as if crafted by a composer with decades of operatic experience. Singers often remark that the music, while demanding, is also immensely rewarding: the melodies are beautiful and genuinely singable.
Polykrates stands as a testament to the brilliance of a young Jewish composer on the cusp of modernism—before the world wars, before avant-gardism—just in time to become one of the great pioneers of film music.
Korngold ultimately brought the sound of opera into cinema, shaping the dramatic arc of films through techniques borrowed from operatic tradition—leitmotifs, thematic development, lush orchestrations, and a fusion of musical innovation with a new kind of incidental score. Listening to Polykrates, one can already sense how the future Academy Award winner was thinking beyond the stage. His music laid the foundation for an entirely new art form. Without the operatic tradition—which Korngold understood so intuitively—it’s possible that film music as we know it today might never have existed.
Program notes by Antonio Azpiri
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Trey Floyd (Wilhelm Arndt, Opera Graduate Assistant and Hoveland Fellowship Award Recipient) is an American tenor born in Lafayette, Indiana. He is a recent graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in pedagogy and performance at UGA. He first earned his undergraduate degree (WVU) and his master’s degree (Univ. of Illinois) studying as a baritone. He performed in roles such as Bob from The Old Maid and the Thief and King Rene from Iolanta. He would go onto transition into a tenor in 2022 and has since given a one act performance as Otello from Verdi’s Otello as well as singing the role of L’Aumonier from the Dialogues of the Carmelites. During his collegiate study, he was awarded various scholarships and grants, the Stotler fellowship from his master’s program, and the Helen Webester award for an outstanding graduate student, from his professional study at CIM. He made his professional chorus debut with the Pittsburgh Opera (The Summer King) and made his solo debut singing as a soloist for the Messiah with the Baroque Artists of Champaign Urbana (BACH) in 2021. He most recently was a semifinalist in the Opera Ebony Competition in 2023, and, attended Jennifer Rowley’s Aria Bootcamp in 2024, in further preparation for his beginnings as a young artist.
Ziyi Zhang (Laura Arndt, Opera Graduate Assistant and Hoveland Fellowship Award Recipient) is a Chinese soprano, who brings flourishing emotion and passion to every performance. Ziyi is a graduate in voice performance from the Manhattan School of Music (MM) under the guidance of Professor Mark Schnaible, and the China Conservatory of music in Beijing (BM). Select performance credits include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore, Danica in Svadba, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Elettra in Idomeneo, Third Fairy in Cendrillon, and Arminda in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera. She has performed in major venues throughout China and remains an active participant in music competitions, such as the “Philharmonic Cup” Contest in China, winning honors including Outstanding Winner and Meritorious Winner. Ziyi was invited to join the Tel Aviv International Summer Opera Project. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance at University of Georgia, studying with Elizabeth Knight.
Yiqi Wang (Lieschen, Opera Graduate Assistant and Hoveland Fellowship Award Recipient), is a lyric soprano from China who began her musical journey with piano studies at the age of four. She has successfully performed across the United States, Europe, and China in opera productions, music festivals, concerts, and other artistic projects. Her operatic roles include Sandrina (La finta giardiniera), Nannetta (Falstaff), Norina (Don Pasquale), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Servilia (La clemenza di Tito), Despina (Così fan tutte), Poppea and Amor (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and the First Lady (Die Zauberflöte).
Ms. Wang made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2019 in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with maestro George Mathew and the Montclair State University chorale, following her 2018 performance of the same work under the baton of Xian Zhang at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Recent highlights include: an opera gala with the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra presented by UGA Opera Theatre and a featured concert appearance at the Harrower Summer Opera in Atlanta. She has also performed in major cultural events including the opening concert of the Shanghai Financial Cultural Festival and the Meet at Pudong Art Museum music series in Shanghai.
Praised for her “expressive musical performance as a talented artist” and “excellent diction”, Ms. Wang is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice Performance at the University of Georgia, where she holds full assistantships as a graduate assistant. She is a recipient of the Hoveland Fellowship at UGA Opera and serves on the voice faculty of the UGA Community Music School.
Minseol Hong (Florian Döblinger, Opera Graduate Assistant and Hoveland Fellowship Award Recipient) is a tenor originally from Seoul, South Korea. He is currently a first-year DMA student at the University of Georgia, where he serves as a teaching assistant and is a recipient of the Hoveland Fellowship Award. He holds Master of Music degrees from both the University of Georgia and the Mannes School of Music. He completed his Bachelor of Music at Dankook University under the guidance of Yoohun Lie. His recent operatic roles include Belfiore in La Finta Giardiniera, Don José in The Tragedy of Carmen, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Faust in Faust, Gaston in La Traviata, and Alfred in Die Fledermaus. Additionally, Minseol had the honor of performing as a soloist in the premiere of the 500th Anniversary Reformation Cantata, “Rise, Shine Your Light.” He received the Excellence Award at the 2020 Korean Music Association Competition.
Antonio Azpiri (Peter Vogel, Opera Graduate Assistant and Hoveland Fellowship Award Recipient) earned his bachelor’s degree in voice with honors at the Faculty of Music of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He has since established himself as a versatile bassbaritone, performing operatic roles with companies across Mexico and internationally, including Operafabriken (Sweden), West Bay Opera (Palo Alto, CA), and Opera Egypt at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria, Egypt). Select roles include: Taddeo (L’italiana in Algeri), Count Rodolfo (La Sonnambula), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Don Fernando (Fidelio), Fra Melitone (La Forza del Destino), Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro). Beyond performance, Azpiri led the Mexico City Gay Choir (CGCDMX) as Artistic Director for four years and made his orchestral conducting debut in 2022 with the Mexican premiere of Iain Bell’s opera Stonewall. Currently, he is pursuing his Masters in Music in voice performance at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia, where he serves as an Opera Graduate Assistant and is a recipient of the Hoveland Fellowship Award.
Jinle Glover (Cover for Lieschen, Opera Graduate Assistant and Hoveland Fellowship Award Recipient) is a first year Master’s student in UGA’s Voice Performance and Pedagogy program. Jinle completed their Bachelor’s of Music Performance at Kent State University in 2023. Since graduating, Jinle aims to explore the plethora of avenues that music and artistry can provide. Jinle was Ambassador to the Hugh Glauser School of Music and Personal Assistant to both Prof. Kishna Davis-Fowler and the University Heights/Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate of 2023-2025, Siaara Freeman. Jinle served as voice coach, music director and soloist for Karamu House Theatre and collaboration with the Cleveland Playhouse 2023-2024 season. They were Artist in Residence for Cleveland School of the Arts High School. Jinle was a volunteer member of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and a development and service representative for Playhouse Square. Jinle also provides individual voice coaching for aspiring and established working artists and institutions.
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Dongyang Li (Cover for Laura, Opera Graduate Assistant and Hoveland Fellowship Award Recipient) is a soprano, and currently first year DMA student in Voice Performance at the University of Georgia, where she studies with Cynthia Knight and serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Voice Area. A native of China, she earned degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston (MM) and the China Conservatory of music in Beijing (BM). Li has appeared in recitals and concerts both in the United States and China. Her recent performances include songs by Ernest Charles, Roger Quilter, Ernest Chausson, and Franz Liszt. Equally at home on the opera stage, she has sung roles such as Micaëla (Carmen) and the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro). Passionate about connecting cultures through music, Li actively promotes Chinese art songs and plans bilingual recitals bridging Eastern and Western traditions.
ARTISTIC TEAM BIOGPRAHIES
Daniel Ellis (Director of UGA Opera Theatre, Stage Director) is the Academic Professional of Opera/ Musical Theatre here at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and the Department of Theatre and Film. Daniel has directed over 12 production here at UGA including last year’s La Finta Giardiniera for UGA Opera Theatre and Murder of the Orient Express for the Department of Theatre and Film.
He is a recipient of 2021 OPERA America’s Robert L. B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize for his production of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, which was produced as a part of Minnesota Opera’s 2023 - 2024 season. The production received a Broadway world.com – Minneapolis/St. Paul Award in 2024 for Best Opera Production and will be featured this March as a part of Utah Opera’s 20252026 season. Ellis made his European debut directing the third revival of Barrie Kosky and Suzanne Andrade’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Komische Oper in Berlin (2016). Ellis also directed the European debut of Sir David McVicar’s production of Wozzeck at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland (2017) and the Finnish National Opera (2019). He was most recently awarded the 2024 Hendrix College Odyssey Medal for Artistic Creativity – the highest honor awarded to a Hendrix College Alumni.
Ellis has directed over 10 world premieres including the Off-Broadway production of Frank Gagliano’s comedy, Dancing with Joy. Daniel conceived, wrote, and directed the premiere of Stay Tuned, featuring vocal ensemble, Five By Design, which was performed with over 40 symphony orchestras and performing arts centers throughout the United States and Canada for its five-year tour. His short film, Heart of Stone, was an Official Selection for the 2023 Los Angeles Queen Film Festival and Palm Spring Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival – winning both an Festival Favorite and Director’s Choice Award.
Daniel was selected for Minnesota Opera’s Resident Artist Program for their 50th and 51st seasons. He has worked for Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dallas Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Portland Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Mill City Opera, San Diego Opera, and Minnesota Opera alongside world-renowned directors including Sir David McVicar, Graham Vick, Michael Cavanagh, Fenlon Lamb, Thaddeus Strassberger, Kevin Newbury, Renaud Doucet, Joel Ivany, Sam Helfrich and David Lefkowich. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and a member of AGMA. www.danielbellis.com
Now in his 32nd year at UGA, Mark Cedel (conductor) brings a wealth of professional experience to his position as Director of Orchestral Activities. Prior to his appointment at UGA, he was Associate Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. In his four seasons with that orchestra, he conducted over 200 performances; appearing on every series offered by the orchestra. Before joining the Charlotte Symphony, Cedel was Principal Viola and Assistant Conductor of the Charleston (SC) Symphony Orchestra for nine years. While in Charleston, he served for two seasons as that orchestra’s Acting Music Director. From 1986-1990, he was a member of the artist faculty at the Brevard Music Center and was principal conductor of the Brevard Repertory Training Program.
In addition to directing orchestral activities at UGA, Cedel served as professor of viola from 19942002. During that period he performed, toured, and recorded regularly as extra/substitue viola with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, including its northeast tour with concerts in Carnegie Hall. He returned to teaching viola for the 2009-2010 academic year, while a search was conducted to fill the position.
Cedel has been associated with many orchestras in the southeast. This includes Principal Viola of the South Carolina Chamber Orchestra and the Guest Principal Viola of the Savannah Symphony, and orchestras in Augusta, Macon, and Jacksonville. He has performed with many distinguished conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Leonard Bernstein, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, Eugene Ormancy, and Carlo Maria Giulini.
Elena Minko (rehearsal pianist) is an active répétiteur and collaborator. She began her musical training as both a composer and pianist studying in her native Siberia, Russia, and then moved to Moscow where she completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees at the Gnessin Academy of Music. During her studies, she gave several solo recitals in Russia and internationally. She later held a staff accompanist position in the voice department at the Gnessin Academy, where she extensively performed Russian and Western European operatic and art song repertoire. Currently based in the United States, Elena is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at the University of Georgia, with a minor in Collaborative Piano. At UGA, she serves as an opera coach assistant at the Opera Theatre and is deeply involved in a wide range of operatic and vocal projects. In addition to playing for Korngold’s Der Ring des Polykrates, her recent engagements included music preparation and performance for UGA Opera Theatre project Opera in Bloom: Tales of Love and Longing, as well as Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Miami Music Festival, where she appeared as both a répétiteur and continuo player.
Andrew Voelker (Vocal Coach and Music Director) is in demand as a vocal coach and pianist, specializing in lyric diction and contemporary score analysis, with a particular love of art song and all things sung.
In April 2023, Andrew made their Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center debuts with tenor Andrew Lunsford. The duo performed at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium as guest artists for Choirs of America, then appeared in recital at Alice Tully Hall as part of the Masterworks at Lincoln Center series.
Andrew previously served on the faculty of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam as the music director of the award-winning Crane Opera Ensemble. Highlights included the workshop and premiere of Computing Venus (Takach/Vincent), the winner of the 2024 Domenic J. Pellicciotti Opera Composition Prize, as well as stage productions including Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon and Milton Granger’s Bluebeard’s Waiting Room.
While serving as Associate Instructor of Collaborative Piano at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Voelker coached productions of Le nozze di Figaro, La traviata, Little Women, Serse, and L’incoronazione di Poppea. In 2023, they assisted in preparing vocal roles for the premiere production of Shulamit Ran and Charles Kondek’s opera Anne Frank. Andrew also spent three years as the music director for the graduate opera workshop directed by internationally renowned soprano Heidi Grant Murphy.
Cody Russell (Scenic Designer) is a graduate of the MFA Scenic Design program at UGA. He is excited to be back here at UGA working with the UGA Opera theatre. Most recently he designed the productions of Murder of the Orient Express and Little Shop of Horror for the Department of Theatre and Film. Cody earned a B.A. in Theatre Performance and a B.A. in Vocal Performance from High Point University (2011). His scenic design work has been used by George Gwinnett College since 2016 including 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2017), The Addams Family (2018), Zombie Prom (2019), and Ordinary Days (2021). Last summer Cody was the scenic designer for Stagedoor Players production of Mousetrap. Cody was an acting apprentice at the Aurora Theatre in 2016 and has worked there regularly since as a teaching artist, prop designer, set dresser, and scenic charge. Cody works in the scene shop of UGA and has served as the scenic charge for The Wolves, A Little Night Music, Silent Sky, Mother Courage and Her Children, Little Shop of Horrors, and John Proctor is the Villain.
Ivan Ingermann (Costume Designer) With over 30 years of experience designing for the entertainment industry, Professor Ivan Ingermann has had a varied and successful career in theatre, film, television and themed entertainment. His recent credits include Off-Broadway: Approval Junkie at the Minetta Lane Theatre NYC, co-produced by Amazon Audible and The Alliance Theatre. Other Alliance credits include Kendeda prize-winning new works Start Down by Eleanor Burgess and Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls by Meg Miroshnik, which earned him a Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Costume Design of a Play. Also on the stage: Swindlers, world premier produced by Aurora Theatre & Broadway Factor. Ivan’s designs can be seen on the international and national tour of Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream and at SeaWorld San Diego’s Electric Ocean park-wide event.
Mr. Ingermann’s feature film his credits include Suits, Rules of the Game, Escape to Life: the Erika and Klaus Mann Story, Spokes, and Sundance Award winner “2x4”.
While working with the MTV’s Promo Department his designs established the “MTV look” through station packaging and promos. Ivan’s partnering with MTV allowed him to design and style notables such as Tom Cruise, Sean Combs, Christy Turlington, Carson Daily, Jimmy Fallon, Natalie Portman, and Lindsay Lohan to name a few. Ivan designed several national commercials however it was his designs as worn by Kirstie Alley for Pier One Imports that garnished him a nomination for the Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Commercial Costume Design.
In 2007 he was asked to join the faculty of the University of Georgia as major professor of the graduate Costume Design program. Currently, he also serves as the Head of Design. Since 1995, Mr. Ingermann has been a proud member of United Scenic Artist Union Local 829 and of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology.
Nicholas Han (Assistant Conductor) was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Nicholas made his conducting debut with The Music & More SummerFest Music Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He earned his Undergraduate degree in Violin Performance at Central Washington University in 2020, and his Masters in Orchestral Conducting at Oklahoma State University in 2023. In 2022, he obtained the position as assistant conductor for the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony and was the Apprentice Conductor for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic in May 2023. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral of Music Arts degree at University of Georgia Athens. Nicholas also obtained the position as Cover Conductor for the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra in October 2023. His recent conducting engagements include guest conducting LA Conducting Workshop and Competition Orchestra and Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra. Nicholas, over the summer of 2022, was selected as one of 3 winners for the ICWC (International Conducting Workshop and Competition) Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. He was also selected as a 1stplace winner and received the Audience Prize in the LA Conducting Workshop and Competition in Garden Grove, California. His principal mentors include Nikolas Caoile, Thomas Dickey, Alexander Mickelthwate, and Mark Cedel.
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SUPPORT THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
HOW TO GIVE
Under each of the available funds below is a QR code where you can scan and donate directly to that fund. However, if you would like to learn more about alternative ways to donate, scan the QR code now to visit our “How to Give” page with additional details and options.
Scholarships and Graduate assistantships funded by donations to the Thursday Scholarship Fund make it possible for students to learn and pursue their passions at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Please consider a taxdeductible gift to the Thursday Scholarship Fund so we may continue to support our students and make their education possible. Scan the QR code now or reach out to Melissa Roberts at roberts@uga.edu or 706-254-2111.
AREAS OF THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
In addition to our primary Support and Scholarship Funds, many specialized areas of interest, including our orchestra and choral programs, have support and scholarship funds you can contribute to directly. You can now learn more about all the ways and areas you can support the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Scan the QR code or visit music.uga.edu/giving-and-alumni to the support the Hugh Hodgson School of Music area of your choice.
JOIN THE DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Gifts of all amounts are greatly appreciated. However, annual giving at the $1,500 level and higher provides membership in the Director’s Circle, our Hugh Hodgson School of Music Honor Roll. Director’s Circle members are invited to exclusive events and performances throughout the academic year.
For large gifts, please contact Melissa Roberts at roberts@uga.edu or 706-254-2111.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC.
MON 11/10
7:30 p.m.
Edge Concert Hall
FREE CONCERT
TUES 9/9
7:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA TUBA EUPHONIUM STUDIO
This concert will feature the students of the UGA Tuba Euphonium studio. The studio is under the direction of Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium and Brass Area Chair, Matthew Shipes.
WIND ENSEMBLE CHAMBER WINDS
Ramsey Concert Hall
FREE CONCERT TUES 11/11
Chamber works by students from the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble
TUES 11/11
6 p.m.
Edge Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
TUES 9/9
SOUL MUSIC ENSEMBLE
Works by Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, Patrick Brown, Jill Scott and more.
7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
TUES 9/9
TUES 9/9 +
WED 11/12
6:30 p.m. - Reception
7:30 p.m. - Performance
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
TUES 11/11 THURS 11/13
5:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
TUES 9/9
CHINESE MUSIC ENSEMBLE
“Beautiful Grassland My Hometown”
美丽的草原我的家
GUEST ARTIST: FRANCESCO ATTESTI, piano
Cortona Culture and Tourism Councilor and renowned interpreter of Romantic and early Twentieth Century piano works.
CONTEMPORARY CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Featuring “Façade: An Entertainment” by William Walton with Special Guest Mark Mobley as the narrator.
