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and Musical Theatre
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Degree
Programs
*School of Performing Arts; other degrees housed in the School of Music About Vocal Performance All Vocal Performance degrees meet NASM certification. They are structured to provide a high technical level of musical and vocal ability while also developing the acting, movement, language, auditioning and business skills essential for those wishing to enter the contemporary operatic market. In addition to performing in operas and musicals, course work includes:
Auditions Wichita State University holds scholarship auditions on the WSU campus during November and February/March for the following programs: BFA in Musical Theatre, BM in Vocal Performance, and MM in Voice/Opera. Auditions at other times of year can be arranged. Video or audiotape auditions will also be considered in the event that a personal audition is impossible. Audition Requirements for Music Theatre Majors (BFA in Music Theatre) Music theatre scholarship auditions will be on Friday, November 10, 2006, and Friday, March 16, 2007, from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the Heskett Center Dance Studio. Students auditioning at these times will be under consideration for Fall 2007 scholarships. Please contact Elnora Watson for an appointment, 316-978-3360.
Audition Requirements for Vocal Performance Majors (BM in Vocal Performance) Vocal Performance scholarship auditions will be on Friday, November 10, 2006, and Friday, March 16, 2007, from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the Duerksen Fine Arts Center. They can also be arranged during the Heartland Choral Festivel October 13 & 14, 2006, by appointment. Students auditioning at these times will be under consideration for Fall 2007 scholarships. Please contact Dr. Dorothy Crum for information.
Audition Requirements for Graduate Voice and Opera Majors (MM in Voice/Opera) Graduate auditions for the MM in Voice and Opera will be held March 2 & 26, 2007. Please contact Dr. Dorothy Crum for an appointment, 316-978-6473.
Scholarships & Assistantships Scholarships are awarded based on audition. All qualified Vocal Performance and Musical Theatre majors are eligible for scholarships. Undergraduate awards usually range from $500 to $1200 yearly, and may include assistance with dormitory housing. Students with high GPA's and SAT scores may also qualify for additional academic scholarships; contact financial aid for information. Five Graduate Teaching Assistantships of up to $6000 for 20 hours of service per week are awarded to incoming and returning graduate students majoring in vocal performance. Graduate Teaching Assistantships include in-state tuition. Endowed Opera Scholarships Through the generosity of several individuals, six endowed Opera Performance Scholarships are available each year to full time upper level students displaying unusual promise. Awards vary depending on the interest generated by each fund, and may be divided among more than one student. Scholarships are awarded by audition without regard to race, color, gender, religion, or national origin. All are merit based, require a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and continued satisfactory performance in the degree program. In-state tuition is available for recipients. Samuel Ramey Opera Fellowship Up to $6800 Awarded annually to a WSU graduate or exceptional senior undergraduate student enrolled in the College of Fine Arts Opera Program. The award is based upon audition, with consultation and advice of Samuel Ramey. The Fellowship is renewable annually until completion of the Master's degree or two years, whichever comes first. Application for renewal is required. Carolyn and Arthur Skaer Opera and Operetta Fund Up to $5400 One or more scholarships awarded annually to freshmen through graduate students enrolled at WSU School of Music. Number of scholarships and magnitude of the awards is determined by the Director of Opera in consultation with the Chair of the School of Music. Scholarships are renewable up to four years. Sarah Shirkey Gietzen Endowed Scholarship Fund Up to $3400 Scholarship is awarded annually to one or more students enrolled in the WSU School of Music. Number of scholarships and magnitude of the award is based on funds available and general level of scholarship in the School. The award may be renewed up to four years. George Gibson Opera Fellowship Up to $3000 Awarded annually to a WSU graduate or exceptional senior undergraduate student enrolled in the College of Fine Arts Opera Program. The Fellowship is renewable annually until completion of the Master's degree or two years, whichever comes first. Application for renewal is required. George and Brenda Farha Scholarship in Opera Up to $1000 Awarded annually to students enrolled in the WSU College of Fine Arts Department of Opera. The award is based on audition and can be renewed only on the basis of audition. Feiertag Endowed Scholarship for Vocal Performance Majors Up to $1000 Awarded annually by determination of the faculty to one graduate or undergraduate student enrolled at WSU School of Music in vocal performance with a goal of an operatic career.
BFA in Musical Theatre In 1998 WSU began offering the BFA in Musical Theatre. Housed in the School of Performing Arts, and in collaboration with the School of Music, our B.F.A. is an intensive, interdisciplinary, performance-oriented major. Students interested in musical theatre as a profession will gain the training and skills they need to succeed in this demanding and competitive career. The program has been designed to offer equal emphasis in singing, acting and dance techniques. In addition to performing in musicals, course work includes:
This degree program meets the standards of both the National Associations of Schools of Theatre and of Music. $15,000 in scholarships is awarded annually to undergraduate Music Theatre majors through competitive auditions. Awards usually range from $500 to $1200 per year. To be notified of audition results, students must have applied to Wichita State University. Students with high GPA and SAT scores may also be eligible for academic scholarships; please contact the financial aid office for information. For additional information/application, contact: Marie Allyn King Director of Opera/Musical Theatre, 316-978-6373, or Linda Starkey, Associate Director. Opera & Musical Theatre Faculty Opera & Musical Theatre Voice
Acting
Conducting/Choral
Performing Opportunities WSU Productions WSU usually produces two operas, one dance-oriented musical, and one "legit" musical or operetta. All are fully staged with orchestra. Repertory is selected to expose students to a broad range of styles, from standard works to lesser-known fare (see productions list), and to showcase those currently enrolled. Other performance opportunities include Opera Lab, Musical Theatre Workshop, and a variety of master classes along with recitals and concerts. Vocal Performance majors and Music Theatre majors are encouraged to audition for roles in all productions. 2004-2005 Season: Pippin, The Merry Widow, Les Contes D’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) Around Wichita Students are encouraged to audition for paid roles and internships at the many professional and community theatres that flourish in Wichita. The regions' premiere Equity company, Music Theatre of Wichita, performs during the summer months and features Broadway talent. WSU musical theatre perform with Stage One, America's only professional company devoted to producing new musicals, and at the numerous non-Equity companies in town. Most WSU vocal performance majors earn extra income by working as church soloists, and many also perform with Opera Kansas. In addition to producing an annual holiday production, Opera Kansas sponsors a spring Outreach Program, and a one-act opera in English at Riverfest. Opera Department Productions Since 1990
Notable WSU Opera Alumni Samuel
Ramey – Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden Musical Productions
Notable Alumni of the School of Performing Arts Karla
Burns –Broadway: Showboat (Tony nominee) Performance Facilities • Miller Concert Hall fully equipped 530 seat proscenium theatre with hydraulic orchestra pit, fly system and full stage lighting. Used for productions of operas, operettas and a variety of other musical and dance events. • Wilner Auditorium, 800 seat proscenium theatre. Fly system, full stage lighting. Used for production of musicals and plays. • Wiedemann Recital Hall, 425 seat recital hall with world class organ. Concert lighting. Used for vocal and instrumental recitals. • Welsbacher Theatre, 90 seat black box space. Used for Second Stage, and the occasional cabaret performance.
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What people are saying about WSU Opera and Musical Theatre... "We
had three of your students in our program this summer, and we were
very pleased with the professionalism, musicality and level of preparedness
with which they arrived and continued to conduct themselves throughout
the season." "In the spring of 1998 the Kansas Board of Regents approved a musical theatre major. With Oklahoma! the impact of the program is beginning to show. There is a lot of talent on campus, and it is making its way to the stage." "In addition to its more vividly
colored portrayals, the staging signals a new era for WSU Opera theatre
in
two other ways: "The orchestra work came off as fleet and accomplished." "The costumes are absolutely breathtaking. I don't know when I have seen such gorgeous gowns in a stage production." |
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