SHEPHERD SCHOOL OPERA DEPARTMENT

Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music Opera Department is a flourishing program involving all voice majors.  The school enrolls only 36 singers per school year, allowing for each student to receive specialized individual attention from the internationally renowned opera and voice faculty.

Shepherd School Opera Production of Our Town

Each student admitted into the program is offered significant performance opportunities.  Two fully staged productions are presented every school year with full orchestra, and additionally, scenes programs are presented with piano.  All juniors and seniors are enrolled in Opera Workshop and all masters students are enrolled in Advanced Opera Studies which focuses on acting techniques, movement, combat class, makeup, audition preparation and the business side of singing. 

Intensive language instruction at Rice, paired with language study abroad with the support of the Margaret C. Pack Language Institute for Singers allows students to gain the necessary language skills for a career in opera. Master classes are presented regularly featuring important guest artists through the Aleko Endowed Master Class Series. Recent classes were given by Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Anthony Dean Griffey, Christine Goerke, Corradina Caporello, Pierre Vallet and Diane Zola.

Margaret C. Pack Language Institute for Singers

The Shepherd School Opera Program has had recent finalists and winners in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  Additionally, the school has had winners in the Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, the Richard Tucker Awards, the Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition, the Classical Singer Auditions Plus Vocal Competition and the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition. \

Singers annually represent the school in various summer programs such as San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, the Wolf Trap Opera Program, the Central City Opera Apprentice Program and Chautauqua Opera Apprentice Program.  In addition, recent alumni are members of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program, the Houston Grand Opera Studio, the San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, the Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Studio and the Utah Opera Ensemble Program.

Opera Studies Faculty

Richard Bado, Director of Opera Studies Program
Simon Ball, Movement Instructor
Jeffrey Bean, Acting Instructor
Sara Becker, Acting Instructor
Vera Calábria, Stage Director
Corradina Caporello, Italian Diction Coach
Rachel Chao, Pianist/Coach
Brad Dalton, Stage Director
Debra Dickinson, Artist Teacher of Acting and Movement
Bruce Donnell, Dramatic Coach
Tara Faircloth, Stage Director
Joseph Li, Artist Teacher of Opera Studies
Grant Loehnig, Artist Teacher of Opera Studies
Pierre Vallet, French Diction Master Class
Diane Zola, Audition Techniques Master Class