It鈥檚 one of the most talked-about programs ushering in new opera works in the United States. It鈥檚 hosted the likes of Herschel Garfein, Mark Adamo, Gene Scheer and Jake Heggie. It鈥檚 well established, celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer.
And it鈥檚 located right here at the College of Music.
The CU New Opera Workshop is an intensive, three-week deep dive into an in-progress professional piece. Under the watchful eye of Eklund Opera Program Director Leigh Holman, CU NOW has grown from a neat idea to a trailblazing concept known well (and imitated) throughout the contemporary opera world.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial to have something like CU NOW, which will let us get the first steps down on paper,鈥� says composer Tom Cipullo. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much that can go wrong that the composer by themself can鈥檛 envision before seeing an opera on stage. It鈥檚 great to have other eyes and ears.鈥�
Cipullo, the award-winning composer of 鈥淕lory Denied,鈥� comes to CU NOW for the first time this summer. He鈥檒l be workshopping his brand new piece 鈥淗obson鈥檚 Choice.鈥� He says after meeting Holman鈥攁nd hearing opera titan Jake Heggie鈥檚 ringing endorsement of the workshop鈥攈e couldn鈥檛 wait to get here.
鈥淲ith most workshops, you go in and get knocked around a bit, and then figure out what went wrong and proceed from there. But it鈥檚 very reliant on audience participation for feedback, and often only a day or two,鈥� Cipullo explains. 鈥淐U NOW is much more intense. It鈥檚 17 days where you鈥檙e working together鈥攁nd practically living together鈥攅very day. You鈥檙e getting feedback from the performers and director, which is more valuable.鈥�
Based on the 1915 play of the same name, 鈥淗obson鈥檚 Choice鈥� follows Maggie Hobson as she starts her own business and marries a talented yet illiterate man鈥攁gainst the wishes of her father and in defiance of early 20th-century social standards. It鈥檚 a story that hit home with Cipullo鈥檚 friend and Met Opera mezzo soprano Stephanie Blythe, who approached him about recreating it for the opera stage.
鈥淪he loved the character so much and found her to be so inspiring that she thought it would be a wonderful show piece for her. I was flattered that she thought of me.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great story鈥攄rama, humor, people you care about. That鈥檚 what makes a good opera. Without a good story, the message of the piece won鈥檛 hold.鈥�
Cipullo thinks the message and the mold-breaking heroine will resonate with 21st-century audiences, much like it did 100 years ago.
鈥淚t came out a century ago, but there still aren鈥檛 enough stories with strong female characters. When you think about the 鈥榃onder Woman鈥� movie, it was such a breakthrough鈥攂ut why was it, after all these years?鈥�
In that way, 鈥淗obson鈥檚 Choice鈥� is perfect for the 10th anniversary season of the breakthrough CU NOW program. Christie Conover, production assistant for Eklund Opera, sang in the very first CU NOW during her time as a master鈥檚 student. She says the experience prepared her for a career singing contemporary opera works.
鈥淚t made me not afraid of new music,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e all learn works by contemporary composers, but it鈥檚 very different to be in the room with the composer, learning something that鈥檚 never been performed before. That experience is invaluable.鈥�
In 2018, composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer workshopped their new piece, 鈥淚f I Were You,鈥� with College of Music students.
In 2010, CU NOW featured Herschel Garfein and Robert Aldridge鈥檚 鈥淪ister Carrie鈥� and former Professor of Composition Daniel Kellogg鈥檚 first foray into opera with 鈥淭he Autumn Orchard.鈥� Alumnus John Lindsey鈥攚ho was also in the cast that first year鈥攔emembers a hectic trial by fire that was formative for him as a singer.
鈥淚t was a crazy few weeks. You鈥檇 go into rehearsal with the music in front of you, and then that night you鈥檇 go home and anywhere between 5 p.m. and midnight, you鈥檇 get an email with revised music and a new MIDI file so that you could have it ready before rehearsal at 10 a.m.鈥�
The practice proved beneficial for Lindsey: He went on to an artist residency at Minnesota Opera, which is known for its New Works Initiative. This fall, he鈥檒l return to his hometown of Fort Collins as both he and his wife鈥攆ellow College of Music and CU NOW alum Nicole Asel鈥攖ake teaching jobs at Colorado State University.
Over the decade since CU NOW first brought 鈥渙pera from the ground up鈥� to Boulder, one can find countless success stories like this. Conover says these outcomes speak to the dual mission of the program.
鈥淚t creates a win-win situation. It鈥檚 good for students to learn the professional skills of preparing a living, breathing piece. And it鈥檚 good for composers, who are looking for the equivalent of an editor and get more time to do an intensive workshop of their opera.鈥�
In addition to the professional arm of CU NOW, the workshop this year again includes the Composer Fellows鈥� Initiative. The brainchild of retired Professor of Voice Patrick Mason, CFI brings together College of Music composition and voice students to produce original opera vignettes. Coached by professional composers and librettists (such as CU Department of Theatre & Dance alumnus Mark Campbell), this year CFI features four mini operas, staging stories ranging from the struggles of the women of the Manhattan Project to a dying man's murder confession.
Performances for CU NOW 2019 are during the weekend of June 14-16 in the Music Theatre. The workshop of is on Friday, June 14, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 16, at 2 p.m. The fully staged is Saturday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m. All performances are free and open to the public.
