Opera Theatre
UNO offers Opera and Musical Theatre training for aspiring musicians.
Opera Theatre | OpShop
Directed by Prof. Shelby VanNordstrand
Music Director & Conductor: Dr. Matthew Brooks
Pianist & Coach: Prof. Stacie Haneline
UNO OpShop (short for Opera Workshop) is a performance class offering performance opportunities and training in opera and musical theatre. The course is offered both fall and spring semesters. OpShop presents two on-campus concerts each year, and numerous outreach performances to metro area schools and colleges. Throughout the year, students enrolled in OpShop receive individual musical coachings with Mastro Aaron Breid and dramatic coachings and stage direction from Shelby VanNordstrand.
OpShop’s year culminates in a large scenes program involving scenes from multiple operas/musicals with collaboration involving student instrumentalists, UNO Theatre Department, UNO Art Department, and visiting professional artists. In addition to these performances, OpShop offers master classes for OpShop students each year. Guest masterclass clinicians for 2015 year were Jim DeBlasis, former director of Cincinnati Opera, Matthew Lau, Simpson College, and Scott Glasser, UNO Theatre. Baritone Terry Hodges joined UNO OpShop as a guest coach and performer for the 2015 scenes program “Poof! It’s Magic!” Above all, OpShop strives to communicate artistically and theatrically by telling the stories of opera and musical theatre.