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AUDITIONS
Rimrock Opera Announces Adult Chorus for
Elixir of Love! The following
singers have successfully auditioned and
have been accepted as Rimrock Opera's newest
chorus: Brenna Becker, Loren Becker,
Tyler Bokma, Lance Hansen, Shirley Herman,
Meghan Kilroy, Rachel Ludington, Dan Miller,
Jesse Murphy, Rachel Nielsen, Stephanie
Padden, Aaron Pagniano, Christina Pezzarossi,
Megan Powers, Nathan Raschcow, Sara Ricord,
Christa Soloman and Erin Walker. Rimrock Opera’s fall 2008 opera production will be Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, sung in English, with English text projected above the stage. The opera will be at The Alberta Bair Theater, downtown Billings, performed Saturday, September 20 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 21 at 3:00 PM. The spring production will be Bizet's Carmen on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 PM. The opera will be sung in French, with spoken English dialogue and English supertitles.
Rimrock Opera performs with professional sets, costumes and orchestra.
Auditions for The Marriage of Figaro
and Carmen will be held sometime in
May. Check back for an exact audition date! Dr. Chris Sheppard, Chorus Master
For the past two summers, Sheppard served as chorus master and voice instructor at the Maud Powell International Opera Institute in Illinois, and will return in that capacity again this summer. In 2001, Sheppard was the choral director for the World Scholar-Athlete Games, which involved over 2,000 participants ages 15-19, from 152 countries and all fifty states. He has directed All-County/All-District Festivals in three states and, while teaching at Bluefield College, led choir tours from Ohio to Florida. A proficient baritone, Sheppard appeared in Northwest College’s 2006 performances of Handel’s Messiah, and has appeared in many theatrical productions, including opera, musicals, and plays. Besides his work with universities and community ensembles, Sheppard has served several churches as a music administrator and choir director. He recently began working as Music Director at First English Lutheran Church in Billings. Rimrock Opera Chorus
for Kids Auditions Information - We welcome
children (grades 3 - 10) who love to sing.
The children are split into three groups.
Rehearsals are Saturday mornings at Venture
Theater, with concerts throughout the
semester. ROCK is based on a per year
tuition. Some scholarships are available,
but this season's recipients have been
chosen. Thank you for your interest in ROCK! Currently in
its 9th year, the Rimrock Opera is one of the
nation’s newest professional regional opera
company, headquartered in Billings, Montana, and
serving south-central Montana and northern
Wyoming. Opera is an art form that can be
enjoyed by everyone. That enjoyment is even
greater for an enlightened audience. With that
goal in mind, the Rimrock Opera is committed to
the development of performance-based outreach
programs designed to educate listeners about
what many refer to as the “highest form of
musical art.” General director Douglas Nagel
adapts full-length operas into mini versions for
touring in the schools. For more information
about the Rimrock Opera: 406-671-2214 |
Director of Choral and Vocal Activities is
in his third year at Montana State
University Billings. He holds degrees from
the University of Wisconsin, University of
Northern Colorado, and Marshall University.
Before coming to Billings, he taught at
Bluefield College in Bluefield, Virginia,
and Aims Community College in Greeley,
Colorado. Besides directing the choirs at
MSU-B, he also teaches private voice, choral
conducting, and vocal pedagogy. He recently
began conducting the Magic City Singers and
will serve as Chorus Master in Rimrock
Opera’s spring production of Donizetti’s
L’elisir d’amore. Sheppard has also been
honored twice in “Who’s Who Among America’s
Teachers.”