ISSUED: 3 November 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University’s School of Music will present “Orpheus Explored,” a multidisciplinary concert featuring poetry, video, and live performance in the genres of opera, music theater, art song, and popular song, on Friday, November 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Frank Arts Center Theater.
The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tale of intense love, tragic loss, a quest to the underworld, and a test of blind trust. The story will unfold in four sections titled “Falling in Love,” “Loss and Memory,” “How far will you go for love?” and “Trial and Redemption.” Music will include English art songs for voice, piano, and clarinet; selections from the new Broadway musical “Hadestown”; popular songs by Sarah Bareilles and Peter Gabriel; and operatic scenes in Italian (with subtitles) from Monteverdi’s “La favola d’Orfeo,” and Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice.” Four pieces will include the addition of a small band.
Throughout the concert, Shepherd theater majors Jason Whitaker, Woodbridge, Virginia, and Rebekah Smith, Frederick, Maryland, will present four sonnets that explore the themes and actions within the myth by poet Sarah Murphy as monologues. Part II “Loss and Memory” will end with an original film created by art major Timothy Butcher, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, underscored with a live piano performance by music major Lorie Payne, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, playing “Dreamland” by Alexis French.
Singers will include music majors Alexis Cookus and Sarah Seelinger, both of Martinsburg, West Virginia; Charity Meyer, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; Brianna Schmuck, Falling Waters, West Virginia; Matthew Green, Charleston, West Virginia; Zoey Breakall, Clear Spring, Maryland; Meghan Butler, Hagerstown, Maryland; Connor Sheedy, Middletown, Maryland; Amber Shayeb, Front Royal, Virginia; Xander Strain, Bridgeville, Delaware; and music minor Cassidy Joy, Kearneysville, West Virginia.
Visual artist and composer James “Kimo” Williams is collaborating with director Dr. Robert Tudor, dean, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, to weave Williams’ visual imagery throughout the performance by projecting it on a screen. Dr. Julianna Hayward, staff accompanist, will be the principal collaborative pianist in the project.
“You’ve not seen anything like this on our stage before,” Tudor said. “I was presented with a challenge two weeks before the semester began—to create a performance project that offered educational opportunities to students in our opera workshop and students in my contemporary vocal ensemble. I thought, ‘How can I weave opera, music theater, and pop music together in one performance and have it all make sense?’”
Tudor said Dr. Bobb Robinson, adjunct music professor, encouraged him to bring this project to Shepherd.
“The subject is highly adaptive to different environments because so much has been written about Orpheus, so you have a wealth of music and literature to draw from,” Tudor said. “It’s exciting for me to work across disciplines for this project. The students have seen the work in the script and score, but I have been meeting with different artists separately for several months, so all of the collaborators will see the entire project two days before our first and only performance.”
General admission for “Orpheus Explored” is $15, $10 for Shepherd faculty, staff, alumni, senior citizens, active-duty military, and ages 18 and under, and free for Shepherd students with a valid Rambler ID. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the ticket office homepage. There is a $1 surcharge for tickets purchased in advance online and for all credit card sales.
Please note the current policy for attendance of live events in the Frank Arts Center. Please sit only in designated rows and leave at least two empty seats between unrelated groups of audience members.
For more information about upcoming events visit the School of Music calendar of concerts and events.
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