So you wanted to know more about Opera?  Here goes!

My favorite composer

Who is this guy?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed many operas, most of which I am very fond of.  My favorites are in bold print. To read a synopsis of the operas in blue print, just click on the name.
*Apollo et Hyacinthus
*Bastien und Bastienne
*La finta simplice
*Lucio Silla
*La finta giardiniera
*Il re pastore
*Idomeneo
*Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail
*Der Schauspieldirektor
*Le Nozze di Figaro
*Don Giovanni
*La clemenza di Tito
*Cosi fan tutte
*Die Zauberflote

My professors here at WVU

Peter Lightfoot, voice

Baritone Peter Lightfoot holds degrees from the Juilliard School, Tufts University, and Columbia University.  He is the winner of the National Opera Institute's Bronze Career Medal and Career Awards Grant.  Professor Lightfoot has performed leading roles with numerous opera companies including the New York City Opera, the Wolftrap Opera, the Piedmont Opera Theatre, the Mexico City Opera, and the Opera d'Nice.  He has received rave reviews for his roles in various productions, such as Madama Butterfly, Tosca, La Boheme, and Porgy and Bess.  He has also appeared with such symphony orchestras as Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Dallas, Toronto, the Stockholm Philharmonic, and Amsterdam Radio.  Mr. Lightfoot is the winner of a Sullivan Foundation grant, the 1982 Boston Opera Competition, and was a finalist in the Luciano Pavarotti Competition.

Kathleen Shannon, choir

Kathleen Shannon, Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities.  Conductor of the University Choir, Choral Union, Vocal Jazz Ensembles, and Coordinator of the other choral ensembles.  She is involved with the WVU Music Education area, including teaching choral methods.  She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music and her DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami, where she studied with Dr. Lee Kjelson.  Prior to coming to WVU, she taught at the University of Mississippi, where she served as the conductor of several choral ensembles.  She has taught all school levels in Georgia and Florida.  She is a frequent guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator.  She has served on the Florida and Mississippi state boards of the American Choral Directors Association and is an active member of the Music Educators National Conference and the International Association of Jazz Educators.  Presently, she is the state advisor for the West Virginia Collegiate Music Educators.

Robert Thieme, opera theatre/accompanying

Robert Thieme is a Associate Professor of Accompanying and Director of West Virginia University's Opera Theatre.  He has conducted and staged productions in both operatic and musical theatre areas.  He presently serves as coach and accompanist for many singers throughout the U.S. and Europe.  Professor Thieme has degrees from West Virginia University and did his doctoral study in opera under Walter Ducloux and Leonard Treasch at the University of Texas at Austin.  He is a member of the faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria as the Studienleiter in charge of training vocalists as well as serving as assistant conductor of the orchestra.  He has worked with the Orlando, Columbus, and Chautauqua Opera Companies as well as the Corpus Christi Symphony.  Currently, he works with both the West Virginia and Wheeling Symphonies, is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Opera Association, and is the Vice-President of the tri-state National Association of Teachers of Singing.

All information regarding the above professors was taken directly from the College of Creative Arts at WVU home page.