Program Overview
Opera Theater
Courses and performances in Oberlin's Opera Theater program provide training in acting technique, musical style, linguistic accuracy, performance readiness, and audition skills. Faculty and coaches guide students in role study, movement and dance, staging, musicianship, directing, and diction and language skills. Each semester’s coursework culminates in a performance of scenes from the standard 17th- through 20th-century repertory and selected contemporary works. Fully staged operas with orchestra allow students to put theory into practice. With Oberlin's focus on nurturing the undergraduate singer, these are remarkable opportunities to put everything together in performances for enthusiastic audiences.
Program Facts
- Program Type: Program
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- Division: Vocal Studies
Program Director
Timothy LeFebvre,
Professor of Voice
Quick Links

Oberlin Opera Theater's production of the “Rape of Lucretia” was complemented by a series of programs that addressed the often tragic role of women in art throughout the ages to Lucretia’s relevance in 21st-century America.
Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko
Opera Theater Productions
Oberlin Opera Theater presents two major main stage productions with orchestra each year, in addition to a small-scale opera that is usually produced during Winter Term. Recent operas have included Bernstein's Candide, Mozart's La finta giardiniera, Britten's Albert Herring, Weill's Street Scene, and Monteverdi's L'Orfeo. Students enrolled in various opera classes also perform in a program of opera scenes presented each semester. Programs presented on the historic Finney Chapel stage have included scenes from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Donizetti's L’elisir d’amore, Stravinsky's The Rake’s Progress, Verdi's Don Carlo, and Copland's The Tender Land.
Faculty
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Dale Alexander
CTS Coordinator
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Daniel Michalak
Vocal Coach and Collaborative Pianist
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Kyung-Eun Na
Associate Professor of Opera Coaching
Affiliated Faculty
Salvatore Champagne ’85
Robert W. Wheeler Professor of Voice
Mathilda Edge
Assistant Professor of Voice
Katherine Jolly
Associate Professor of Voice
Timothy LeFebvre
Professor of VoiceDirector, Division of Vocal Studies
Tatiana Lokhina
Collaborative Pianist
Upcoming Opera Theater Events
Details: Date, Time, and Location
Date
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Time
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Location
Warner Concert Hall
Concert: Opera Scenes
Details: Date, Time, and Location
Date
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Time
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Location
Finney Chapel
Concert: Opera Scenes
Opera Theater News
Oberlin Opera Brings “Jack and the Beanstalk” to Schools Across Northeast Ohio for Winter Term
“It was really amazing going into the community and performing an art form that they probably haven't seen before,” second-year voice major Ella Vaugn said, “Teachers would tell us that they've never seen their students so engaged.”
Mozart’s Comedy Shines a Light on the Game of Love
This spring, Oberlin Opera is set to entangle its audiences in the game of love with its production of Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera. Set in a garden, this story will intertwine love, trickery, and the art of gameplay into one.
Richard Miller Voice Competition and Daniel Okulitch: Honoring a Legacy of Excellence
“He’s with me in every lesson that I teach,” Daniel Okulitch ‘99 said about former Oberlin voice faculty member Richard Miller (1926-2009).
Life After Oberlin
Notable Oberlin Alumni
Denyce Graves ’85
Mezzo-soprano featured with opera companies worldwide and voice faculty at Peabody and Juilliard
Daniel Okulitch ’99
Bass-baritone featured with opera companies worldwide
Elizabeth DeShong ’03
Mezzo-soprano featured with opera companies worldwide