Campus Operas Draw Student Talent, Fans

Apart from Harvard’s academic reputation and cutting-edge research opportunities, talented students also flock to the world’s premier academic institution for its lively and flourishing opera scene.

Four campus opera societies stage shows each year. This spring, Dunster House Opera (DHO) and Lowell House Opera (LHO) have already put on productions of Candide and Don Giovanni, respectively.

After producing The Pirates of Penzance last semester, the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players open with their second production of the year, Princess Ida, tomorrow night. And the Harvard-Radcliffe Contemporary Music Ensemble, in a new initiative, is producing several student-written one-act operas later this month.

Though it is an extracurricular activity for all those involved, opera at Harvard has gathered a devoted contingent of student talent—and eager audiences.

Jessica G. Peritz ’06, a board member of the DHO who also took on leading roles in both Don Giovanni and Princess Ida, says that opera at Harvard was one of the biggest reasons she came here.

Peritz, who was accepted to an undergraduate music conservatory as a mezzo soprano singer, decided to come to Harvard largely because of its strong opera program. She says the prospect of simultaneously enjoying rigorous academics and leading roles in operatic productions made Harvard an attractive choice for college.

“It’s a large part of why I came here,” Peritz says.

Director of the Office for the Arts (OFA) Jack Megan says that operatic performances make up an important part of the over 500 concerts and 60 plays or musicals showcased at Harvard each year.

He also notes that operas on campus are growing in popularity.

“These things have become huge happenings,” Megan says.

Sarah S. Eggleston ’07, like Peritz, says that opera was one of the reasons that she chose to attend Harvard, the only school she considered that had an opera program. Through the Boston Children’s Opera, where she sang in high school, Eggleston had a chance to sing in the LHO even before she enrolled at Harvard.

Since beginning college, Eggleston has participated in numerous operatic productions. Although she is not singing in any of this year’s shows, Eggleston is involved, either as a board member, producer, or stage manager, in all four opera societies this spring.

With the addition of a new Core course, Literature and Arts B-68, “Opera,” student opera lovers can combine their academic pursuits with their musical tastes. Over 100 students are enrolled in the course, including several regular opera performers.

While the Dunster dining hall is no Metropolitan Opera House, operatic productions at Harvard still demand a great deal of time and student commitment. In addition to the singers and directors, students act as producers, writers, set designers, lighting designers, stage managers, and orchestra members. Many of these students take part in several operatic performances throughout the year.

“I don’t know of any other college or university that has such an opera scene,” Megan says.

Even with the abundance of student talent, LHO sometimes hires professional singers to play the main roles in its operas, particularly for the most challenging roles. DHO, however, relies solely on undergraduate talent.

Not all students on the Harvard opera scene today came to Harvard whistling Wagner. Charles I. Miller ’08 had high school experience mostly as a piano player, actor, and musical-theater singer before landing the job of co-director for Princess Ida.

Miller noticed the significant opera presence on campus soon after coming here in the fall. “I’ve learned what an incredibly large community it is,” he says. “It’s amazing the number of students who are into opera and classical music at Harvard.”

Kathryn D. Greenhalgh ’05, who also says that she “wasn’t particularly involved in opera at all before Harvard,” has been involved with DHO since she was a freshman, and directed Candide this year.

Despite opera’s growing visibility on campus, however, Greenhalgh says that producing a college opera poses numerous challenges. For one, procuring the often hefty funds, she says, can be difficult.

According to Megan, in the past year the OFA has granted opera societies about $2,500 of the $30,000 it gives annually to Harvard arts programs. But he adds that “the singular most important contribution we make is asking the tech staff to help them put up productions in the dining halls.”

Performing in House dining halls, whose acoustics are more suited for student chatter than lengthy arias, presents a considerable challenge, according to students. Moreover, Eggleston says that performing in the dining halls inevitably disrupts House life.

“It’s a big pain for everybody. People are relieved when the opera is gone,” she says.

But Greenhalgh says that performing in the Houses also makes the operas more special. “It’s tradition,” she says. “Plus, out of necessity comes creativity.”

Megan concurs. “I really love the distinct characteristics associated with these Houses,” he says. “When I think ‘Dunster,’ I think opera. The fact that there are technical obstacles to overcome is part of the charm and excitement.”

“I love the message it sends: art can happen anywhere,” Megan adds. “Opera is regarded as elitist in some places, but this is saying, no, opera is a people’s art.”