Opera Master Class

February 1, 2006 with Seth Keeton, Angie Keeton, and Jamie Andrews
from the Minnesota Opera

Seth Keeton, Minnesota Opera Resident Artist; Jamie Andrews, Education Director at the Minnesota Opera; and Angie Keeton, Teacher-Artist for the Minnesota Opera Education Program, will present a master class during Opera Workshop from 2:00-4:00 p.m., February 1, Phillips Recital Hall. Hosted by the Opera Workshop Ensemble.

• Seth Keeton, bass-baritone, semi-finalist in the 2005 New York Metropolitan Opera Auditions, and Angie Keeton, mezzo-soprano, will each sing an aria and work with five students from the Opera Workshop Ensemble in a master class setting.
• Seth, Angie, and Jamie Andrews will hold a question/answer session about making a life in the arts. 

Seth Keeton, bass-baritone, spent this past summer at Glimmerglass Opera for performances in Death in Venice and Lucie de Lammermoor. In 2003 he completed an apprenticeship at Chautauqua Opera, where he sang both Colline in La bohème and the Duke of Verona in Roméo et Juliette, as well as covering Leporello in Don Giovanni. For Austin Lyric Opera he has performed Benoit/Alcindoro in La bohème, the Warden in Dead Man Walking and Dr. Grenvil in La traviata. In Central City he appeared as Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream and in 2004 sang the role of Polyphemus in the New Breath Production of Acis and Galatea. In December of that year, he sang Balthahazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Minnesota Orchestra, and in February 2005, he was a national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Mr. Keeton received his Bachelor of Music from Illinois Wesleyan University and his Master of Music from Indiana University, where he appeared in productions of The Bartered Bride as Kecal, Le nozze di Figaro as Dr. Bartolo, Orfeo as Plutone, Così fan tutte as Don Alfonso, The Rake's Progress as Father Trulove, La bohème as Colline and La Cenerentola as Alidoro. On The Minnesota Opera's stage he has been seen as Monterone in Rigoletto, Petrucci in Lucrezia Borgia, Sergeant Lombardi in Passion, Der Sprecher in The Magic Flute, the Bonze in Madame Butterfly, Don Alfonso in Maria Padilla and Zuniga in Carmen. For his third season with the Opera he performs in Tosca as the Sacristan, in Don Giovanni as Leporello, in Orazi & Curiazi as Vecchio Orazio and in Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man as Hospital Administrator Carr-Gomm.

Angela Keeton, mezzo-soprano, is serving as a Teacher-Artist for the Minnesota Opera's Education Program. Ms. Keeton is a graduate of Indiana University 's School of Music with both a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Vocal Music Performance. She has appeared in performances with the Indiana University Opera Theater, Brevard Music Center , the Indianapolis Symphony and other regional Orchestra and Symphony choruses. Ms. Keeton has also received prizes in the Palm Beach Vocal Competition ('03) and the Florida Grand Opera Vocal Competition ('03). She has served on the voice faculty at Luther College and continues to teach private students in Minneapolis . During the 2004-05 season, she sang in the Minnesota Opera's performances of Madame Butterfly and Nixon in China and will be seen in the Opera's new production of Don Giovanni in the 2005-2006 season.

Jamie Andrews, Community Education Director for The Minnesota Opera, is in charge of inspiring new audiences to opera. He has developed an extensive education program that provides opportunities for students, teachers, and adults through in-school residencies, singing internships for high school students, resources for teacher's, and adult education classes. Jamie comes to the Opera from an education background. With a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, he taught band and choir in Minnesota for a number of years.

For Information Contact: 
Dr. Mitra Sadeghpour
Director of Opera and Musical Theatre
255 Haas Fine Arts Center
Music & Theatre Arts Department
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004

Phone: 715/836-3711
Email: msadeghp@uwec.edu