University of North Texas College of Music Opera
# University of North Texas College of Music Opera

The University of North Texas Opera, aka UNT Opera Workshop, is the student performing company of the Opera Studies Department of the Vocal Studies Division (one of eight divisions) of the University of North Texas College of Music.

## History

Founded in 1944 by the college's dean, Wilfred Bain, and a newly appointed artist-in-residence, Mary McCormic, the Opera Workshop has presented one or more operatic productions every semester since inception — fully mounted with orchestra, set, lighting, and costumes. Opera productions at the College of Music predate the founding of the Opera Workshop. In one notable instance, in 1938, North Texas produced Cynthia Parker, an opera by Julia Smith, who had graduated from North Texas in 1930.

## UNT College of Music divisions

Academic and Performance Divisions :

| Composition Studies | Conducting & Ensembles | Instrumental Studies | Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology | Vocal Studies |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Departments ||||||||
| | Choral Conducting | Brass | Ethnomusicology | Opera Studies |
| | Early Music | Percussion | Music History | Vocal Studies |
| | Orchestral Conducting | Strings | Music Theory | |
| | Wind Conducting | Woodwinds | | |

## Directors, Past & Present

| 1944–1960 | Mary McCormic (1895–1981) |
| - | - |
| 1960–1967 | Eugene Conley (1908–1981) |
| 1967–1970 | Donald Kerne (1928–2000) |
| 1970–1974 | Arthur Paul Schoep, DMA (1920–2001) (hosted monthly Music of North Texas on KERA and WRR) |
| 1974–1976 | Jeannine Crader (born 1929) |
| 1976–1980 | Thomas Holliday (born 1945) |
| 1981–1991 | Dennis Wakeling (1939–1992) and Jeannine Crader (born 1929) |
| Spring 1992 | Anthony Addison (born 1926) |
| Fall 1992–Spring 2017 | Paula Homer (born 1953) |
| Fall 2017–present | Jonathan Eaton |

## Notable people

Faculty

* Richard Croft
* Mary McCormic
* Richard Sparks

Alumni

* John Ardoin
* William Blankenship
* Latonia Moore
* Mark Nicolson
* Geeta Novotny
* Patricia Racette
* Julia Smith
