UTPB Vocal Ensemble to present ‘Night At The Opera’

Members of the University of Texas Permian Basin Vocal Ensemble practice at Frist United Methodist Tuesday. The ensemble will perform a concert Friday at First United Methodist. (Michael Bauer|Odessa American)

No, there won’t be an actual opera being performed in the sanctuary at First United Methodist Church.

However, opera lovers will still have plenty to be excited about as the University of Texas Permian Basin’s Vocal Ensemble performs select pieces from famous shows with its Night at the Opera Concert.

The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist in Odessa. The event is free and open to the public.

It will feature music from the operas such as “La Boheme,” “Carmen,” “Turandot,” “Rigoletto” and a few pieces from “Phantom of the Opera.”

University of Texas Permian Basin Director of Vocal Ensemble David Corman directs the ensemble during a rehearsal Tuesday at First United Methodist. (Michael Bauer|Odessa American)

The director of the UTPB Vocal Ensemble is David Corman who also serves as the Music Minister at First United Methodist.

“It’s a very wide-variety of music and some very difficult music,” Corman said. “Some of it includes solos such as arias and there’s a quintet and a trio. The quintet is from ‘Carmen.’ It’s one of the hardest pieces of opera. It’s a big challenge for the students. It’s going to be in Italian, French and English.”

The evening’s concert will conclude with the famous “Nessun Dorma” from Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” being sung by the ensemble.

“That’ll be a fun, ending piece,” Corman said.

There will be 16 students singing in the ensemble, all ranging from different majors.

“We have everyone from music majors to business majors and communication majors,” Corman said. “It’s not all music majors.”

The UTPB Vocal Ensemble has done numerous productions over the last couple of years.

“In December, we did ‘A Christmas Carol: The Musical,’” Corman said. “Last year, we did ‘Pagliacci.’ We’ve also done a lot of children’s productions.”

Next month, the UTPB music department will also be doing ‘Oklahoma’ which will also take place at First United Methodist.

That production will take place on May 18, 19 and 21.

Members of the University of Texas Permian Basin Vocal Ensemble practice at Frist United Methodist Tuesday. (Michael Bauer|Odessa American)

Among the students performing in this week’s concert is Perry Grewell, a junior in Business Management.

Grewell will be singing the “Coat Aria” from “La Boheme.” He will also be singing a piece from “Carmen.”

“For me, I’m looking forward to this concert,” Grewell said. “I may be a business major but my dream is to be a vocal performer, especially in opera. I love acting. This is a great experience.”

Brandon Lippert is another student who will be performing Friday.

The senior music education major from Smithville will be singing in a duet from “La Boheme.”

“I’m excited,” Lippert said. “This is the first time I’ve ever gotten to do something like this, being an instrumentalist. This is my first time doing any kind of singing in front of an audience.”

If you go

  • What: “Night At The Opera.”
  • Where: First United Methodist Church.
  • When: 7:30 p.m. March 31.