Dr. Marc Callahan, assistant professor of music, was recently awarded the Charles Nelson Reilly Prize for UNC Opera’s production of II sogno di Scipione.
Callahan was extremely honored and surprised to find out he had received this award. The Charles Nelson Reilly Prize is a very sought-after prize that many programs much larger than UNC opera compete for. Callahan is proud that their production of Il Sogno di Scipione spoke loud enough to be considered at the same level as larger programs.
UNC Opera’s production of Il Sogno di Scipione was largely inspired by the episodic and fantastical nature of popular music videos, especially those of artist Katy Perry. UNC Opera teamed up with MakerSpace and the Ackland Art Museum. The students were given a tour of the museum and able to see the details and surrealism and replicate that for their set design. The set was created by students, utilizing MakersSpace.
“I have always been inspired by the French surrealist movement and wanted to incorporate that into my production,” said Callahan. “The designers and directors that create Perry’s videos depict a dream world where anything can happen and the absurd limitlessness of dreams greatly influenced my staging.”
Callahan has been the director of UNC Opera for five years now and believes that UNC Opera would not be UNC Opera without the passion and dedication of the students.
“I love the students,” remarked Callahan. “They always know I’m gonna do something crazy, yet still put up with me every semester and are always open to whatever I throw at them.”
This semester, UNC Opera has been invited to the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh (CAM Raleigh), to put on the production of Hildegard Von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum. Ordo Virtutum, a story about the creation of a soul and the soul’s journey on earth searching for salvation, is seen as the first opera because it functions as such. UNC Music’s own Professor Allen Anderson will be creating a sound installation along with his wife Tama Hochbaum’s art projection to accompany the production.
“CAM has housed so many incredible artists and we are humbled to get the opportunity to work there. For this reason, it will be both exhilarating and intimidating to perform in the CAM Raleigh art space,” Callahan said. “I am so fortunate to be working alongside our incredibly talented students, Hochbaum, Anderson, and Kelli Biwer-Smith (our Arts Everywhere Fellow), I know we’re in good hands!” said Callahan.
Il sogno di Scipione is available for streaming on the department’s Youtube. Congratulations again to Dr. Callahan, it will be exciting to see what the future holds for UNC Opera.
by Casey Mentch, class of 2024