Texas State opera wins National Opera Association award

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
January 14, 2013

The Texas State University Opera Theatre has been honored by the National Opera Association with the award for Best Opera Production of 2012.

Samuel Mungo, director of opera studies in the School of Music at Texas State, accepted the award in Portland, Ore., last week.

The National Opera Association awards are considered by many to be the "Oscars" of university-level opera programs. Texas State won the division II blind competition against such prestigious programs as Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and University of Colorado.

"It is an honor to accept such an award for Texas State Opera," Mungo said. "Opera is such a collaborative effort, and this honor goes to every student involved in the program, singers and orchestra players alike, as well as so many who worked so hard on this production, such as conductor Oliver Worthington and lighting designer Gaila Raymer.

"This award is shared equally with each and every one of them," he said.

The award was for Texas State Opera Theatre's fall 2011 production of "Angelique" by Jacques Ibert.

This spring Texas State Opera Theatre will be presenting what many consider the greatest opera of all time, Mozart's "Don Giovanni," April 5-7. For more information, visit www.music.txstate.edu/voice/.