SOSU Hosts Oklahoma Opera Festival April 20–22

Press Release Date: 04-10-2006

Southeastern Oklahoma State University Musical Arts Series will host the Oklahoma Opera Festival on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 20, 21, & 22.

Edmund Emge from Vienna, Austria will serve as this year’s festival clinician. Herr Emge is the künstlerische Leitung (Artistic Director) of the world famous Opernfestspiele of St. Margarethen, Austria. His duties include casting, promotional and educational services, and youth outreach programs for the festival.

He began his artistic and stage director duties when he formed the opera company Opera Piccola, in 1991. He then served as owner, artistic director, and stage director of Opern Ensemble Rigoletto from 1996 to 2004. Following his association with Opern Ensemble Rigoletto, he assumed the duty of Assistant Director and Artistic Director of the Würztburg Opera House in Würztburg, Germany from 2004 to 2006. As a singer, Herr Emge has performed in opera houses throughout Europe, including the Wiener Kammeroper in Vienna, Mozartoper of Salzburg, and the Palais des Beaux Arts Brüssel, Belgium.

Participating universities in this year’s festival will include East Central Oklahoma State University, The University of Oklahoma, The University of North Texas, and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The festival begins on Thursday night, April 20th with an Aria Competition at 7:30 PM in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. The festival continues throughout the day on Friday as each university “fine–tunes” their opera scene(s) with the guidance of Herr Emge through a series of scheduled rehearsals. The festival ends on Saturday evening, April 22nd with a public performance of opera scenes at 7:30 PM in SOSU’s Montgomery Auditorium. All events and performances are free and open to the public, and is made possible due in part to a grant by the Oklahoma State Arts Council.