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Das Blümelein, voice and piano
Featuring works by lesser-known composers, such as Pauline Viardot, Das Blümelein Project transports us through the impressionistic works of Childe Hassim and Frederick Carl Frieseke, both of whom are prominently featured in the Crocker’s permanent collection.
Sopranos Bethany Mamola and guest Samantha Dapcic sing solos and duets themed around the impressionistic paintings of the 19th century. Featuring Stephen Dubberly on piano.
North Texas Vocal Arts Exchange (NTXVAE) invites you to a free workshop hosted by the UNT College of Music. Dr. Samantha Dapcic leads this empowering workshop for graduate students who are writing—or will be writing—dissertations. M.M. and G.A.C. students considering doctoral students are encouraged to attend. From the beginning stages to final steps, this comprehensive session will provide essential tools for large research papers, including strategies on: finding a topic, research organization, essential resources, outlines, formatting, bibliographies, avoiding plagiarism, and common mistakes to avoid.
The first half of DB Project’s production, “A Lily Among Thorns,” is called “Try Me” and was inspired by Libby Larsen’s musical composition, Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII. In his desperation to produce a male heir, Henry VIII treated women as consumable commodities that could be disposed of once they had achieved their usefulness or proved too difficult to manage. The wives of Henry VIII are both legendary and a part of popular culture, therefore, becoming the topic of countless historical examinations, popular fiction, songs, movies, and television shows. Due to their iconic status, these women’s true identities, thoughts, and personal feelings have been obscured by society and much misinformation about them has been portrayed and infinitely repeated. Try Me, Good King uses letters and recorded gallows speeches of Henry’s first five wives, to create a musical tapestry that depicts a universal story about the precarious position of women caught in a cycle of abuse. Through manipulation, gaslighting, false accusations, and threats of violence, Henry expected his wives to play an impossible game with deadly consequences. Katherine of Aragon was cruelly tossed aside in favor of a younger model. Anne Boleyn wrongly staked her life so that the truth would set her free. Jane Seymour fulfilled her function as the bearer of an heir, only to die as a result. Anne of Cleves gleefully escaped unscathed. Katherine Howard was desired for the youth and vivacity that ultimately led her to the scaffold. This production seeks to breathe new life into these women’s words by giving the Queens a platform with which to tell their stories, mirroring their narrative of abuse and violence with modern-day monologues inspired by the stories of our time. “Try Me”, highlights and celebrates the universality of women finding solidarity and strength through the ability to take back their narrative. To co-opt the sentiment of Anne Boleyn, “Go ahead and try us, we dare you.”
The second portion of the show features the world premiere of A Lily Among Thorns, an operatic combination and reordering of John La Montaine’s song cycles Songs of the Rose of Sharon and Fragments from the Song of Songs. Inspired by the line “I am black, but comely,” and composed during an unlikely time in American History that was characterized by Jim Crow laws, segregation, rampant sexism, and religious conservatism, composer John La Montaine set two song cycles—Songs of the Rose of Sharon (1947) and Fragments from the Song of Songs (1959)—on texts from Song of Songs. Often referred to by religious scholars as the most irreligious book of the Bible, Song of Songs is told primarily from the perspective of a woman—arguably a black woman—and blatantly celebrates sexual pleasures between unmarried lovers without mention of God or religious philosophy. By setting this text in a female’s voice, La Montaine gives power and ownership of sexual independence, equality, and the beauty in being different to women. La Montaine highlights themes that were provocative and subversive to the cultural climate in which he lived, including: female empowerment and independence in a relationship, freedom of sexuality, and the beauty of blackness or being “other.” These works remain especially pertinent today because of our social climate and critical issues such as discrimination, sexuality, race, and gender. Though American culture has continued to improve upon its racist, sexist, intolerant past, there are deep-rooted elements of all of these issues that continue to persist. In our modern world, violence and discrimination of those considered “other” continues to propagate movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #EverydaySexism, and #EffYourBeautyStandards. It is becoming increasingly important for artists to present works that relate to current issues and events; the message of social justice that can be interpreted in this work transcends the era of the compositions’ creation and is still relevant today.
Buy your tickets now at: https://www.attpac.org/on-sale/2021/a-lily-among-thorns/
The first half of DB Project’s production, “A Lily Among Thorns,” is called “Try Me” and was inspired by Libby Larsen’s musical composition, Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII. In his desperation to produce a male heir, Henry VIII treated women as consumable commodities that could be disposed of once they had achieved their usefulness or proved too difficult to manage. The wives of Henry VIII are both legendary and a part of popular culture, therefore, becoming the topic of countless historical examinations, popular fiction, songs, movies, and television shows. Due to their iconic status, these women’s true identities, thoughts, and personal feelings have been obscured by society and much misinformation about them has been portrayed and infinitely repeated. Try Me, Good King uses letters and recorded gallows speeches of Henry’s first five wives, to create a musical tapestry that depicts a universal story about the precarious position of women caught in a cycle of abuse. Through manipulation, gaslighting, false accusations, and threats of violence, Henry expected his wives to play an impossible game with deadly consequences. Katherine of Aragon was cruelly tossed aside in favor of a younger model. Anne Boleyn wrongly staked her life so that the truth would set her free. Jane Seymour fulfilled her function as the bearer of an heir, only to die as a result. Anne of Cleves gleefully escaped unscathed. Katherine Howard was desired for the youth and vivacity that ultimately led her to the scaffold. This production seeks to breathe new life into these women’s words by giving the Queens a platform with which to tell their stories, mirroring their narrative of abuse and violence with modern-day monologues inspired by the stories of our time. “Try Me”, highlights and celebrates the universality of women finding solidarity and strength through the ability to take back their narrative. To co-opt the sentiment of Anne Boleyn, “Go ahead and try us, we dare you.”
The second portion of the show features the world premiere of A Lily Among Thorns, an operatic combination and reordering of John La Montaine’s song cycles Songs of the Rose of Sharon and Fragments from the Song of Songs. Inspired by the line “I am black, but comely,” and composed during an unlikely time in American History that was characterized by Jim Crow laws, segregation, rampant sexism, and religious conservatism, composer John La Montaine set two song cycles—Songs of the Rose of Sharon (1947) and Fragments from the Song of Songs (1959)—on texts from Song of Songs. Often referred to by religious scholars as the most irreligious book of the Bible, Song of Songs is told primarily from the perspective of a woman—arguably a black woman—and blatantly celebrates sexual pleasures between unmarried lovers without mention of God or religious philosophy. By setting this text in a female’s voice, La Montaine gives power and ownership of sexual independence, equality, and the beauty in being different to women. La Montaine highlights themes that were provocative and subversive to the cultural climate in which he lived, including: female empowerment and independence in a relationship, freedom of sexuality, and the beauty of blackness or being “other.” These works remain especially pertinent today because of our social climate and critical issues such as discrimination, sexuality, race, and gender. Though American culture has continued to improve upon its racist, sexist, intolerant past, there are deep-rooted elements of all of these issues that continue to persist. In our modern world, violence and discrimination of those considered “other” continues to propagate movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #EverydaySexism, and #EffYourBeautyStandards. It is becoming increasingly important for artists to present works that relate to current issues and events; the message of social justice that can be interpreted in this work transcends the era of the compositions’ creation and is still relevant today.
Buy your tickets now at: https://www.attpac.org/on-sale/2021/a-lily-among-thorns/
The first half of DB Project’s production, “A Lily Among Thorns,” is called “Try Me” and was inspired by Libby Larsen’s musical composition, Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII. In his desperation to produce a male heir, Henry VIII treated women as consumable commodities that could be disposed of once they had achieved their usefulness or proved too difficult to manage. The wives of Henry VIII are both legendary and a part of popular culture, therefore, becoming the topic of countless historical examinations, popular fiction, songs, movies, and television shows. Due to their iconic status, these women’s true identities, thoughts, and personal feelings have been obscured by society and much misinformation about them has been portrayed and infinitely repeated. Try Me, Good King uses letters and recorded gallows speeches of Henry’s first five wives, to create a musical tapestry that depicts a universal story about the precarious position of women caught in a cycle of abuse. Through manipulation, gaslighting, false accusations, and threats of violence, Henry expected his wives to play an impossible game with deadly consequences. Katherine of Aragon was cruelly tossed aside in favor of a younger model. Anne Boleyn wrongly staked her life so that the truth would set her free. Jane Seymour fulfilled her function as the bearer of an heir, only to die as a result. Anne of Cleves gleefully escaped unscathed. Katherine Howard was desired for the youth and vivacity that ultimately led her to the scaffold. This production seeks to breathe new life into these women’s words by giving the Queens a platform with which to tell their stories, mirroring their narrative of abuse and violence with modern-day monologues inspired by the stories of our time. “Try Me”, highlights and celebrates the universality of women finding solidarity and strength through the ability to take back their narrative. To co-opt the sentiment of Anne Boleyn, “Go ahead and try us, we dare you.”
The second portion of the show features the world premiere of A Lily Among Thorns, an operatic combination and reordering of John La Montaine’s song cycles Songs of the Rose of Sharon and Fragments from the Song of Songs. Inspired by the line “I am black, but comely,” and composed during an unlikely time in American History that was characterized by Jim Crow laws, segregation, rampant sexism, and religious conservatism, composer John La Montaine set two song cycles—Songs of the Rose of Sharon (1947) and Fragments from the Song of Songs (1959)—on texts from Song of Songs. Often referred to by religious scholars as the most irreligious book of the Bible, Song of Songs is told primarily from the perspective of a woman—arguably a black woman—and blatantly celebrates sexual pleasures between unmarried lovers without mention of God or religious philosophy. By setting this text in a female’s voice, La Montaine gives power and ownership of sexual independence, equality, and the beauty in being different to women. La Montaine highlights themes that were provocative and subversive to the cultural climate in which he lived, including: female empowerment and independence in a relationship, freedom of sexuality, and the beauty of blackness or being “other.” These works remain especially pertinent today because of our social climate and critical issues such as discrimination, sexuality, race, and gender. Though American culture has continued to improve upon its racist, sexist, intolerant past, there are deep-rooted elements of all of these issues that continue to persist. In our modern world, violence and discrimination of those considered “other” continues to propagate movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #EverydaySexism, and #EffYourBeautyStandards. It is becoming increasingly important for artists to present works that relate to current issues and events; the message of social justice that can be interpreted in this work transcends the era of the compositions’ creation and is still relevant today.
Buy your tickets now at: https://www.attpac.org/on-sale/2021/a-lily-among-thorns/
Mezzo-soprano Hilary Grace Taylor and soprano Samantha Dapcic will be the featured soloists at the first concert of the 2019-2020 Lewisville Lake Symphony season. The two are first and second place winners of the 2019 Lewisville Lake Symphony International Voice Competition.
Both vocalists have performed nationally and internationally, and both are doctoral students at the highly acclaimed College of Music at the University of North Texas.
The concert will feature arias from such favorites as Bizet’s Carmen, Puccini’s La Boheme, and Rossini’s Barber of Seville. In addition, the symphony will perform familiar selections from operas by Verdi, Gounod, and others.
Under the baton of Maestro Adron Ming, the Lewisville Lake Symphony is an all-professional orchestra that has brought great music to North Texas audiences for 35 years.
The concert is on Friday, September 13, at 7:30, at the MCL Grand in Old Town Lewisville. Tickets may be purchased at www.lewisvillesymphony.orgor at the door the night of the concert.
January 12 @ 1:00pm
Larkins Music Center – 2nd floor, Willson Recital Hall
Let the stars of tomorrow’s opera stage entertain you with their talent. Named for Mobile Opera’s founder, this venerable vocal competition attracts emerging artists from around the Southeast to compete for cash scholarships, recognition and prestige. The top ten finalists will present their selections for a panel of judges and you, as a member of the audience, can be a judge as well. The collective vote of the audience will be included in the selection process and the winners announced on the spot.
Pianist ChoEun Lee and I will be performing a set of Joseph Marx pieces on UNT’s CollabFest 2018 Closing Concert.
This evening's concert will feature works by CollabFest composer-in-residence, Juliana Hall and include the world premiere of Cameos. This set is based on texts written by UNT Faculty Molly Fillmore.
Performers - Molly Fillmore, soprano and Elvia Puccinelli, piano ; UNT Voice and Collaborative Piano students
Join the Lewisville Lake Symphony in their first Chamber Series concert of the season featuring Samantha Kantak (soprano), Michael Anthony McGee (baritone), and Imre Pátkai (piano). The concert will include works by Berlin, Cipullo, Grieg, Ropartz, and Sibelius.
Showcase Recital of Award-Winning American Composer Tom Cipullo featuring UNT Music Faculty and the world premiere of An Earth to Walk Upon performed by UNT DMA candidate Michael Anthony McGee, voice and Guest Artist, Liza Stepanova, piano.
Featuring UNT Singers and the UNT Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by David Itkin.
Role: Liù cover
Turandot is Puccini's final opera.
The performance will be sung in Italian with the UNT Symphony Orchestra and Grand Chorus.
David Itkin, conductor
Edvard Grieg, Sechs Lieder, Opus 48
1. Gruss
2. Dereinst, Gedanke mein
3. Lauf der Welt
4. Die verschwiegene Nachtigall
5. Zur Rosenzeit
6. Ein Traum
Jean Sibelius
1. Den första kyssen (op.37, no. 1)
2. Aus banger Brust (op. 50, no. 4)
3. Våren flyktar hastigt (op. 13, no. 4)
4. Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (op. 37, no. 5)
5. Svarta rosor (op. 36, no. 1)
6. Var det en dröm (op. 37, no. 4)
André Previn, Two Remembrances
1. A Love Song
2. Lyric
Samuel Barber, Knoxville, Summer of 1915
Role: Contessa
Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is the ultimate romantic comedy.
The performance will be sung in Italian with the UNT Symphony Orchestra.
David Ward, director
Stephen Dubberly, conductor
November 4, 6, 11, and 13, 2016
Samantha Kantak and Heeyoung Choi will be performing Thomas Kotcheff's "Ceceilia Speaks" on UNT's First Annual Collab Fest on Saturday, October 22nd at 2:00 p.m. in the Recital Hall at UNT.
https://collaborativepiano.music.unt.edu/collabfest
The 2016 University of North Texas College of Music Gala, Heroes and Villains of the Stage, featuring the Symphony Orchestra and student vocalists.
https://recording.music.unt.edu/live
Samantha will be featured alongside fellow UNT students in singing a concert to honor Dean Richmond.
With something for everyone, this evening’s concert will be a crowd pleaser. Samantha Kantak will perform opera and operetta favorites by Dvorak and from Die Fledermaus, Barber of Seville and more. This year marks her first SummerFest appearance, coming off a recent debut with the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra. She will be joined by Kristen Hertzenberg for a delightful duet. Scott Thornburg will dazzle with the popular Carnival of Venice for trumpet and orchestra. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician around the world. Currently, he is a professor at Western Michigan University, and a member of the acclaimed Western Brass Quintet and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. These performances will make for an evening not to be missed!
Soprano Kristen Hertzenberg will accompany the orchestra through a program of classic and modern Broadway favorites by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Schwartz and more. In addition, she’ll be joined by soprano Samantha Kantak on a special duet.
A number of the SummerFest soloists and instrumentalists will entertain individually prior to joining the orchestra later in the week. Enjoy performances by these talented artists in a relaxed setting. Scheduled to perform are: Tim Fain; Kristen Hertzenberg andSamantha Kantak, accompanied on piano by David Itkin; the SummerFest Brass Quintet and Tom Robin Harris.
Join Chelsea Opera for a fully staged production of Puccini's Suor Angelica with chamber orchestra and a special segment of other Puccini compositions to round out the evening.
June 16 & 17, 2016
Samantha Kantak premieres the role of Iméra in Benjamin Shirey's miniature opera Transient Delete.
Samantha Kantak joins UNT's Nova Ensemble to perform Harbison's Mirabai Songs and to premiere two songs from Ermir Bejo's Catullo Songs.
Role: Nerone
L'incoronazione di Poppea (SV 308, The Coronation of Poppaea) is an Italian opera by Claudio Monteverdi, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paulo in Venice during the 1643 carnival season. One of the first operas to use historical events and people, it describes how Poppea, mistress of the Roman emperor Nero, is able to achieve her ambition and be crowned empress. Performed with the UNT Baroque Orchestra under the direction of Paul Leenhouts, Conductor, and David Ward, Stage Director.
April 8 & 10, 2016
Samantha Kantak joins the Abilene Philharmonic Symphony and Chorus for an evening of favorite Broadway love songs including “All The Things You Are,” “If I Loved You,” and “People Will Say We’re In Love”. Ask about dedicating a song to your sweetheart.
Role: Donna Elvira
UNT Opera presents Mozart's Don Giovanni, a two-act opera based on tale of the legendary libertine Don Juan. The production is directed by Visiting Opera Stage Director David Ward and conducted by UNT Opera Music Director Stephen Dubberly.
November 6 & 15, 2015
The UNT Symphony Orchestra performs in concert with the fall 2014 College of Music Concerto Competition winners. UNT Symphony Orchestra conductor David Itkin will direct the orchestra along with six graduate student conductors.
The program includes:
