Highlights from 2023-24

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60 years of Music Theatre and Opera

The 2023–24 Music Theatre and Opera season in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre commemorated 60 years. The season celebrated six decades of producing a wide variety of new and old operas and musicals at ASU and of supporting student projects. In January, the Music Theatre and Opera program also hosted the National Opera Association’s annual conference. In the 60 years since its creation, Music Theatre and Opera students, faculty, staff and guest artists staged 300 productions, played an important role in the development of dozens of new works and produced numerous world premieres. Read more. 

Ladies of Hip-Hop

Dance students got a special opportunity to hear from and work with Ladies of Hip-Hop founder Michele Byrd-McPhee. In preparation for the School of Music, Dance and Theatre’s annual Sol Power hip-hop festival, guest artists Byrd-McPhee and Reyna Nuñez participated in a panel discussion facilitated by associate professor and critically-acclaimed dance artist, LaTasha Barnes. Following the panel, the guest artist held court as DJ Rita Spirit laid down tracks. Byrd-McPhee is the founder and executive director of the Ladies of Hip-Hop and works to recontextualize spaces and conversations about hip-hop culture along gender, sex, cultural, socio-historical and racial lines. Read more about the experience. 

Latinx Leadership Academy in the Performing Arts 

Professor Micha Espinsoa launched the Latinx Leadership Academy in the Performing Arts to help Latino students receive the support they need in arts careers. This initiative through the School of Music, Dance and Theatre seeks to empower Latino high school students to pursue careers in the performing arts by addressing and removing barriers they may encounter. The programming targets underserved schools and uses culturally sustaining methods to support students in hopes of increasing the representation of Latino students in the arts. Learn more.

CBDNA performance

The Arizona State University Wind Symphony was one of eight ensembles selected to perform at the combined Western/Northwestern Division Conference of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 27–30, 2024. In addition to the performance from the 70-member band made of students, led by Jamal Duncan, associate director of bands, the program also included Jason Caslor, director of bands, and ASU’s very own LOTUS, a saxophone quartet that won the silver medal for outstanding performance at the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition. Learn more. 

Books and albums 

Faculty artists in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre continue to inspire and teach beyond ASU through ongoing work. Some faculty highlights from the 2023-24 year include assistant director of music graduate studies and associate professor Deanna Swoboda’s “Identity” album release, assistant director of theatre and associate professor Kristin Hunt’s book “Gut Knowledges: Culinary Performance and Activism in the Post-Truth Era,” and associate director for curriculum and instruction and dance professor Karen Schupp’s book “Futures of Performance: The Responsibilities of Performing Arts in Higher Education.” 

60 years of Music Theatre and Opera photo by Tim Trumble
Ladies of Hip-Hop photo by Lacy Chaffee
Latinx Leadership Academy in the Performing Arts photo by courtesy of Espinosa
CBDNA performance courtesy of the school

Interested in news from the School of Music, Dance and Theatre? Stay up to date at musicdancetheatre.asu.edu/about/news.

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