COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Music (MM) in Opera Performance at Wichita State University is a 38-credit-hour graduate program designed to prepare advanced vocalists for professional careers in opera, musical theatre, and stage performance through intensive training, applied learning, and frequent performance opportunities. Students build on a strong foundation of vocal technique and artistic development while engaging in focused coursework that strengthens their interpretive, dramatic, and musical abilities. The program requires students to select 10 credit hours from advanced opera-related coursework, which may include MUSC 623 Opera Literature, MUSP 711K Opera Theatre (repeatable for credit), and MUSP 773 Acting for Singers, all of which develop performance interpretation, stage presence, and operatic repertoire knowledge. In addition, students complete a required graduate recital (MUSP 873), which serves as a culminating performance experience demonstrating technical mastery, artistic expression, and professional readiness. The curriculum emphasizes both musical and dramatic training, ensuring that students develop the ability to perform convincingly in fully staged operatic productions as well as concert settings. Students must also pass comprehensive examinations that include both musicology/music theory and discipline-specific performance components, ensuring a balanced understanding of academic and applied musical knowledge. Applied learning is a central requirement of the program and is fulfilled through the terminal recital in the second year, where students present a full-length performance under faculty supervision, often involving staged production elements and collaborative work with directors, conductors, and fellow performers. This immersive structure allows students to refine their vocal technique, language diction, acting skills, and stagecraft in a professional-like environment. Overall, the MM in Opera Performance is designed to produce highly skilled, stage-ready vocal artists who are prepared to pursue careers in professional opera companies, musical theatre, teaching, and continued advanced study in the performing arts.