Alumna Laura Begley, ’10, is set to perform on her home stage
Fort Collins, Colo. – The Alumni Series at Colorado State University this spring features a special performance by CSU alumna Laura Begley, ’10, mezzo-soprano, on Tuesday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Organ Recital Hall at the University Center for the Arts, located at 1400 Remington St.
Tickets are $7 for CSU students, $1 for youth (under 18), and $12 for the public. Tickets are available at the University Center for the Arts (UCA) ticket office in the UCA lobby, by phone at 970-491-ARTS (2787). Youth tickets must be purchased in person at the Ticket Office. Advance purchase is recommended to avoid at-the-door fees.
After graduating from CSU in 2010 with a B.M. in Vocal Performance, Begley is currently pursuing her M.M. in Voice from the University of North Texas. She was named the winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the Tulsa District in 2012 and has been part of the Dallas Opera Young Artist Program since 2012. Additionally, Laura made her Saratoga Opera debut last summer as Alisa in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor.
During her time at CSU, Begley was involved in Chamber Choir, Concert Choir, and CSU Opera Theatre (now the Ralph Opera Center). Begley’s beautiful voice has even taken her to Austria, where she was one of two 19-year-olds enrolled in a six-week lieder program through the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz.
While finishing her degree at UNT, she performs main stage productions and helps with the company’s education outreach programs. She is excited to return to the Organ Recital Hall once again at her alma mater.
“The last time I was in the Organ Recital Hall was for my senior recital,” said Laura. “I am so grateful for all the encouragement I had from the faculty, the dean, and others during my time at CSU. There aren’t a lot of schools where you can expect that kind of support, so it will feel more like home.”
Her recital will feature “The Deepest Desire” by contemporary American composer Jake Heggie, best known for the opera, Dead Man Walking. The woman at the core of that emotional story, Sister Helen Prejean, also inspired the song cycle, “Deepest Desire,” based on her writings about her faith and the work she’s done in the name of social justice. The cycle will also feature CSU alumnae Jamie Wheelock, M.M. ’10, flute.
“The piece is really beautiful,” said Laura. “I initially started working on it when Jake Heggie was UNT’s composer-in-residence and I was able to coach the song with him. I’ve performed a couple of the pieces since then but never the set in its entirety so I’m very excited.”
Begley has performed in seventeen operas thus far, and does not plan on stopping anytime soon. She has won three semi-finalist awards, two finalist awards, three first-place awards, and was named CSU’s Singer of the Year in 2009. Although she would have been a great musical therapist, her decision to focus her life on performance has been for the best, not only for herself, but for any audience fortunate enough to see her sing live as well.
The University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University provides an enriched venue in which the study and practice of Art, Dance, Music and Theatre are nurtured and sustained by building the skills and knowledge needed by future generations of arts professionals to become contributors to the essential vitality of our culture and society. During the 2013-2014 season, the UCA celebrates its fifth anniversary and features several celebratory events that highlight connecting our campus and community with impactful arts.
For more information, visit UCA.Colostate.edu.