Our company has brought high quality opera to western North Dakota through a labor of love by many people, ever since "The Student Prince" in 1976.
Western Plains is a small opera company with a very good reputation. Minot's community leaders often point to our opera as one of the city's finest cultural organizations. We are responsible for several important musical events a year, but the grand opera we stage is our company's biggest production.
For this, we hire professional lead singers -- often young people who go on to big careers -- as well as professional artistic and stage directors. The rest of the cast, chorus and orchestra are talented local volunteers, usually a great many of them. In addition to our grand opera, we often do a smaller-scale opera or musical, relying on local talent. In recent years we have performed "Amahl and the Night Visitors," Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience," "Hansel and Gretel" and "Gianni Schicci."
Furthermore, we are the sponsoring organization for the musicals and concert of the Western Plains Children's Chorus. This is an outstanding children's chorus with high singing standards. They perform regularly with the Minot Symphony Orchestra and at the Norsk Hostfest, and the Renaissance Feast, in addition to their concerts and summer musical. Led by Sandy Starr for many years, they recently have come under the leadership of Rebecca Petrik.
Tradition
Having started with "The Student Prince," other early productions included "Cosi Fan Tutti," "Barber of Seville," "Marriage of Figaro," "Tosca," "Don Pasquale," "Don Giovanni" and "La Boheme."
Following Wayne Nelson's many years as executive director, Julianne Wallin filled that role wonderfully for a decade, 1984-94. Her tenure was book-ended by successful productions of Johann Strauss's "Die Fledermaus." The other 10 terrific productions she produced from 1985-93 were, in order, "Marriage of Figaro," "La Traviata," "Carmen," (and also in 1987 "Song of
Norway" during the Hostfest), "Don Pasquale," "Madame Butterfly," "Barber of Seville," "The Magic Flute," "The Merry Widow" and "La Boheme."
Ken Bowles took over as head of Western Plains Opera in the autumn of 1994 and has served as executive director ever since. Bowles has been head of choral studies at MSU since 1993 and is now chairman of the music division. He has worked hard to keep the group's tradition vibrantly alive and reminds us always to seek the goal of ever greater achievement. Productions during the
Bowles’ years have included, in order, "Hansel and Gretel," "La Traviata," "Carmen," "Elixir of Love," "Cavelleria Rusticana," "The Impressario," "Don Giovanni," "Orpheus in the Underworld," "Marriage of Figaro," "Don Pasquale," "The Merry Widow," "La Boheme," "Phillip Marshall," "The Mikado," "Die Fledermaus" and "The Bartered Bride."
Western Plains is a small opera company with a very good reputation. Minot's community leaders often point to our opera as one of the city's finest cultural organizations. We are responsible for several important musical events a year, but the grand opera we stage is our company's biggest production.
For this, we hire professional lead singers -- often young people who go on to big careers -- as well as professional artistic and stage directors. The rest of the cast, chorus and orchestra are talented local volunteers, usually a great many of them. In addition to our grand opera, we often do a smaller-scale opera or musical, relying on local talent. In recent years we have performed "Amahl and the Night Visitors," Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience," "Hansel and Gretel" and "Gianni Schicci."
Furthermore, we are the sponsoring organization for the musicals and concert of the Western Plains Children's Chorus. This is an outstanding children's chorus with high singing standards. They perform regularly with the Minot Symphony Orchestra and at the Norsk Hostfest, and the Renaissance Feast, in addition to their concerts and summer musical. Led by Sandy Starr for many years, they recently have come under the leadership of Rebecca Petrik.
Tradition
Having started with "The Student Prince," other early productions included "Cosi Fan Tutti," "Barber of Seville," "Marriage of Figaro," "Tosca," "Don Pasquale," "Don Giovanni" and "La Boheme."
Following Wayne Nelson's many years as executive director, Julianne Wallin filled that role wonderfully for a decade, 1984-94. Her tenure was book-ended by successful productions of Johann Strauss's "Die Fledermaus." The other 10 terrific productions she produced from 1985-93 were, in order, "Marriage of Figaro," "La Traviata," "Carmen," (and also in 1987 "Song of
Norway" during the Hostfest), "Don Pasquale," "Madame Butterfly," "Barber of Seville," "The Magic Flute," "The Merry Widow" and "La Boheme."
Ken Bowles took over as head of Western Plains Opera in the autumn of 1994 and has served as executive director ever since. Bowles has been head of choral studies at MSU since 1993 and is now chairman of the music division. He has worked hard to keep the group's tradition vibrantly alive and reminds us always to seek the goal of ever greater achievement. Productions during the
Bowles’ years have included, in order, "Hansel and Gretel," "La Traviata," "Carmen," "Elixir of Love," "Cavelleria Rusticana," "The Impressario," "Don Giovanni," "Orpheus in the Underworld," "Marriage of Figaro," "Don Pasquale," "The Merry Widow," "La Boheme," "Phillip Marshall," "The Mikado," "Die Fledermaus" and "The Bartered Bride."
