Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The worlds of opera and pop music converge this Sunday, April 18, when Mississippi State’s Department of Music hosts a public performance of “Resurgence” on the Starkville campus.

Admission is free to the 7:30 p.m. outdoor performance at the amphitheater adjacent to Giles Hall. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed.

Students in the MSU music department’s Opera Workshop program have created “Resurgence” under the supervision of Roza Tulyaganova, MSU assistant professor of voice, and Jeanette Fontaine, MSU assistant professor of voice and voice area coordinator.

As artistic director, Tulyaganova said the performance combines opera scenes and pop songs with similar themes, allowing the performers to create and bring to life their own narrative.

“‘Resurgence’ is about the fight for freedom, and our students were involved in the creation of this production on every level,” she said.

Tulyaganova explained that the show’s student assistant directors Tahric J. Lofton of Justin, Texas, and Lauren E. Boozer of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, brainstormed the concept for “Resurgence” and wrote a script connecting scenes into a coherent storyline.

Student assistant conductors Megan Kundel of Starkville and Tavion M. McCorvey of Alabaster, Alabama, led some rehearsals and conducted scenes. Boozer, along with Jaylen S. Stowers of Belton, South Carolina, provided choreography for the show’s dance numbers.

“In addition to our student assistants, every student in the show brings their creativity and talent to the production,” said Fontaine, who is serving as music director. “This show mixes musical styles into a unified work, which allows us to introduce ‘boring opera’ to the new generation in a unique way.”

For more information, contact Fontaine at jfontaine@colled.msstate.edu or Tulyaganova at rozat@colled.msstate.edu.

Learn more about MSU’s College of Education and its Department of Music at www.educ.msstate.edu and www.music.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.