Two operas produced by the School of Music have won first place awards in the National Opera Association's Opera Production Competition.

UNCG Opera Theatre's productions of “Little Women” and “Susannah” during the 2003-04 season won first place in two categories in the annual competition. UNCG competed with institutions such as the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Temple University and the University of Michigan. The operas were judged on the basis of musical accuracy and style, quality of singing and accompaniment, directorial concept, quality of acting and production values. The categories were defined primarily by production budget levels.

David Holley, director of opera at UNCG since 1992, accepted the honor at an awards ceremony in New York in early January at the annual NOA convention. This is the seventh first-place award for UNCG Opera Theatre in the past decade. Other first-place wins include productions of “Orpheus in the Underworld” (2001), “The Consul” (2000), "Dialogues of the Carmelites" (1997), "Amahl and the Night Visitors" (1996) and "Don Giovanni" (1994).

Opera Theatre produced the North Carolina premiere of “Little Women” by Mark Adamo in November 2003 and “Susannah” by Carlisle Floyd in April 2004. Adamo attended opening night of "Little Women" and was in residence to work with the cast for several days the week before. As a result, audio excerpts from the production will appear (upon Adamo's recommendation) on a sampler CD that music publisher G. Schirmer is producing and distributing to opera companies worldwide.

The UNCG School of Music produces four operas each year, including a full-scale production each spring. Productions on the spring 2005 schedule are “The Mighty Casey,” March 16-17 at First Horizon Park, and “Lakme,” March 31, April 1 and April 3 in Aycock Auditorium on the UNCG campus. For more information about opera theatre at UNCG, visit http://opera.uncg.edu.