Baylor Opera Theatre

Congratulations to senior Alexia Rivera for receiving an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition! Sic 'em, Alexia! 🐻 💚💛

After an amazing five days in Boston at the National Opera Association national conference, we're excited to share that we won second place in both Opera Division I and II in the Robert Hansen Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition (out of 41 entries!); four of our students sang in masterclasses for industry leaders; eight of our students presented peer-reviewed research posters, and two of our students won first place in the undergraduate division of the juried poster presentation awards!

We performed, presented, learned, listened, networked, laughed, and saw Boston. We're so thankful for our time at the 2026 National Opera Association national conference! Now for a week of rest before the spring semester begins. Sic 'em! 💚 💛 🐻

What do BOT students do during winter break? More opera, of course! This week, 17 of our current Baylor Opera Theatre students and alumni are in Wichita, Kansas, with Dr. Stephenson, performing in Le nozze di Figaro Amahl and the Night Visitors, Hänsel und Gretel, and an evening of opera scenes with Music On Site, Inc.

L-R back row: Honorary Baylor Bear Justin Ramm-Damron, John Jovicich, Alexia Rivera, Camille Bullard, Sofia Rohlman, Rebecca Walsh ('25), Jordan Roth ('25), Davian Raggio ('24), Mackenzie Block, Ella Selden, Bryce Comeaux, Stephan Gomez ('25).

L-R front row: Dr. Stephenson, Amy Krutsch ('21), Hannah Park ('25), McKenzie McCowan ('25).

Not pictured: Nalani Defensor, Jackson Phillips, Alan Hollinger.

Baylor University School of Music

Baylor Students: Tomorrow at 4pm in Recital Hall II, come learn about what recording equipment you can borrow from the Experiential Learning Center, and how this equipment can help your audition videos shine!

That's a wrap on our production of Michael Ching's Notes On Viardot! We had an amazing time telling this story, and learning more about Pauline Viardot and her contemporaries. Thank you so much to everyone who attended the performances. Until next time!

Our final artist of Notes On Viardot appears in so many different roles, it's difficult to keep track of him! In his Baylor Opera Theatre debut, Nathan Clark appears as an opera singer in the employ of the Garcia family, a bandit in Mexico, the Emperor of Russia, and Robert Schumann. We're thrilled to have Nathan with us - don't miss him in Notes On Viardot at 3pm today!

Nathan Clark, tenor, is pursuing a degree in Vocal Performance at Baylor University, where he studies with Dr. Mark Diamond and sings in the Baylor A Ca****la Choir under Dr. Kristina MacMullen. A two-time TMEA All-State Choir member, Nathan has performed with the Kansas State University Summer Choral Institute and the Houston Grand Opera’s Bauer Family High School Voice Studio. As a member of the St. Paul’s Choral Scholars, he toured Austria in 2024. Nathan has received recognition as the Bay Area Chorus Ralph & Richard Parr Music Excellence Winner and as a prizewinner in competitions with Houston Grand Opera and Houston Masterworks Chorus.

When the Garcia family went to New York to perform, and then on to Mexico, Pauline was only about five years old, but the trip made a tremendous impression on her, and her recollection of the voyage marks Notes On Viardot's introduction of the Garcia family.

Pauline Viardot had many students throughout her illustrious career. One student, Désirée Artôt, was a Belgian soprano who was famed in German and Italian opera and sang mainly in Germany. In 1868 she was engaged, briefly, to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who may have coded her name into works such as his First Piano Concerto and the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture. While the Notes On Viardot character is not meant to directly represent Madame Artôt, it is not hard to see where the character of this voice student and family friend may have gotten her name.

In the roles of Youngest Pauline and Désirée, we're thrilled to welcome Caroline Holt in her first appearance with Baylor Opera Theatre!

Caroline Holt is a soprano from Plano, Texas, and this is her Baylor Opera debut! She has performed with various choral ensembles for the last eight years, and has had the honor of being a part of the Texas All-State Treble choir as well as the region honor choirs in her hometown. She is a student of Dr. Mark Diamond, Assistant Professor of Voice at Baylor University, and she is currently a member of Baylor’s Concert Choir.

Manuel García the younger, elder brother of Pauline Viardot, was a singer, music educator, and vocal pedagogue who invented the first laryngoscope. He spent most of his career teaching at the Paris Conservatory and the Royal Academy of Music, London. Among his accomplished students was Jenny Lind, one of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, whose career he has been credited with saving after she had suffered vocal damage from overwork in her early twenties.

Pauline's son Paul Viardot grew up to become a famous violinist and composer who appeared with great success in Paris and London. Paul was a close friend of Gabriel Fauré, who dedicated his first violin sonata to him.

In the roles of both Manuel and Paul, we're excited to showcase returning BOT student Travis Driver!

Travis Driver is a baritone from Spring, Texas. He is a third-year BM Vocal Performance student and studies voice under Dr. Mark Diamond. In addition to singing, Travis has studied piano and french horn, has sung with several choral ensembles, and has acted in over forty musicals. This is Travis’ second year performing with
Baylor Opera Theatre.

The criticism Pauline Viardot received during her career centered on her appearance, the unique timbre of her voice, and her powerful dramatic style, which some found unconventional. These criticisms often came wrapped in backhanded compliments that highlighted her talent while still holding her to traditional 19th-century feminine standards. Viardot faced intense rivalry with other performers, such as soprano Giulia Grisi, who was among the leading sopranos of the 19th century. Although the character Giulia is not meant to be a representation of Giulia Grisi, this certainly informs the character's name. In the role of Giulia, we're excited to welcome Monica Malas back to the BOT stage!

Monica Malas, a soprano and senior Church Music major, has been actively involved in opera since 2023. Under the mentorship of Mark Diamond, Monica has cultivated a strong foundation in vocal artistry and interpretation. Her operatic repertoire includes performances in Luisa Fernanda, Hansel und Gretel, Speed Dating Tonight!, and Cendrillon, showcasing her versatility across both classical and contemporary works. With a passion for sacred music and dramatic storytelling, Monica continues to refine her artistry as she prepares for a career that bridges spiritual expression and operatic excellence.

Joaquina Sitches, also known under the stage name of Joaquina Briones or, after her marriage, of Joaquina García, was a Spanish actress and operatic soprano. The matriarch of the famed Garcia family, she was the wife of tenor, composer and impresario Manuel García, and the mother of the pedagogue Manuel García the younger, of the mezzo Maria Malibran, and of the mezzo and composer Pauline Viardot.

Throughout Pauline Viardot's life, there were many rivals who wished to bringer her down. In Notes On Viardot, these detractors are represented by two fictional characters: F***y and Giulia.

In the roles of both Madame Garcia and F***y, we're thrilled to feature BOT-veteran Ella Selden!

Ella Selden is a mezzo-soprano based in Atascosita, TX. She is a Senior Vocal Performance major at Baylor University studying under Dr. Morgan Manifacier. This is her second year in the Baylor Opera Theater. She has performed in The BOT scenes showcase as well as the Outreach Opera, and her most recent performance as Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. Ella has received awards as a finalist for TEXOMA NATS competition and looks forward to competing in future events.

Music critic Alfred de Musset was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist. Along with his poetry, he is known for writing the autobiographical novel La Confession d'un enfant du siècle "The Confession of a Child of the Century."

Charles Dickens was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.

In the roles of both Alfred de Musset and Charles Dickens, we're excited to feature returning BOT star John Jovicich!

John Jovicich is an aspiring baritone who one day hopes to fulfill his dream of becoming a full-time professional opera singer. He decided upon opera as a career when he was just twelve years old after a tragic hip disease afflicted him and ended his passion for gymnastics. After being accepted into the Baylor School of Music and studying with Dr. Jamie Van Eyck and Dr. Robert Best, John fell evermore in love with music and the art of singing and has dedicated his being to connecting with audiences around the world through opera. His most recent roles include Masetto in Don Giovanni, Pictordu in Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon, Ford in Falstaff, and Melisso in Alcina. John would like to thank his parents for being supportive throughout his career, as well as his partner Hannah, who has helped his dreams become a reality.

George Sand was one of many notable 19th-century women who chose to wear male attire in public. In 1800, the police chief of Paris issued an order requiring women to apply for a pass in order to wear male clothing. Sand obtained this permit in 1831, justifying it as being less expensive and far sturdier than the typical dress of a noblewoman at the time.

In the role of George Sand on Sunday afternoon, we're thrilled to feature returning BOT artist Sarah Martinez!

Sarah Noemi Martinez was born and raised in Houston Texas. She has received her BA in music and minor in Christianity from Houston Christian University. She is now attaining her dual master’s degree in Divinity and Music (Church Music- Vocal Performance). Currently, she serves as Truett’s Chapel Coordinator and the Worship and Student Pastor at Park Lake Drive Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. She plans to continue ministry and vocal performance for the years that lie ahead.