Top: “Sing to Love, Everlasting Happiness,” sing students in Carthage’s Die Fledermaus. Above: International opera sensation Nicole Cabell works with Carthage voice major Tess Warner.
Carthage performed Dido and Aeneas.Carthage mounted a double bill of Menotti’s The Medium (above) and Amahl and the Night Visitors (below).

Opera at Carthage


The mission of the Carthage classical voice program is to provide quality operatic and art song training founded in a liberal arts education. Students in the classical voice program declare a major in vocal performance; this program combines history and literature courses with applied performance courses. In addition to the core music major, students in the vocal performance program engage in courses in vocal diction and literature, vocal pedagogy, and opera. Students in the vocal performance track have two lessons each week to prepare them for the technical demands of opera and art song. Students in the vocal performance track are encouraged, though not required, to take coursework in dance and acting to supplement their performance skills.


The goals of the opera program are to:


  • ✓ Develop comprehensive musicianship,
  • ✓ Develop mastery of performance skills in opera and art song,
  • ✓ Develop an appreciation of the history and literature of opera and art song, including its styles, conventions, and social context, and
  • ✓ Provide artistic stimulation and cultural enrichment for students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community through the performance of operas and song recitals.

Students in the vocal performance emphasis will be able to:


  • ✓ Demonstrate a professional level of voice production and technique,
  • ✓ Demonstrate proficiency in sight singing and basic musicianship,
  • ✓ Analyze and interpret classical vocal literature from a variety of styles and genres, including Italian, French, and German repertoire,
  • ✓ Demonstrate proficiency in audition techniques, and
  • ✓ Demonstrate the ability to integrate vocal and dramatic expression in opera and art song for a fully realized performance.