Opera
UNI Opera has an exciting season ahead!
We pride ourselves in being a program that is successful because of the participation of a mixture of undergraduate music majors and non-majors and graduate voice students. When students are interested in opera, we understand the educational value to them in whatever field they will pursue. We are stronger because of our inclusive approach to participation. Additional collaborations with the dance program and the theatre department have rejuvenated our creativity and created a professional atmosphere in which students participate in the highly collaborative process of bringing an opera to the stage.
To get involved in UNI Opera on stage, backstage or to support our young artists, please contact music@uni.edu.
Purchase Tickets
Join us for our upcoming events!
In addition to attending performances, please consider further supporting our students and program by donating to the UNI Opera Fund to help support our outstanding students and our production needs.
History & Mission
The mission of UNI Opera is to engage and nurture students in the creative and collaborative process of performing and producing multi-disciplinary musical works for the stage, so that graduates have a solid and comprehensive foundation to pursue a successful and enjoyable professional and/or personal musical life journey.
UNI Opera began in 1955 with its first production, Gianni Schicchi, when the University of Northern Iowa was still known as the Iowa State Teachers College. Since then, the ensemble has produced over 80 full productions, multiple musicals, countless scenes programs and galas, and many outreach performances.
We have a long legacy, mounting fully produced shows each year since 1900. The comic opera Robin Hood was put on by The Aristotelian Literary Society in 1900, making UNI Opera one of the oldest opera programs in our state. We have a long list of graduates from the UNI School of Music voice and opera program who have gone on to have successful careers in opera. Read more about alumni in our Alumni Profiles.
Students in UNI opera regularly work with outstanding faculty, student, and guest musicians. Full productions include regular collaboration with the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra.
- View the full production history
Season UNI Opera & UNI Lyric Theatre/TheatreUNI full productions 2023-2024 Glitter or Gold?, Opera Scenes, Suor Angelica, American Spirituals Intensive Workshop 2022-2023 Glitter or Gold?, Opera Workshop, The Beehive 2021-2022 Glitter or Gold?, Dido & Aeneas, In the Studio, Mozart & The Guise 2020-2021 The Monteverdi Project, In the Studio 2019-2020 Opera Gala (featuring excerpts from La cenerentola, Macbeth, Turandot, Il trovatore, Les contes d’Hoffmann, Béatrice et Bénédict, Così fan tutte, and Idomeneo) 2018-2019 Serse 2017-2018 Hansel and Gretel, Excerpts from Jackie O, Riders to the Sea 2016-2017 L’enfant et des sortilèges , Signor Deluso 2015-2016 Susannah 2014-2015 The Merry Wives of Windsor, Excerpts from the operas of Jake Heggie 2013-2014 Dido and Aeneas, A Game of Chance 2012-2013 Amahl and the Night Visitors, A Hand of Bridge, Opera Gala (featuring excerpts from The Wreckers, Il trovatore, Le nozze di Figaro, Les contes d’Hoffmann, Countess Maritza, and Candide) 2011-2012 Die Zauberflöte, The Impresario 2010-2011 Die Fledermaus 2009-2010 Riders to the Sea, Prima Donna 2008-2009 Opera Gala (featuring excerpts from La traviata, Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Candide, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, and Götterdämmerung) 2007-2008 The Crucible 2006-2007 A Chorus Line 2005-2006 La serva padrona, Gianni Schicchi 2004-2005 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 2003-2004 The Tender Land 2002-2003 The Threepenney Opera 2001-2002 Die Zauberflöte 2000-2001 La périchole 1999-2000 Dido and Aeneas, Cabaret 1998-1999 Le nozze di Figaro 1997-1998 Suor Angelica, A Little Night Music 1996-1997 Die Fledermaus, The Old Maid and the Thief, The Telephone 1995-1996 Fiddler on the Roof 1994-1995 L’elisir d’amore 1993-1994 The Merry Widow, Così fan tutte 1992-1993 Gianni Schicchi, West Side Story 1991-1992 Amahl and the Night Visitors 1990-1991 Die Zauberflöte 1988-1989 A Little Night Music, The Dialogues of the Carmelites 1987-1988 The Bartered Bride 1986-1987 The Pirates of Penzance, Cabaret 1983-1984 La bohème 1982-1983 The Mikado 1981-1982 Candide 1980-1981 Die Fledermaus 1979-1980 Così fan tutte, Albert Herring 1978-1979 Fiddler on the Roof 1977-1978 Hansel and Gretel 1976-1977 Oklahoma! 1973-1974 The Saint of Bleeker Street 1972-1973 The Pirates of Penzance, West Side Story 1970-1971 The Mikado, Gianni Schicchi 1969-1970 Madama Butterfly 1968-1969 La périchole 1967-1968 The Threepenney Opera 1965-1966 La bohème, Le nozze di Figaro 1964-1965 Così fan tutte 1963-1964 Street Scene 1961-1962 The Medium 1960-1961 The Student Prince 1959-1960 I pagliacci 1958-1959 Kiss me Kate 1956-1957 The Mikado 1955-1956 Gianni Schicchi
UNI Opera Fund
Want to get involved? Donations to the University of Northern Iowa Opera Fund aid in providing performance opportunities, technical support for full productions, opportunities for travel, and much more for students in Opera. Your contribution to the ensemble is one of the many ways to cultivate support for music at UNI, and is important for the continued success of UNI Opera. Please consider donating a gift to the UNI Opera Fund through the UNI Foundation by clicking the link below. See you at the next performance!
"As a Vocal Performance major at UNI I have had life changing opportunities while being a part of the UNI opera ensemble. It's amazing to think that I am able to learn how to move an audience while making lifelong friendships at the same time."
-Megan Grey - BM 2016, MM 2018
"The opera program at UNI has provided me with a family that has not only encouraged growth on stage, but provided skills necessary to succeed off stage in academia. Because of this program and the talented team who direct it, I have found a deep love and appreciation for not only this art and university, but the family I have come to know because of it."
-MaKayla McDonald - BM 2015, MM 2017