Bemidji State students, guest artists to perform at Opera Night fundraiser
Jan. 16—BEMIDJI — Local students attending Bemidji State University are among more than two dozen singers who will perform at the university's second annual Opera Night, set for Jan. 19-20, in BSU's Beaux Arts Ballroom.
Opera Night is a fundraising concert for the BSU Department of Music and its vocal performance programs. Attendees will enjoy a formal catered dinner while listening to BSU students, faculty and guest artists perform a variety of opera, Broadway and other repertoire, a release said.
The concert will feature more than 20 performances, with ensemble numbers, solo performances and a duet. Guest artists include Emily Bergeron, a graduate vocal performance student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Bergeron is originally from Bemidji and graduated from BSU in 2022 with a degree in vocal performance.
A cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m. each night, with the performance starting at 7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear cocktail attire, but it is not required.
Tickets cost $100 per adult, $75 per student and $15 to view the livestream. BSU is also offering a date night package for $250, which includes two tickets, dinner, sparkling wine, preferred seating and a special keepsake.
To purchase tickets for Opera Night, visit
Becida: Wyatt Parthun, a tenor, is a music major with an emphasis on piano performance and pedagogy vocal performance.
Bemidji:
* Helen Bartlett, a soprano, is a music education major. Bartlett will sing a solo performance of "Che fiero momento" by Christoph Willibald Gluck from "Orfeo ed Euridice."
* Bella Fontana, a soprano, is a vocal performance major. Fontana will sing a solo performance of "The silver aria," by Moore, from "The Ballad of Baby Doe" at Opera Night.
* Megan Moen, a mezzo-soprano, is a vocal performance major.
* Noah Olson, a tenor, is a music education major with a previous degree in vocal performance.
* Blake Staines, a bass, is a vocal performance and psychology major.
Nevis: Hannah Lewis, a soprano, is a music and English major. Lewis will sing a solo performance of "Set Those Sails" by William Finn from "In Trousers."
Puposky: Carson Binkley, a bass baritone, is a vocal performance major. Binkley will perform "Kennst du das Land" by Mark Adamo, from "Little Women," in a duet with Hailee Colgrove, a music major from Motley.
Turtle River: Traci Schanke, a soprano, is a vocal performance major.
