Southeastern NEWS
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Information Office
publicinfo@selu.edu
SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
Date: 3/24/00
Contact: Christina Chapple 98
Photos accompany release
SOUTHEASTERN SOPRANOS HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN LEAD ROLES
HAMMOND -- When the curtain goes up on the Southeastern Louisiana University
Opera-Music Theatre's latest production March 29, one young student singer will be beginning
her career on the Pottle Music Building Auditorium stage, while another will be ending hers.
Kirsten Hoiseth of Wayzata, Minn., who has the title role in Puccini's "Sister Angelica,"
will sing her first lead part at Southeastern, and Jennifer Odom of Moselle, Miss., the lead in
Gustav Holst's "Savitri," will perform her last.
The two short operas will be presented at Pottle Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., March 29-31.
Hoiseth transferred to Southeastern from the University of Minnesota in fall 1999. Odom
has been participating in Southeastern musicals and operas for five years.
The young sopranos have more in common than just their starring status.
Both are talented vocal and instrumental musicians. Hoiseth plays the violin and Odom
will earn her bachelor of music degree in both voice and piano in May. Both came to
Southeastern because of musical "connections." And both students think that audiences will find
the musical evening to be a treat.
Hoiseth admits that how she came to Southeastern from the University of Minnesota is
"an interesting story."
The transfer junior said she had studied violin since the age of three. "I always assumed
that would be what I would do. I had a wonderful teacher in Minneapolis," she said. However,
her experiences singing in church and high school choirs always earned her "a lot of good
feedback," she said. Pursuing the study of voice "just felt right," she said.
"It was the hardest decision to change to voice, a big leap of faith, because I love them
both (singing and the violin), so much," she said. "I just prayed a lot!"
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Her University of Minnesota violin professor, Sally O'Reilly, knew Hoiseth was
struggling with a decision and helped her make her choice. "She was close friends with Miss
Schrock," Hoiseth said. "They were Fulbright scholars together in Germany. I trust Miss
O'Reilly and she told me Miss Schrock was the teacher for me. She called Southeastern 'the best
kept secret in the south.'"
"All the doors started opening for me in singing, so I took that as my cue. I'm happier
than I have ever been," Hoiseth said.
Pressed for an example of why she likes Southeastern so much, Hoiseth shyly admitted,
"I'm getting married now." She and fellow music student James Roberts who has the male lead
in "Savitri" and was praised for his performance in the spring 1999 production of "The Secret
Garden" -- are getting married in July. "I found James, I've made a lot of friends -- and I don't
have to deal with driving in the snow!" Hoiseth said, laughing.
She admitted that another reason she chose Southeastern over studying voice at the
University of Minnesota was the opportunity for performance experience that the smaller school
provides. "At Southeastern, undergraduates get roles and experience. At Minnesota, if you're not
a graduate student, they don't look twice at you."
Odom certainly has benefitted from her on-stage undergraduate experience. The
graduating senior is now graduate-school bound. She hopes to study in New York with New
Orleans' native Ruth Falcon another musical connection. Falcon has been a guest artist at
Southeastern several times, giving master classes for students and performing at Southeastern's
annual Fanfare arts festival.
"She judged me a couple of times and was interested in me auditioning," Odom said.
Odom said she learned about Southeastern five years ago from University of Southern
Mississippi pianist and faculty member Lois Leventhal, who urged her to include Southeastern,
where her husband and fellow pianist, David Evenson, heads the music department, in her
college-hunting trips.
"I wanted to get a double major in piano and voice," Odom explained. "One of the main
reasons I came here is that the music faculty felt like I could do both here, although would take
five years, which it did."
Odom has been in so many shows at Southeastern that she finds it difficult to name a
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TWO SOPRANOS Add two
favorite. "Both shows last year "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "The
Secret Garden" -- were so much fun," she said. Her best performance, however, she thinks was in
Mozart's "The Impressario." "It really got into the meat of my voice," she said.
Odom said her final moments under the lights of the Pottle stage will be "very
sentimental." "I've had a lot of great times on that stage," she said. In "Savitri," "It's really fun,"
she said, "because at the end of the show, I'm the last person singing on the stage."
She said "Savitri" "is beautiful show" and is going to be visually beautiful as well.
Inspired by Indian folklore and legend, the work is contemporary, "but it has beautiful melody
and line. It's not crazy to listen to!" she said.
"The story is neat -- it has a lot of symbolism, and deep meaning," said Odom. "It's a love
story, but more. It is about someone's love being able to surpass the restraints of our world and
reach into the other world. The three-person cast, which includes Odom, Roberts and Krassen
Karagiozov as "Death," "is fun because, with just three of us, we really get close," Odom said.
The show, she thinks, is "a nice contrast to the Puccini."
Hoiseth said the audience will be deeply moved by the tragedy and spirituality of "Sister
Angelica." "Who doesn't like a tragedy? People know what happens in 'Romeo and Juliet,' but
they go and watch it over and over," she said.
"And the music is beautiful and lush it's Puccini!" she said. "The opera is a very
uplifting tragedy. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but it gives hope. It's just a beautiful
piece of work."
Gary Bird of the University of Michigan is the guest director for the production, while
Southeastern music faculty members Chuck Effler and Richard Prior will conduct "Sister
Angelica" and"Savitri," respectively.
Tickets for "Sister Angelica" and "Savitri" are $5 admission and will be available at the
door. Southeastern students will be admitted free with their university I.D.
For additional information about the production, call the music department at 504-549-
2184.
-SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp00.htm