USC music students Madeline Beitel (M.M. ‘16), Nicholas Hawkins (B.M.’16) and James Siarris (B.M. ‘18) are gearing up for a busy July with GLOW Lyric Theatre. The students were selected for three of the four spots in the prestigious GLOW Apprentice Artist Program (GAAP) for GLOW Lyric Theatre’s 2016 summer festival season.

GLOW Lyric Theatre is South Carolina’s only professional opera, operetta and musical theatre company, and each July, GLOW presents two productions with a focus on social justice issues. The aim this summer is to spark conversation on the challenges immigrants and refugees face in South Carolina. As members of the GAAP, Beitel, Hawkins and Siarris participate in vocal coachings and acting workshops and perform in Gounoud’s Romeo et Juliette, which opens the season from July 27-31 at Furman’s McAlister Auditorium. Beitel and Siarris sing in the chorus and cover the roles of the Nurse and Capulet, and Hawkins sings the role of the Duke.

 “We pride ourselves on being a company where pre-professionals can learn, and eventually become the type of professionals who change the world of opera,” said GLOW artistic director Jenna Tamisiea. “USC is one of the top music schools in our state, and GLOW is excited to involve their very talented music students.”

These students were granted School of Music International Travel Grants and are traveling the globe this summer:

•    Mimi Harding (junior B.M. flute performance) - awarded the first place award of $2500 as a result of her proposal, “Music and Politics — A Study of the Argentinean Tango in Argentina.”
•    Michael Brown (D.M.A. voice performance) - awarded a second place award of $1500 for his proposal, “Kasha-Do Teacher Training and Opera Academy in Härnösand, Sweden.”
•    Lindsey Vickers (D.M.A. piano pedagogy) - awarded a third place award of $1000 for the proposal, “Music Fest Perugio, in Perugio Italy”
•    Culley Lesch (senior B.M. theory) – awarded one of two fourth place awards of $500 for the proposal, “Theory and analysis of Contemporary Music in Paris, France.”
•    Mugel Hijar (M.M. flute performance) – awarded one of two fourth place awards of $500 for the proposal, “Vianden Festival in Vianden, Luxembourg.”