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Holman, Leigh

Associate Professor

Positions

Research Areas research areas

Research

research overview

  • Holman's research is concentrated in the areas of musical/theatrical stage production, stage direction and the professional development of new American opera works. She is the Artistic Director for a nationally recognized new music and theater development organization. The New Opera Workshop (CU NOW) is in session for the month of June each calendar year. Nationally and Internationally renowned professional opera composers and librettists are in residency at CU Boulder for three weeks. With a new opera project to develop, advanced singers work with them to bring their music from the written page to performance. During the workshop, they can rewrite within a few hours’ notice, reshape, and perfect their work. Holman provides artistic and dramaturgical guidance to the creators. In addition to these research topics, others include acting and opera directing pedagogy. Her specialized work is comprised of historical, literary and musical research, creation of original staging for operatic productions, character development, acting techniques, movement and visual aspects of opera and musical theatre productions. Public performances of her research include large productions of Verdi's Falstaff, Massenet's Cendrillon, Puccini's La Boheme, Loesser's Guys and Dolls, Heggie's It's a Wonderful Life, Mozart's le nozze di Figaro, and many other fully produced titles performed with orchestra. She is currently conducting research for a large writing project entitled 'Jake Heggie and the Rise in Prominence of American Opera in the 21st Century' In her additional position as faculty administrator, her other areas of research for personal and professional growth are the following: Effective Leadership Intimacy Direction Acting Arts Administration Motivating students Opera Marketing Opera Budgeting Building Audiences Business Startup and Success Harnessing the Creative Process Technology in the classroom Technology in opera Technology for productivity

keywords

  • theatrical directing, developing new works with nationally renowned composers and librettists, collaborating with prof scenic, lighting and costume designers, acting, teaching operatic acting methods, opera, vocal music, new american operatic music productions, stage direction teaching methods, dramaturgy, American musical theater, opera and musical theater outreach programs, history and literature as is related to opera and theater, score study, dramatic and musical coaching

Teaching

courses taught

  • PMUS 4137 - Opera Theatre 1
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023
    Addresses issues related to young artist development. Areas of concentration include (but are not limited to) acting technique, resume preparation, audition technique, scene analysis, and role preparation. The acting technique is addressed in this course through textbook reading and exercise. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
  • PMUS 4147 - Opera Theatre 2
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
    Continuation of PMUS 4137. Further scene analysis andmovement exercises are addressed in this class. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
  • PMUS 5137 - Opera Theatre 1
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023
    Addresses issues related to young artist development at the graduate level. Areas of concentration will include (but are not limited to) acting technique for singers, resume preparation and scene and character analysis. Students will participate in acting and improvisation exercises. Substantial classical voice study is required. Recommended prerequisite: Voice Majors only. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
  • PMUS 5147 - Opera Theatre 2
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
    Continuation of PMUS 5137. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.

Background

International Activities