40 The partnership would give OSU students a chance to perform with the Tulsa Opera. It would enable OSU to put on the major productions, drawing opera audiences from across Oklahoma and surrounding states. It could mean classes taught by industry professionals. It would allow non-students to take opera appreciation classes. There would be money for scholarships, internships and outof-state tuition waivers. Most important, the partnership would help OSU build a vocal performance graduate program for talented undergraduates. It will be a model for other opera companies and universities. “OSU’s Master of Music program could be expanded into an intensive three-year curriculum that would include a yearlong fellowship with Tulsa Opera,” says Golliver, her voice rising in pride. “This project will create an innovative collaboration between a professional opera company and an institution of higher learning that will be unique in the central United States.” Golliver wants OSU vocal performance majors to have access to major companies for auditions, internships and eventually employment. She also wants to introduce OSU and the community to opera. “One thing we currently do to introduce OSU opera to new audiences is perform at local wine bars,” Golliver says. “We’ve been well-received. We also taught a series of classes through OSU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the Stillwater library as a way to get people excited about what we’re doing.” GROWING WITH INNOVATION Golliver says innovation will allow opera to survive in a down economy when the arts in general are struggling, and opera houses are fighting to bring in audiences and supplement loyal fans. Innovation is everywhere in opera, she points out, such as with The Met: Live in HD, for which The Metropolitan Opera simulcasts live performances at movie theaters. Golliver understands it can be a tough battle. The university has a fantastic vocal program, but there are more undergraduates enrolled in vocal education than vocal performance. “For the opera program to grow, we must increase our vocal performance enrollment,” says Golliver, who emphatically defends the university’s curriculum. Golliver wants OSU to be a destination for opera lovers and is looking for ways to attract attention in times of tight budgets campus wide. As many OSU programs hampered by a sagging economy have done, opera productions are finding innovative ways to succeed with limited funds. “Our opera production budget is $1,600,” Golliver says. “We have to do a lot with a limited budget. It costs $1,600 just for the rights to some of the more popular operas.” That hasn’t stopped her efforts to give audiences top-flight productions. She just has to use spit, glue, elbow grease and helping hands wherever she can find them. Her father often constructs sets and her mom sews costumes. The local theater company either loans or donates props. They also borrow costumes from other universities. But, you can’t borrow students. ATTRACTING TOP TALENT “You can’t get the great vocal performance majors if you don’t have a program for them to study,” Golliver says. There is a snowball effect. Having a host of talented students to cast allows you to put on more shows for the public. More shows means more interest in OSU opera. More interest means more money. More donations bring better programs. Better programs mean more top students. “At more developed programs, the more difficult opera roles are filled by graduate students whose voices are more mature,” says Golliver, who explains that it takes time to train and condition voices — and vocal cords — for some of the challenging roles in major operas. “At OSU, we tend to cast freshmen and sophomores in those roles because we don’t have those mature voices.” Golliver thinks of each of her students as her children. She’s passionate about giving them an education that will allow them to compete successfully against voice performance students across the country. SEIZING THE DREAM Will Golliver’s partnership with Tulsa Opera become a reality? Will the dreams for OSU’s opera program be realized? While a bit anxious about the Tulsa Opera opportunity being snatched away by other universities, Golliver is optimistic that whether it is alumni, a corporate sponsor or a charitable organization, someone will jump start the dream. After all, Golliver is proof for the skeptical that OSU Cowboys will do what it takes to succeed. “I remember being told by someone because of my Okie accent I’d never be an opera singer,” Golliver says with a laugh. “I was just someone from dinky little Lucien. When you have a dream and an extreme passion for something, no one can stop you from achieving success. “I strongly believe our program is going in the right direction and with my energy, this partnership with Tulsa Opera and help from the community we will become the No. 1 opera program in Oklahoma and an opera force in this part of the United States.”
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