Produce a new opera, Le Roman de Silence

Anthony T. Buck’s new opera about a woman raised as a man in medieval Europe will draw you in with magic, dragons, adventure, and love. This opera asks us to rethink our assumptions about gender roles and identity, and whether Nature and Nurture are friends or foes.

St. Paul's Episcopal

May 18 7:30 PM

May 19 3:00 PM

An aria from the opera was selected for performance from more than a hundred submissions to the 2023 New Music Concert (link) competition held by Opera Contempo, giving life to the music for the first time. Additional pieces from the opera were sung in a concert (link) hosted at the Utah Opera studios in August 2023, and now, a full reading with piano and string quartet will be at St. Paul's Episcopal (900 E 300 S) May 18 at 7:30 PM and 19th at 3:00 PM in Salt Lake City.

Performers singing in the scheduled reading:

Silence - Julia Gershkoff, Soprano

Nurture - Michael Shoaf, Countertenor

Nature - Mandi Barrus, Mezzo-soprano

King - Charity Johansen, Soprano

Queen - Ricky Parkinson, Bass

Heldris - Keanu Netzler, Tenor

Jean - Court Thomas, Tenor

Old Man - Tyler Oliphant, Baritone

Pianist - Gerta Viemer

Chorus:

Kahli Dalbow

Hilary Koolhoven

Sharee Larsen

Natalie Easter

Brian Tanner

Alex Harrelson

Michael Rasmussen

Conducted, directed and written by Dr. Anthony Thomas Buck, DMA

You can hear a libretto reading with minimal music (different than what is now written) here .

We need your help to make this happen! (And we have a matching Donor for the next $4,000! )

Anthony Buck is a versatile artist with over 150 stage credits to his name as singer, actor, director, playwright, librettist, composer, and stage manager. Also a voice teacher, his students have been accepted at San Francisco Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, University of Utah, Westminster College and Utah State University. Anthony holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Voice Performance, related field in Opera Production from the University of Utah. Dr. Buck served for two seasons as the Artistic Director for Utah Vocal Arts Academy's Summer Opera Festival and teaches a variety of music courses at Salt Lake Community College.