Tickets are now available for the Shepherd School of Music’s upcoming recital “Ryan McKinny & Friends” featuring world-renowned bass-baritone Ryan McKinny alongside Shepherd School opera students. The concert performance of opera highlights directed by Tonya McKinny will begin at 7:30 p.m. March 7 in the Morrison Theater at Rice University’s Brockman Hall for Opera. Admission is free, but tickets are required.
The recital follows the McKinnys’ recent Opera Scenes Master Class, which gave the audience an in-depth look at the creative process of opera. As the 2024-25 Aleko Endowed Artists, the husband-and-wife duo worked with students throughout the week, culminating in the Feb. 8 master class. Known for their innovative approach to performance and direction, the McKinnys used imaginative props and unconventional staging to encourage artistic exploration.
“Working with the McKinnys was an incredible experience — truly a world-class power duo,” said Matan Gendelman, a first-year master’s student in voice. “As I tackled Wagner’s music for the first time, they guided me to new discoveries about myself as both a singer and an actor. I learned how to bring a scene to life without traditional props — in a full production, for example, a rock might resemble gold, but here we used a simple yellow lightbulb. Ladders and boxes became cliffs, emphasizing my character’s (Alberich’s) position below the Rhinemaidens as they toyed with him. It proved that if you act well enough, you don’t need elaborate props — the audience will believe in the world you create.”
Audiences at the master class saw the students navigate playful staging challenges such as pretending the floor was lava or using flowing blue fabric to represent water. The McKinnys’ emphasis on creativity and character development equipped students with valuable skills they can carry into future performances.
“Working with experts like Ryan and Tonya McKinney was a wonderful opportunity that we are so lucky to have,” said third-year master’s student Elizabeth Kirkconnell. “The rehearsals and the master class were fun yet full of pertinent information and learning that will help us in our future careers.”
“Their focus on tying the action of the character to something that the singer can personally relate to was a great method to be exposed to and to try out,” said second-year master’s student Julia Holoman. “Getting to sing this iconic Wagner repertoire on the Brockman stage will be a wonderful memory for years to come.”
The March 7 recital offers the next opportunity to see this collaboration in action. The program will feature Ryan McKinny in performance alongside graduate students Adam Catangui, Sophia Donelan, Kanade Motomura, Qirong Liang, Gabriel Natal Baez and Rebeca Gonzalez Maldonado.
“Ryan and Tonya are artists with the ability to make opera feel fresh and relatable,” said Joshua Winograde, director of opera studies. “They connect with students in ways that go beyond technique; they inspire them to be better storytellers. In turn, the audience stays deeply engaged and invested in the show. We are so grateful for this meaningful time they have spent with our students.”
Tickets for “Ryan McKinny & Friends” are available here.
