MSU's opera director Melanie Helton wins national acclaim

Melanie Helton distinctly remembers the College of Music at Michigan State University hiring her back in 2001.

“When I was hired it was strictly to be a voice teacher and then I got here and a colleague said to me, 'You’re going to do the opera.'  And I was like, OK. It was a surprise.”

Her title now is director of opera theater in addition to professor of voice.

She was hired because opera was deemed an important area as designated by the National Association of Schools of Music. In those early days, the MSU Opera Theater had a miniscule budget. Helton was seen spray painting sets in her back yard and borrowing furniture from the Pilgrim House.

But each year her budget grew and Helton produced bigger and better productions. And now the opera world is noticing.

This summer, Helton snagged a coveted award from The American Prize organization. She was recognized as an honored artist in their Independence Day Honors, citing her work in the MSU production of “Albert Herring.” Among the other honorees this year was violin virtuoso Rachel Barton Pine.

“Melanie has been a participant in our prize since 2019," said David Katz, founder and chief judge of the prize. "She always sends us videos of the operas she produced and directed at MSU.  Although this prize was given for “Albert Herring,” it is really based on her impressive body of work at Michigan State. Our entire team wanted to honor her.”

Helton said, “When The American Prize first started, not many people knew about it. But now it has become quite prestigious, particularly in the university world, because we have so few national recognizing boards. I’ve received awards from the National Opera Association, but it is hard to get acknowledgement and national recognition for this area. I have been nominated several times before for The American Prize but this is the first time I’ve won.”

The American Prize has been in operation since 2010 and has many different categories of prizes.

When Helton began directing operas at MSU, she had to pay out-of-town talent to sing the lead parts because students could not handle it. Now, Helton produces two fully staged operas per year. The student bench of talent is so deep that each opera has two casts, to allow more students the chance to be in the spotlight.

Helton credits her colleagues for the opera program's success.

“I just couldn’t do it without my vocal colleagues at MSU. I do not have the ability," she said. "To put those amazing student singers up on the stage and have them learn this hard, hard music takes a voice faculty that is really involved.  Not only do they teach each student, but they come to every dress rehearsal and to all seven nights of the run. “

In the upcoming season, the MSU Opera Theater will produce Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in the fall and Rossini’s “Cenerentola (Cinderella) ” in the spring.

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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU's opera director Melanie Helton wins national acclaim