University of Denver Spring 2026

ARTS & CULTURE

Hitting the Right Notes Lamont’s signature opera production showcases teamwork, skill, and the magic that happens when preparation meets performance.

By Anna Filippova

The props are in place. The costumes are glimmering. The instruments have been tuned. Months of planning and practice have culminated in opening night of the Lamont School of Music’s full-scale production of the Johann Strauss II operetta, “Die Fledermaus.” The opera theatre program is the largest of Lamont’s many ensembles, bringing together the entire vocal program and orchestra every spring for its signature event. More than 100 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and recent alumni are involved in each production. “Putting on an opera is a monumental task. It’s not just a musical performance; it’s a theatrical performance, and it requires so many different people with varying skills to be involved,” says Sahar Nouri, music director of Lamont Opera Theatre. Nouri came to DU in 2019 and has led several productions, ranging from classic operas like “The Magic Flute,” written in 1791, to more modern ones like Rachel Portman’s “The Little Prince,” which was first performed in 2003. Originally from Iran, she previously worked at opera houses across the U.S. from San Francisco to Boston.

She eventually landed at Opera Colorado, where she continues to serve as chorus master, assistant conductor, and pianist coach in addition to her role at DU. Nouri played violin and piano growing up and also loved poetry, which translated into a love for opera and, eventually, conducting. “It’s so inspiring to work with a huge group of artists and create a production that is exciting musically but also based on the wonder of poetry, language, and storytelling,” she says. Setting the stage Nouri and Artistic Director Matthew Plenk start the process of selecting an opera in June of the previous year, basing their decision partly on the strengths of their vocal students. “We choose pieces that fit both our returning and incoming students and their vocal ranges well but that will also challenge them,” Nouri says. They decided on “Die Fledermaus,” a comic operetta, in honor of the composer’s 200th birthday. “It’s a crowd pleaser, with very tuneful melodies and, more importantly, it has many roles for our students to showcase their talents,” says Nouri. Set in Vienna, the operetta centers on an elaborate revenge plot involving a

masquerade ball, where a group of friends and servants use disguises and champagne to humiliate

Sahar Nouri has been music director of Lamont Opera Theater since 2019.