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KU News: Opera singer, director aims to embody music’s epic storytelling

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Guest Columnist
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From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu

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Contact: Rick Hellman, KU News Service, 785-864-8852, [email protected], @RickHellman

Opera singer, director aims to embody music’s epic storytelling

LAWRENCE – For Stella Markou, opera is a ticket to a magical world where she can embody not only life’s ecstasy and agony but even inhabit the skin of the greatest singer of all time.

After 15 years of establishing and creating a nationally recognized opera program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Markou joined the University of Kansas School of Music in fall 2022 as an associate professor and area coordinator of voice & opera.

Opera is also an opportunity for Markou to travel the world. Last summer she was in Urbania, Italy, directing for the Festival of International Opera in collaboration with the Fondazione Pergolesi Spontini. Markou directed Baroque composer Giovanni Pergolesi’s rarely performed “Lo Frate ‘nnamorato” (“The Brother in Love”), sung in the original Neapolitan.

She will be in Brazil in November for a series of concerts, lectures and master classes at the University of Campinas in São Paulo and at the Federal University of Uberlândia, working with collaborative pianist Thiago de Freitas.

“I love performing incredible repertoire with wonderful artists,” Markou said. “Through arias and art songs, you get to tell unbelievable stories, fall in love, die, be resurrected and live these epic scenarios onstage through musical storytelling. Hopefully, at the end of the day, you get to go home in one piece.

“You also get to show the extreme joys and sorrows of the human experience and express it within the most beautiful vocal and acrobatic extremes. This is why I also love directing — because you can tell unforgettable stories and, in their creation, not only transform the lives of your audience but of those who bring these stories to life.”

Markou is a lyric coloratura soprano.

“It means we sing both in a lyrical style along with the capacity to display a lot of fioritura, which means melismatic runs,” she said. “Lyric coloratura sopranos typically have a three-octave range and also possess a lyrical vocal warmth throughout the staff. Our repertoire is very demanding and difficult but also extraordinarily rewarding and satisfying to perform.”

Well-known coloratura roles include the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” with her famous vengeance aria, and the title character in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor,” with the thrilling “Mad Scene,” which Markou will perform in April 2024 with KU’s orchestra.

Markou said she is dedicated to getting the best out of her students and in helping them discover their full vocal potential (“it is like polishing a diamond”), no matter what their vocal type or musical and educational aspirations.

She also enjoys the directing and designing aspects of opera, such as costumes and sets. This fall, she directed and designed KU Opera’s productions of Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” and Pergolesi’s “La Serva Padrona.” Next semester she will direct Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” in collaboration with KU’s Department of Theatre & Dance. She promises “a haunting — albeit not your typical — ‘Sweeney Todd.’”

In Brazil, Markou will perform two different recital programs. One is a solo recital, and the other will be a combined lecture-recital performance on singer Maria Callas to mark the 100th anniversary year of her birth.

“Given my Greek heritage, Callas was an extremely pivotal figure growing up, and it is an incredible honor to be able to celebrate the life and musical accomplishments of ‘La Divina.’ Callas’ voice was indescribably unique, possessing truly astonishing abilities of technical and dramatic prowess. I will highlight the roles that were quintessential to her career’s success, singing excerpts from ‘La Traviata,’ ‘Tosca,’ ‘Norma’ and even ‘Carmen.’

“I will give an all-encompassing view of her life and works, linking through my lecture how, in many ways, her life imitated her art. For instance, in Puccini’s ‘Madama Butterfly,’ the character of Pinkerton betrays and abandons Butterfly, much like the relationship Callas had with the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.”

Not that Markou allows the offstage drama to overshadow Callas’ onstage achievements.

“I talk about the repertoire,” she said. “I describe what makes it so musically breathtaking, and then I sing it. It’s not an easy task when you’re talking about the greatest singer of all time and continue to sing some of the most challenging repertoire of all time … but it’s a supreme honor, and, in the immortal words of Callas, ‘Coraggio.’”

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KU News Service

1450 Jayhawk Blvd.

Lawrence KS 66045

Phone: 785-864-3256

Fax: 785-864-3339

[email protected]

http://www.news.ku.edu

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs

Bringing the beef to the rest of the world

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Guest Columnist
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If someone had asked Jenny Betschart when she graduated from high school or even college if she planned to come back to live and have a retail store in Ashland, Kansas, her answer would have likely surprised you.

“No, never,” she said.

She’s the fifth generation raising the sixth on the Giles Ranch near Ashland, Kansas. She still helps on the family ranch and with the help of two of her three sisters, they manage The Meating Place, a store front in Ashland and soon a holiday market in Dodge City’s Village Square Mall. The Meating Place features Giles Ranch Beef and curated items including chicken, pork, cheeses and other products.

Betschart and her sisters, Molly Beckford and Katie Shaw, started selling beef in 2006 when they took a trailer load of beef to Houston, Texas, where their aunt lived, to sell.

“We took six head down then, and kind of sold it off and on like that until 2012,” she said. “And that’s when we bought a walk-in freezer and started doing more of it.”

They kept selling beef to consumers directly and had some success until the Starbuck fire in 2017 put a halt to their enterprise. A large portion of the ranch and Clark County was destroyed by the wildfire, and Betschart and her sisters had to rebuild their homes lost in the fire. They also had to work on rebuilding the cowherd.

“And then when COVID hit, it really took off again and that’s when we had the chance to open up a store in Ashland in 2020,” she said.

They began regularly selling out of their beef cuts online and were shipping orders out of the office and shop at the ranch and needed some more space for shipping. Kendel Kay with the Stockgrowers State Bank in Ashland offered them a lease for a building on Main Street.

“It had plenty of space and worked perfectly for shipping,” she said. “And then we thought well if you’re going to be shipping in town we might as well see if a store would work.”

So the trio got to work gathering various items they liked and wanted to offer to their customers. Some of their items include pork and chicken from Dale Farms in Protection, cheese from Jason Wiebe Dairy in Durham, and eggs from Whirlwind Farm near Bucklin. Jellies and candies come from Nash Originals in Coldwater, and some handmade wooden items come from a man who grew up in Bucklin. They also have some food mixes that have Kansas roots.

“And then we have also started selling some things, the kind of products that we use and like and one of our biggest clients is called Essentially Salv-ee,” she said. “It is a line of home remedies and health products that a mom in the Texas Panhandle makes.

Betschart said they have a special fondness for Kansas products but also love products that tied moms and supporting them. She sees how important it is to have a presence in Ashland.

“Every business that we can have on Main Street is something that helps attract people to our hospital and our school and do things to keep those businesses open,” she said. “There are so many small towns that struggle to keep anything on Main Street, and they just look so desolate and sad, and I am so proud of Ashland for working hard to support their local businesses.”

She said Ashland boasts clothing boutiques, a T-shirt shop, two florists and four salons right now, among other businesses.

“There’s just been a lot of opportunities for families to come back and make Ashland home,” Betschart said.

Having those type of enterprises in town is important, not only in keeping business local, but attracting more to the community.

The beef of it

All of the beef sold in the Meating Place store comes from the Giles’ commercial Angus herd, with the majority of the genetics coming from nearby Gardiner Angus Ranch.

“We do a lot of genomic testing now, so that has really helped us increase our Primes and ribeyes, and rapidly increase our beef quality so that we are really providing a consistent, quality product,” she said. “Not only for this small portion that goes through our store, but for the rest that are fed and go through National Beef.”

As reported in the High Plains Journal

Video: Tips for decorating your own holiday wreath

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Guest Columnist
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In this video, Irina Sheshukova, an instructor of floral design in Kansas State University’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, walks viewers through the process of decorating a holiday wreath.

Most designs incorporate some basic steps, but she encourages viewers to “be creative.”

“Add whatever you want to your design; this is a time to be creative,” Sheshukova said, adding the wreath should reflect “your personal touches.”

A basic wreath can be purchased at a professional floral shop, garden store or even the grocery store. Tools needed include clippers, wire cutters and a glue gun.

Some selections to add to the evergreen base include novel fir, Douglas fir, Port Orford cedar, white pine, Oregonia Boxwood and others. Accessories might include pine cones, ornaments, flowers or any other decorations – Sheshukova is especially fond of reds, silvers and golds for the holiday season.

The full video is available online at https://youtu.be/ZkSRqkSCkrU

Lovina and Family Enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving

By
tammiehoeme
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Lovina’s Amish Kitchen
Lovina Eitcher,
Old Order Amish
Cook, Wife &
Mother of Eight

 

This morning Dustin and daughter Loretta brought their boys here while they went to Loretta’s dentist appointment. The ground has been covered with several inches of snow since yesterday. Denzel, 16 months, went brrr, brrrr when he came into the house. They had a chilly buggy ride to town, although they do have a heater in their buggy, so that helped. 

Byron, 3 months, was all full of smiles when Dustin brought him in to me. It was only 7 a.m., so they both took a nap and I relaxed in the recliner with Byron. Dustins were back around 9:45 a.m. to pick up the boys. Loretta had to have a tooth pulled, so she was ready to go home to rest. 

We are spoiled now with covered buggies. Twenty years ago we lived in a community that had open buggies, and there were some pretty cold rides. We had to bundle up the children and use a large umbrella to block off the wind and rain. I like the covered buggies, and in the summer it’s also cooler to not have the sun beating down on you. We wear less coats than we did back then. 

I washed the laundry and hung it on the lines in our basement. Daughter Lovina is cleaning out cabinets. Church services will be set here for December 24, Lord willing, and a lot of cleaning needs to be done. It is 27 degrees and still lightly snowing. Yesterday morning Joe and I biked to church and there wasn’t any snow. A good thing it wasn’t too far, as our bikes were covered in snow when we were ready to go home. The snow packed to our wheels, making it a little harder to bike back. It didn’t help that it was uphill coming home as well. 

Daughter Elizabeth, Tim, and children, Joe and I, daughter Verena and her special friend Daniel Ray, and sons Benjamin and Kevin were supper guests at daughter Loretta and Dustin’s last night. 

Baby Ervin is going to be two weeks old tomorrow. He is doing good and getting lots of love from his parents and siblings. 

Sister Emma hosted her family, our family, and sister Verena for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. She had three turkeys—one was baked, one was smoked, and one was grilled. They were all very good. Along with the food everyone brought and what Emma made, we had plenty of food. On the menu besides turkey was mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrot blend, taco salad, veggies and dip, homemade bread, jam, butter, hot pepper butter, hot peppers, cheese, pumpkin roll, pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin mini cupcakes, and cherry, blueberry, and peach pies, and I’m probably missing something. 

Snacks were set out later in the day—chips, dip, summer sausage, desserts, veggies and dip, and leftover turkey. Emma’s son-in-law put two pork roasts on the grill to also enjoy with the snacks. Everyone had plenty to eat. 

When I begin to count my blessings, I have so much to be thankful for. Our home is blessed with the warmth of family and fond memories of the past. Our loved ones gone on before us are never forgotten and are sadly missed as we all gather around the table on these occasions.

The table is now set for 42. Emma hosted it in her attached garage, and the tables stretched out along the whole length of it. The newest family member was even able to join us, although baby Ervin was only nine days old. Susan could sit in the recliner and rest. We were just happy they could join us. All 42 of us exchanged names for our annual Christmas gathering that we will host December 31, Lord willing. I hope everyone had a safe and blessed Thanksgiving and got to spend time with your loved ones. I wish you good health and God’s many blessings!

Vegetable Beef Skillet Dinner

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup small bread cubes

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons shortening

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed mushroom soup

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup canned chopped tomatoes or juice

1 (10 ounce) package frozen lima beans

1 cup butternut or summer squash, thinly sliced

Combine beef, bread cubes, egg, onion, and salt in a mixing bowl; shape into 16 meat balls. Brown in shortening in skillet; pour off fat. Stir in soup, water, tomatoes, lima beans, and squash. Cover. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes and stir now and then. Makes 4 servings. 

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her two cookbooks, The Essential Amish Cookbook and Amish Family Recipes, are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email [email protected] and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

Taking It All Off (Best Of)

By
Lee Pitts
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lee pitts

Have you ever had your wallet “lifted?” It’s a funny word…”lifted”. Did you know it became a synonym for stealing as a result of building fence?

Like any new invention barbed wire was not universally accepted. In Texas the railroads and a few big ranchers tried to ban its use by passing a bill in the state legislature making it illegal to use “Glidden’s Wire.” Despite these efforts the West got in a big hurry to fence itself in. Eventually the wire became as scarce as upper teeth in a cow. And any wire that was available was expensive.

That is when the practice of “lifting” a wire from another person’s fence became a popular night time activity. Usually only the top wire was taken as anything more would be considered common thievery. In this manner many a young rancher “lifted” himself up by his bootstraps to find fortune and fence.

Frank Luther was a popular Democratic mayor of Cimarron, Kansas and a young rancher during the time this ‘heavy lifting’ was going on. In fact, Frank recalled engaging in the practice himself before he became a politician. “There was a long fence,” he wrote, “belonging to a big cattle company. I was working along quietly up a hill. I’d pull out the staples from two or three posts, roll the wire to that point, then go to staple pulling,” Frank recalled. “Presently I began to notice, once in a while a tug on the wire I was working on. I couldn’t understand it, so I crawled up to the top of the hill and looked over. What I saw plumb amazed me. Coming up the opposite slope of the hill, swiping the same top wire I was working on was the Methodist preacher of Cimarron’s only church!”

“Such a thing could never happen these days,” you say.

Want to bet?

While I was checking on a ranch we leased I came upon a young man removing the boards from my working corrals. He was not just removing the top board but was taking it all off! The man’s work clothes consisted of a designer shirt with an alligator on the pocket, pants with pleats and loafers without any socks. I recognized the man as a lawyer in our community. “Excuse me sir, but what do you think you are doing?” I had the gall to ask.

“Oh, hello. I am redecorating my office and we are going for the rural look. I thought this old wood would have a dramatic effect as paneling in my office.”

“But can’t you see that wood is part of my working corrals?” I asked.

“These old corrals looked so old and dilapidated,” responded the lawyer. “I thought they were abandoned and didn’t think anyone would mind. I actually thought I was doing someone a favor by tearing the corrals down.” (Which I’ll admit didn’t say much for the shape my corrals were in but I wasn’t going to spend a lot of my own money fixing up another man’s property.)

“Well, you are not doing me a favor.” I said. You are trespassing and destroying another person’s property. I ought to call the cops or take you to court and sue you,” I threatened.

“For that you will have to retain a lawyer and that can get very expensive.”

“How much?” I asked just out of curiosity.

“About $500 an hour for a good lawyer,” the barrister replied smugly.

In a plea bargain the lawyer kept the corral lumber in exchange for the legal advice he had given me and we called the whole thing even.

I remember thinking at the time this whole episode took place that a lawyer that would steal corral lumber could not possibly remain a lawyer for very long. Sure enough, just the other day I read where the man is now a judge.

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