Opera at USC to Bring Free Performance to USC Sumter
Sumter, SC (03/25/2025) — The University of South Carolina Sumter is excited to announce an upcoming performance from the Opera at USC on Tuesday, April 1 at 7:30 pm in the Dr. C. Leslie Carpenter Auditorium in the Nettles Building on the USC Sumter campus. The opera will be Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini. The one night only show will be free and open to the public.
"We are very excited to host the Opera at USC during their anniversary celebration," said Dr. Eric Reisenauer, Campus Dean of USC Sumter. "It has been many years since opera has been performed in Sumter and we are happy to bring this cultural experience to the community."
The Opera at USC is part of the University of South Carolina Columbia School of Music and they are celebrating 100 years of Music at Carolina, with a year-long celebration of the school, its people (past, present and future), and the influence it has had on the community for a century.
Gianni Schicchi is a comic one act opera by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. It depicts the life of a scheming yet ingenious peasant who tries to cash in on an old man changing the will and securing a payoff for his daughter's wedding. The cast will include School of Music alumni.
Tickets for the performance are free, and will be available at the door. Tickets may be reserved by contacting Lamonda Garrett at 803-938-3730, lamondag@mailbox.sc.edu, or reserve seats online at uscsumter.edu.
About Opera at USC
Opera at USC offers a truly comprehensive program for both graduate and undergraduate students. It covers every facet of opera production, both on stage and behind the scenes. Singers, directors, pianists, conductors, marketing and public relations students, and theatrical technicians get expert teaching and intensive hands-on experience in their respective crafts.
Opera at USC is one of only a handful of colleges and universities nationwide that offers special training and practice for aspiring opera stage directors. The ensemble presents two fully staged operas with orchestra each year and a one-act opera, often with a graduate stage director. Roles are open to undergraduates and graduates.
Director Ellen Schlaefer has been on the School of Music's faculty for 20 years. With her extensive experience as a stage manager and director, including 14 seasons at Washington Opera (now the Washington National Opera) and 14 seasons with The Santa Fe Opera, Schlaefer aims to provide students with a professional experience by emphasizing collaboration and experiential learning.
USC Sumter is located in the heart of the state, about 45 miles east of the capital of Columbia, South Carolina. USC Sumter became a University campus in 1973 and today has an enrollment of about 1,600 per academic year. USC Sumter confers two-year associate's degrees and offers baccalaureate degree programs in nursing, education, and business through USC Aiken. Palmetto College offers over 20 bachelors degrees that can be completed on the USC Sumter campus. To learn more, visit uscsumter.edu or call 803-775-8727.
Media Attachments
Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini will be performed by Opera at USC on the USC Sumter campus April 1.
University of South Carolina Sumter
Alethia Hummel, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, 803-938-3728, alethiah@mailbox.sc.eduShare this Story
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