3.24.23

How donor support is helping this opera student live her dreams

When Callie Cooper decided to pursue a master’s degree, she knew Wichita State was her first choice. Not only had it produced some of the biggest names in the world of opera, some who have returned to WSU as faculty in the program, but it also offered a level of affordability she couldn’t find anywhere else.

“I’m able to focus on my craft and my singing, which takes a lot of energy,” Cooper emphasized. “This program works you hard, and my two years here have been full of amazing growth. Wichita State has a system set up where students can really thrive, and if you come here with a growth mindset, you will succeed.”

Cooper certainly has that growth mindset. Originally from Washington D.C., she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and was an inaugural member of The Kennedy Center Youth Council.

A recipient of three separate fellowships at Wichita State, Cooper counts herself incredibly fortunate to not have to work a side job outside of school to support herself. These fellowships – the Roslyn R. Cadman Fellowship in Fine Arts, Janice Chambers Ramsey Fellowship for Vocal Music and the Erwin L. Feiertag Endowed Fellowship – ensure that Cooper is able to conserve her energy for her packed days in the College of Fine Arts. While she completes her major, Cooper earned a position as a graduate teaching assistant, which provides funding for tuition and a small stipend.

“I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received and the generosity of the people who have created these fellowships – every single dollar counts when you’re a student,” said Cooper.

As a former intern in development for the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia, Cooper has a unique perspective on how important private support is for the arts.

“I’m so blown away by the generosity of people who give to support artists,” she said. “Personally, as artists, we’ve been dependent on donors and patrons for 600 years. I think about that a lot, and I’m very grateful.”

A real world experience

Now nearing graduation, the opera performance major has held the principal role in three productions over the past year, in addition to her daily voice lessons and classes.

“I’m working on pieces that I would want to perform in the next five to ten years professionally, and instead I’m getting that experience now,” said Cooper.

She describes the program as more of a lab degree, spending her days immersed in her craft instead of having a heavily academic class load as many other programs she explored do.

“In this program, I’m actually living the life of a performer, and the faculty are really focused on helping us hone our own skills to be independent when we’re out in the world,” she said. “Being able to turn around and teach that to other students in my role as a graduate teacher helps solidify those lessons, and also gives me the experience of a true artist. Wichita State is preparing me for the real world.”

Cooper described the last two years as incredibly transformative in her relationship to singing, saying she has an even deeper love for the drama and the craft than she did when she decided to pursue the degree. “Being able to work alongside and learn from the likes of Sam Ramey and Alan Held, who are huge in the world of opera, is so incredible,” she said. “I have voice lessons three times a week with Prof. Held – he’s one of the leading singers in the world – that’s not something you get anywhere, and we get it right here in the middle of Kansas.”