Music
Vocal Arts Faculty
Matthew Burns
Assistant Professor of Voice
mburns5@memphis.edu
Francis Cathlina
Assistant Professor
Director of Choral Activities
francis.cathlina@memphis.edu
Emily Frizzell
Assistant Professor of Music Education, Choral
emily.frizzell@memphis.edu
Megan Grey
Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice
megrey@memphis.edu
Stephen Karr
Assistant Professor
Music Director for Opera
sfkarr@memphis.edu
Benjamin Smith
Associate Professor
Stage Director for Opera
bwsmith7@memphis.edu
Mary Wilson
Associate Professor of Voice
mwlson19@memphis.edu
Recent Research & Creative Activity
2027
- Mary Wilson makes her debut with the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago in Beethoven鈥檚 Missa Solemnis.
2026
- Megan Grey鈥檚 performances include the role of The Mother in the world premiere of "Pretty Little Room" with Opera 蜜桃导航, and Mahler's 2nd Symphony with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
- Megan Grey presents a poster entitled "What is 鈥楽uccess鈥�?: An Examination of Definitions of Success Within the Classical Voice Industry鈥� for the National Opera Association.
- Ben Smith directs 鈥淭osca鈥� at Opera Montana.
- Mary Wilson performances include Haydn Creation with Missoula Symphony Orchestra and Handel Messiah with American Bach Soloists.
2025
- Matt Burns鈥� performances include Don Magnifico in 鈥淟a Cenerentola鈥� with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Don Basilio in 鈥淭he Barber of Seville鈥� with Opera 蜜桃导航, and Colline in 鈥淟a Boh猫me鈥� with Opera Colorado.
- Megan Grey鈥檚 performances include Third Lady in "The Magic Flute" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Marcellina in "Le Nozze di Figaro" with Amarillo Opera, and makes her Carnegie Hall debut in Vivaldi's Magnificat and Schubert's Mass in C.
- Stephen Karr performs on harpsichord for Handel Messiah with 蜜桃导航 Symphony Orchestra.
- Ben Smith directs 鈥淭he Merry Widow鈥� at Opera in the Ozarks, and 鈥淪weeney Todd鈥� at Opera Montana.
- Ben Smith wins the Ostrander Award for Best Direction in a Musical and Best Production of a Musical for 鈥淢ost Happy Fella鈥� at University of 蜜桃导航.
- Mary Wilson is the Co-Founder and Director of the annual National Oratorio Competition in connection with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Floria, every February.
2024
- Matt Burns鈥� performances include curating 鈥淔rom the Met to 蜜桃导航鈥� a new recital series, Don Pasquale in 鈥淒on Pasquale鈥� with Festival Napa Valley, Leporello in 鈥淒on Giovanni鈥� with Washington Opera Society, Bartolo in 鈥淟e Nozze di Figaro鈥� with Utah Opera, and Sarastro in 鈥淭he Magic Flute鈥� with Opera 蜜桃导航.
- Stephen Karr conducts Stravinsky鈥檚 鈥淭he Rake鈥檚 Progress鈥� with Opera 蜜桃导航 and University of 蜜桃导航 and was cover conductor for the 蜜桃导航 Symphony Orchestra for Holst鈥檚 The Planets, music from Star Wars, and Tchaikovsky鈥檚 The Nutcracker.
- Stephen Karr heads the music staff at Opera in the Ozarks at Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
- Ben Smith directs 鈥淟a traviata鈥� and 鈥淭he Crucible鈥� with Opera in the Ozarks.
- Mary Wilson wins The American Prize in Vocal Performance, 2024, The Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Awards, Women's Professional Art Song Division 鈥渄esigned to evaluate, recognize, and reward the best performers, ensembles, composers, directors and administrators in the United States.鈥�
- Mary Wilson鈥檚 performances include Haydn Creation with the 蜜桃导航 Symphony Orchestra, Brahms Requiem with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Pacific Symphony, and Handel Messiah with American Bach Soloists and the Nashville Symphony.
- Mary Wilson appears on PBS nationally with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park鈥檚 鈥淎 Classic Christmas.鈥�
2023
- Matt Burns joins Opera 蜜桃导航 as the principal diction coach and teacher for the Handorf Young Artist Program.
- Stephen Karr is on faculty for Spotlight on Opera at Tulsa Opera.
- Mary Wilson joins the voice faculty and runs the teaching fellowship program at the Institute of Performing Arts International in Bavaria Germany every July.
- Matt Burns鈥� performances include Bartolo in 鈥淟e Nozze di Figaro鈥� with Portland Opera, Sulpice in 鈥淟a Fille du R茅giment鈥� with Utah Opera, and Sargeant of Police in 鈥淭he Pirates of Penzance鈥� with Nashville Opera.
- Stephen Karr leads Orff side-by-side concerts with the 蜜桃导航 Symphony Orchestra, conducted 鈥淭he Falling and the Rising鈥� for Opera 蜜桃导航, and the world premiere recording of 鈥淭he Queen, My Lord is Dead鈥� by Tom谩s Peire-Serrate at UCLA .
- Mary Wilson鈥檚 performances include Handel Messiah with 蜜桃导航 Symphony Orchestra and American Bach Soloists, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Bach Cantata 51 at BachtoberFest in Sarasota and with the Bach Society of St. Louis.
2022
- Matt Burns makes his main stage debut as the First Priest in 鈥淭he Magic Flute鈥� and covers the role of Richard in the world premiere of 鈥淭he Hours鈥� at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
- Mary Wilson鈥檚 performances include Handel 鈥淎pollo et Daphne鈥� with American Bach Soloists, Handel 鈥淢essiah鈥� with Nashville Symphony, and Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with Pacific Symphony.
- Mary Wilson joins the advisory board of directors for the Handorf Young Artist Program at Opera 蜜桃导航.
- Mary Wilson is awarded both the Distinguished Teaching Award and the Distinguished Achievement in the Creative Arts Award by the Alumni Association of the University of 蜜桃导航.
2021
- Ben Smith is the General and Artistic Director at Accademia Vocale Lorenzo Lafattie, Inc. in Italy every July.
- Mary Wilson is awarded University Research Professorship 鈥渢o acknowledge outstanding contributions to the University鈥檚 education, research, outreach and service missions.鈥�