Stay up to date with our latest news!

August 16th, 2024

• Our Board of Directors are back in session! We covered a lot of topics during our August ​meeting, including a hotwash of our 2024 Summer Premiere. As part of our commitment to ​continual improvement, we solicited feedback from our performers and patrons. That feedback ​was invaluable in creating a new performance improvement plan for next year’s opera. We ​also discussed our upcoming programming for 2024, 2025, and even 2026.
  
• Planning committees were formed for our 2024 Winter Premiere | Handel’s Messiah, our 2025 ​Spring Premiere | Billy Goats Gruff (A Children’s Opera), and our 2025 Summer Premiere.
• A by-laws review committee was formed.
• Rigoletto was chosen as our 2025 Summer Premiere opera.
• La Forza del Destino was chosen for our 2026 Summer Premiere opera.
• The Community Foundation was kind enough to provide us with a $3,000 grant for our ​“Premiere” style of programs. This funding is paramount is keeping our programming free to the ​public!
• The Adams Electric Cooperative awarded us a $400 grant through their Penny Power program. ​These funds will be used for our 2024 Fall Premiere | A Night at the Museum event, where we ​are collaborating with the Quincy Museum to provide a free movie night for the community!
• Donna Haire tendered her resignation from the board on August 3rd, 2024.
• A joint organization planning committee (Muddy River Opera and The Quincy Museum) will ​meet on August 29th to finalize plans for the 2024 Fall Premiere.
  

July 1st, 2024

• We have successfully completed our Summer Premiere, La Traviata, with our largest audience ​ever! We “sold out” on our free reservations for the Sunday matinee performance. These ​operas take a lot of hard work, so our board of directors is going on break through July. We’ll ​be meeting again in August for the hotwash of the 2024 Summer Premiere, final planning of our ​2024 Fall and Winter Premieres, vote on our programming for 2025, and do an annual bylaws ​review.
  

May 17th, 2024

• The Gem City Breakfast Kiwanis generously awarded Muddy River Opera $1000 in support of ​our Children’s Opera! The Gem City Breakfast Kiwanis held their annual Grant Day Ceremony​ at the Kiwanis Shelter in Lincoln Park. Pat Bauer, Grant Day Committee Chair, presented ​awards to 34 recipients from Quincy and the nearby area. The grants totaled $24,724.90. This is ​their largest grant day total to date. All grants were to assist programs or events that support ​children or young adults in our area. Their contribution helps keep our Children’s Opera free!
  

May 13th, 2024

• We’ve gone Platinum! Muddy River Opera has earned a Platinum Seal of Transparency through ​Candid’s GuideStar. This means that we’ve shown a commitment to transparency by providing ​key information about our mission, programs, finances, and governance practices.
  

April 19th, 2024

• We just completed our 2024 Spring Premiere, our children’s opera! This year was Davies’​ Pinocchio. Quincy Public Elementary Schools and Canton R-V Elementary School were part of ​the grand tour and Luther Memorial Church was a gracious host for our public performance. ​We had over 60 people in attendance for the public performance. Our total reach, including ​the schools, was roughly 1500 kids!!! View media here. Be sure to view the Facebook comments ​for children’s drawings of Pinocchio and the Lady in Blue!
  

March 30th, 2024

• In preparation for our 2024 Summer Premiere: La Traviata, we have hired Penelope Shumate​ (soprano) as Violetta, Ganson Salmon (tenor) as Alfredo, Steven Soebbing (baritone) as Giorgio, ​and Lisa Blake (mezzo soprano) as Flora and as Annina. Amy Stollberg will be our marvelous ​Chorus Master and Hedy Rothfuss will be our talented pianist! Additional comprimarios are ​being recruited, along with additional stage staff.
  

December 17th, 2023

• Our Winter Premiere was Handel’s Messiah. This oratorio was performed at the beautiful Luther ​Memorial Church at 12th and Jersey in Quincy. Following the sing-along, a free soup supper ​was held in the church basement. We had over 80 singers in attendance and raised $477 in ​donations for the opera!
  

December 14th, 2023

• Muddy River Opera is proud to accept HK Giltner and Julie Regner onto our board of ​directors!
  

August 14th, 2023

• Muddy River Opera is proud to accept Dr. David Galant, DMA onto our board of directors! Dr. ​David Michael Galant is currently the Director of Orchestra at the Eastern Kentucky University ​School of Music. His duties include conducting the Eastern Kentucky University Symphony ​Orchestra, Musical Theatre Pit Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, and teaching both undergraduate ​and graduate conducting.
• The Quincy Breakfast Kiwanis awarded a grant for $1000 to help us fund our 2024 Children’s ​Opera: Pinocchio!
• The Community Foundation awarded a grant for $4000 to help us fund our 2024 Children’s ​Opera: Pinocchio!

May 2nd, 2023

• We’ve completed our 2023 Children’s Opera: Little Red Has a Most Unusual Day! It was ​fantastic to see so many faces at our public performance, as well as touring at Baldwin, Isles, ​and Lincoln-Douglas schools!
  

February 23rd, 2023

• Muddy River Opera is proud to accept Rachel Hansen, JD onto our board of directors! Hansen ​is an attorney and teaches business and criminal law courses to undergraduate and graduate-​level students at Quincy University, John Wood Community College, University of Louisville and ​Oklahoma State University. She volunteers in the Quincy Public Schools and is trustee of the ​Quincy Public Schools Foundation.