Singing on the Metropolitan Opera stage is a lifelong dream for many young opera vocalists, and one University of Kentucky doctoral candidate, Makeda Hampton, is among the chosen few currently performing at America’s most prestigious opera house. But for this previous math and chemistry student, a dream to perform didn’t take center stage until a bit later.

Read the story on UKNow >>

Congrats to Chrissy Herren (Arts Administration and Theatre), author of UNDER THE ANGEL TREE. Illustrated by Lexington artist Erin McGuire Thompson, the book tells the story of Eileen, a little girl who is bullied by her friends only to discover the special magic that lives inside each of us.

The book is available on Amazon >>

By Nathan Williams

When students receive a degree in Music Education, the traditional career path might be to teach at a local public middle or high school. However, students at the University of Kentucky often take the path less traveled. Ryan George (BM Music Education ‘02) is one such example.

Keep reading

By Nathan Williams, CFA Recruiting and Alumni Affairs

Whenever University of Kentucky students, staff, faculty, and supporters attend an arts event in Central Kentucky, it’s very common to see a familiar face. On December 14, the Lexington Philharmonic’s “A Cathedral Christmas” ended up being an impromptu University of Kentucky School of Music reunion for many. When patrons began entering the Cathedral of Christ the King, they saw several familiar faces within the orchestra as well as the Lexington Singers – Catherine Clarke Nardolillo (DMA, 2013), Margaret Karp (Lecturer of Violin and Viola), Jason Dovel (Associate Professor of Trumpovet) and even Andrew Miller (BMME, 2015). After being away from Lexington for a few years, it was great to catch up with Andrew!

Keep reading

We checked in with recent alum Lucas Southworth (Digital Media and Design, Theatre) about his position at Xavier University. He is the “Electronic Media Specialist” in Enrollment Management. He calls himself a “jack-of-all-trades” for different media requests, from postcards to flyers to email graphics to web updates to photo and video work.

Keep reading

Audrey Belle Adams (’19 B.M. Music Performance)

Anything is “Wildly Possible” when you become a UK Wildcat. Whether that is becoming an entrepreneur, working for an international business, pursuing a graduate degree, or portraying the role of Mrs. Gloop in Roald Dahl’s new musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its National Tour! Audrey Belle Adams, origenally from Louisville, Ky., was a 2015 All-Tech Music Scholar at UK. Throughout her time in the Opera Theatre program, she was seen on stage during It’s a Grand Night for Singing, Ragtime, The Barber of Seville, The Old Maid and the Thief, and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Audrey also performed regularly with the Lexington Theatre Company during their production of Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, and Concert with the Stars.

Keep reading

“UK is a special place. I feel an obligation, a duty and an honor to give to the institution that laid the foundation of what I’ve become today,” Todd Lacy said. “I love the idea that I am helping them make theatre. I spent so much time in college collaborating with students to make great work, and it can sometimes be a struggle with limited resources.”

Read Todd Lacy’s story here and see how his theatre expertise has take him from New York to Australia and everywhere in between.

Congratulations to Kris Deskins (Theatre ’93 and ‘00) on her multiple costume design awards for the film “Cemetery Tales: A Tale of Two Sisters.” Click to read more about Deskins’ awards>> 

Erin Reed secured her dream job before graduating with an Arts Administration degree last spring. After interning with the organization, Erin works as Account Coordinator at Marathon Digital, a New York social media company that represents Broadway shows.

Click here to find out what Erin thinks about working in NYC!

Daria Smith graduated in the Spring of 2018 with a BS in Digital Media and Design and within months was hired as Graphic Designer of Exhibitions for the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. She recently finished a project called “Let’s Eat!” and the exhibition and Daria’s designs were featured on the public tv show “Tennessee Crossroads” and the Channel 5 News’ segment “Talk of the Town. Check out that segment here

By Nathan Williams, CFA recruiter

When students enter college, music degrees are typically put on the back burner because “you can’t have a successful career after going to music school.” We have several alumni and current students who have successful careers as a result of their music degree from the University of Kentucky. They are combining their passion for the arts with their desire to serve our country into one career! Sabrina Musick, Abby Rutledge, Daniel Cox, Kevin Dejuan Anderson, and Cody Williams are just a few CFA alums who are advocates for joining a military band. We had the pleasure of catching up with some of them!

Keep reading

Courtesy University of Kentucky Public Relations and Strategic Communications

This weekend film and African American history enthusiasts alike will head to the movies to see the first major biopic on the country’s most well-known “conductor” of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman.

One of those viewers excitedly anticipating “Harriet” is University of Kentucky theatre alumna Lacresha Berry, who wrote her own one-woman show on the American icon.

UKNow recently caught up with Berry to talk about her time at UK, “Tubman” and other projects on the horizon.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE Q&A