USU Graduate receives honors at opera district finals
Everyone has a dream – something they dedicate themselves to, something they hold close to their heart, something worth working for. For one man, that dream is singing.
Utah State University graduate Michael Chipman recently received honors at the district finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Salt Lake City after passing the preliminary district and regional competitions.
Chipman said the competition itself wasn’t difficult – getting to the finals was the hard part.
“I have done dozens of similar auditions in the past few years, and it was nice to win this one. The Met competition is a good thing to win, a good credential for future endeavors,” Chipman said.
Chipman has graduated with honors in English and minors in music and Portuguese from USU.
He performed with the USU Chamber Singers and starred in ‘Into the Woods’ with the theater while he was a student.
“I knew he’d be successful, because he’s very tenacious about his own education and career,” said Joyce Kinkead, Chipman’s rhetoric associates program supervisor.
While he was at USU, Chipman was the senator for the college of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) and employed with the rhetoric associates program, which selects exemplary students with excellent communication skills to work with students in writing and speaking, according to his supervisor, Joyce Kinkead.
“He just had stunning communication skills and a real sense of wanting to help others,” Kinkead said.
Chipman said his favorite things about USU were Aggie Ice Cream and hiking in Logan Canyon.
“I was inspired by my English professors to excel in whatever field I chose to pursue. My classes were always invigorating and interesting and provided a foundation of curiosity and exploration that still keeps me going,” Chipman said
Kinkead said Chipman’s most notable contribution to USU was enacting the fine arts fee that allows students to get into performances free with their student ID. He was the HASS senator at the time. Previously, students had to buy all their tickets.
“It is a fairly minor fee,” Kinkead said. “It opens up the door for students to go to fine arts events.”
Chipman said the student body passed the fee by an 80 percent majority.
“I just introduced the idea and took it through the necessary legislative channels. I believed it would benefit both the music and theater arts departments and the students,” Chipman said.
After graduating from USU, Chipman went on to be an apprentice artist at the Utah Opera and the Lyric Opera in Cleveland, Ohio.
He has earned an artist’s diploma from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio, and performed the leading roles in six of their operas.
“Oberlin has a very prestigious vocal program,” Kinkead said. “He used his writing skills for the alumni student letter. He would send me back issues.”
He is now working as a freelance music writer in Salt Lake City. He does musical reviews for The Salt Lake Tribune.
“I never had a clear idea of exactly what I wanted to do. I just sought to do the best I could at whatever I was doing at the time, and that opened doors for me to be involved with the two things I most enjoy: writing and singing,” Chipman said.
He still sings as much as he can.
“It’s his vocation rather then avocation,” Kinkead said.
He performs in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint production “Savior of the World” at the Conference Center Theater.
“After that, I’d like to have a professional singing career in Europe for a few years, then come back to the States and maybe teach. I am open to any good thing that comes my way,” Chipman said.
For aspiring music students, Chipman offers this advice:”Take music seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. Listen to great singers as much as possible. Find a great teacher you can trust. Work very hard. Take all the opportunities that come your way. Don’t give up,” Chipman said.