Opera comes in all shapes and sizes. Considered an elitist art form by many, it is capable of touching souls from pioneers and farmers to apostles and politicians. While it may be an acquired taste, we are lured to it via recitals, concerts, oratorios, and even Broadway musicals and anecdotal tales.
There is no written history of “Opera in Utah,” and while references are random, they are consistently found when sought. The list of visiting operatic artists to the Beehive state is imposing, even extraordinary. Equally unexpected is the diversity of standard repertoire, and those works unique to, or composed about Utah. In turn, Utah’s operatic assets have given to the world’s arsenal of singers, and created an audience of unique proportions. And in the midst of these “voices” is another facet to the life of Leonard J. Arrington.
Walter B. Rudolph earned a bachelor’s in music and a master’s in musicology from BYU. He started a career in performance and teaching in the mid 1970s before turning to public radio. With Walter as the program director, KBYU-FM became the noted source of classical music and arts support to the Wasatch front communities
