David Hamilton

David Hamilton, my colleague, tenor, teacher, and Artistic and General Director of Fargo-Moorhead Opera, is retiring. I am so grateful to him for our many collaborations! He sang in productions in my Opera Memphis days and brought me to Fargo several times to conduct. Even more important for me, he worked with me consistently as a composer. Back in 2007, he put together a group to tour CORPS OF DISCOVERY, my opera with librettist Hugh Moffatt about the Lewis and Clark expedition. I distinctly remember a traffic jam in the Theodore Roosevelt national park caused by buffalo and a host on the Missouri river who suggested I sleep under the stars that night by the river. (I took his suggestion.)

More recently, FM Opera has done a couple of productions of SPEED DATING TONIGHT! and commissioned some new dates, including this one which is lifted from David's life. 

Roger, I have news from Speed Dating Tonight! starring Holly Janz

During the pandemic FM Opera participated in the Decameron Opera Coalition, a consortium of opera companies that produced short online projects, including Dinner 4 3 (written with Deborah Brevoort) and This Perfect Gift (written with Reg Huston). 

David with Shana Blake Hill at an FM Opera fundraiser at the old Sarello's restaurant.

David with Stella Zambalis during a production of Hansel and Gretel at FM Opera

I'm about to go up to Fargo to conduct his last production at FM Opera, LA BOHEME. Running a regional opera company for 25 years is a huge accomplishment. The constant treadmill of fundraising is stressful. I can only imagine what it was like to keep a company afloat during the pandemic and divisive political environment of the past years. So Bravo to David and best wishes to David and Bernie in Fargo and beyond.