Miami University's focus on undergraduates could not be better understood than by those involved in Miami's opera program, as they receive opportunities usually given to graduate students at other schools.

Mari Opatz-Muni, director of the opera program, was hired as a voice teacher at Miami 13 years ago and took on the opera program three years later. She found Miami's program unique because of the undergraduate focus and felt the opportunities available to all students were very beneficial.

"A lot of our graduate students have come from very large programs where they didn't get the opportunity to perform as undergraduates," Opatz-Muni said. "They come to Miami so they get that performance experience.

According to Opatz-Muni, more than 100 students are involved in opera. Auditions are always open to all students though most roles are cast with music majors, both graduates and undergraduates, as they have experiences non-music majors do not have. At other schools, Opatz-Muni added, performance majors are usually the only students to get these roles.

Junior Emily Moses, a music education and vocal performance major involved in the opera program for her second year, chose Miami instead of larger schools because the program was more personal and the potential she would have for undergraduate experience.

"As an undergrad I'm given opportunities to perform roles if I were at Juilliard or Indiana I would never get," Moses said. "Because of that I'll graduate Miami as a better musician with things on my resume that students at other universities only dream of having."

Moses said graduate students rarely taught classes and she appreciated the fact she knew all of her colleagues in the program.

A. Kori Hill, a second year in the opera program and assistant principal of the second violins, likes the experience she has had with opera.

"Being part of a pit, just supplying the music, it's so much fun," Hill said. "Even though the audience can't see us, they can hear us."

Hill is from Cincinnati and has been coming to Miami since 2002 for instruction.

"Just being able to collaborate with vocalists, it's a really cool experience just beyond words," Hill said.

Opatz-Muni emphasized collaboration and bringing in professionals for this year's fall opera.

"I hire in production professionals out in the business so our students not only are having the stage experience they totally need for their profession, but they're also making really great contacts," Opatz-Muni said.

This year's opera performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 to 21 at Hall Auditorium. There will be two one-act operas each about an hour in length. The first, "Suor Angelica," is a tragedy performed in Italian with supertitles, or projections above the stage giving a brief English translation. The second piece, "Gianni Schicchi," is a comedy. Both pieces are by Giacomo Puccini.

Opatz-Muni brought in Mihaela Bogdan from Romania to be the stage director. Bogdan visited Miami in 2007 to direct as well.

Bogdan completed her undergraduate education in opera direction in Romania and attended Indiana University-Bloomington for her master's degree, then began working with Miami students.

She said opera at Miami is nearly identical to a real world experience.

"The quality of people involved like the staff, the conductors, the designers, it's a professional quality," Bogdan said.

This was the first time Moses has worked with Bogdan.

"I love working with her because she really researches everything and gets really into it," Moses said. "She has a vision and goes with it."