Morrill performed the song “To Kiss A Girl” from the musical Run Far Away by Richard Lindenfelzer and Grant Carey with Elon pianist Suzanne Polak. He is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff, who is a NATS member.

The competition began with over 13,000 singers and held rounds in which students had to qualify to move on to the next level. The first round occurred in November 2022 at the state level and was held at Meredith College in North Carolina. In order to qualify for the regional competition, students had to receive a score of 90 or higher by two judges, or the average of 90 by all three judges. The regional competition took place in March 2023 at Liberty University in Virginia. The semifinal and quarterfinal rounds took place online and three students from each category qualified to perform live at the final competition.

Elon students Charlie Rubino and Charles Pelletier also qualified for the semifinal round of the competition.

“Sanctuary Road” will be making its world premier at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh on Friday, March 4 through Sunday, March 6. ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ voice teacher and music instructor, Gretchen Bruesehoff is featured in the small ensemble of this production.

The Friday and Saturday showings will start at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday showing is at 2 p.m.

After the success of his opera “The Shining,” the award-winning composer has once again collaborated with librettist Mark Campbell to create the second of his “American historical oratorios.”

“Sanctuary Road” draws on the astonishing stories found in William Still’s book “The Underground Railroad Records,” which documents the network of secret routes and safe houses used by African American slaves to escape into free states and Canada.

Of his process, Moravec says, “Time is the medium of music and memory is the mediator. In its sublime, mysterious way, music remembers. Composing the music for this oratorio, I was guided by my intention to memorialize indelibly the spirit and events of this extraordinary chapter in American history. As William Still sings about the slaves he aided on their road to freedom, ‘Their testimony will never be forgotten.’�

William Henry Curry conducts and Dennis Whitehead Darling directs this new production; the cast features Benjamin Taylor, LaToya Lain, Taylor Raven, Norman Shankle and Malcolm J. Merriweather.

“Sanctuary Road” lasts approximately 60 minutes, and is performed without an intermission. It is sung in English with English supertitles.

More information about the opera and ticket purchases can be made at the .