By Mike Greife,
October 21, 2015
WARRENSBURG, MO – The Performing Arts Series at the University of Central Missouri,
in conjunction with the Department of Music, presents “Love and Longing,” a concert
of romantic love duets performed by soprano Tracy Cox and tenor Ben Gulley, accompanied
by Dale Morehouse on piano. The concert is planned for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28,
in Hart Recital Hall.
The program will feature selections from iconic operas and golden age musical theatre,
including selections from“West Side Story,”“Show Boat,” “Aida”and “Carousel.” In addition
to contemporary opera selections, Cox and Gulley also will perform classical opera
selections by Rossini and Verdi.
A native of Dallas, Cox has performed on stage and with renowned orchestras around
the world. An alumna of the Domingo-Colburn Stein Young Artist Program, she earned
both her Bachelor of Arts and her Master of Music degrees in voice performance from
the University of California-Los Angeles on full scholarship from the Gluck Foundation.
Her awards include winner of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition and the Birgit Nilsson
Prize at Operalia. She made her Los Angeles Opera debut in 2010 as Marcellina in“The
Marriage ofFigaro,”followed by performances in“The Secret Kingdom,”Verdi's“The Two
Foscari,”and as Alice Ford in“Falstaff.”
Cox also is an acclaimed artist in a variety of media, including line drawing and
graphic design, large scale paintings, and poetry and spoken word performance.
Gulley has performed in lead and feature roles in opera, solo engagements, concert
work, film, nationwide touring, and prestigious appearances abroad. His awards include
winner of the Hellam Young Artists’ Competition and Metropolitan Opera district and
regional competitions. He has performed in different roles on stage at the KC Lyric
Opera, Kansas Concert Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera, the Opera in the Ozarks, the Hawaii
Performing Arts Festival and the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. Gulley is a member
of the recording group The American Tenors and has twice been featured on the PBS
nationally televised program “Celebration at the Station with the KC Symphony.”
Tickets for “Love and Longing” are $3 for students and $7 for adults and are available
online at www.ucmpas.com and one hour prior to show time at Hart Recital Hall.
This concert is part of PAS Guest Artist Series, with financial assistance provided
by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
