Resident Teaching Faculty and Master Class Artists
DRAMATIC PRESENTATION
Frank Ragsdale, tenor,
was born in Texas but completed
most of his schooling in New England, receiving his Bachelor of
Music degree in voice performance from Atlantic Union College and
Graduate Diploma and Master of Music degrees in opera from the Longy
School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He recently was
conferred the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts from the University
of Miami where he was voted outstanding graduate student of 2004.
Dr. Ragsdale has performed in opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and
recitals throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe,
South Africa, the Middle East, and Central America where, for three
consecutive years, he was invited by the U.S. Embassies of Costa
Rica and Honduras to give recital tours and master classes with
collaborative artist Thomas Enman. He has performed in such notable
venues as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fischer Hall, Cairo Opera House,
Mechanics Hall, Notre Dame, San Marco di Venizia, and St.
Martin-in-the-fields. Some of his operatic roles include “Rodolfo”
from La Bohème, “Alfredo” from La Traviata, “Don
Ottavio” from Don Giovanni, and “Tamino” from Die
Zauberflöte. Some of his musical theatre roles include “Tony”
from West Side Story, “Freddy” from My Fair Lady, and
“Sam” from Street Scene. As well as performing, he has
directed opera, musical theatre, and theatre and has taught at
Thayer Conservatory, Columbia Union College, Plymouth State College,
New World School of the Arts, and the University of Miami before
making his home at Oklahoma City University. Dr. Ragsdale is a
member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing, College
Music Society, and Pi Kappa Lambda.