Join us for the 2025 CoOPERAtive open programming!
Date & Time
Monday, Jun 30, 2025
7:30 pm - 8:30 pmWriting an Opera! Conversation with the A Nearer Mother creators, Librettist Josh McGuire and Evan Mack.
Rider University - Gill Chapel
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
United States
Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025
7:30 pm - 8:30 pmMaster Class with Music Director Miriam Charney and Stage Director Copeland Woodruff
Rider University - Gill Chapel
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
United States
Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025
7:30 pm - 8:30 pmComposer and Librettist Conversation. Evan Mack and Joshua McGuire discuss highlighted samples of their work besides A Nearer Mother.
Rider University - Gill Chapel
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
United States
Thursday, Jul 3, 2025
7:30 pm - 8:30 pmNew works in the USA today! A round table discussion with Composer Evan Mack, Librettist Josh McGuire, Music Director Miriam Charney, Stage Director Copeland Woodruff. Moderated by Program Director Susan S. Ashbaker.
Rider University – Spitz Theater
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
United States
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
5:30 pm - 6:15 pmPerformance 1 of A Nearer Mother. A culmination of the 3 scenes workshopped this week featuring the first of two casts.
Rider University - Gill Chapel
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
United States
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
6:30 pm - 7:15 pmPerformance 1 of A Nearer Mother. A culmination of the 3 scenes workshopped this week featuring the second of two casts.
Rider University - Gill Chapel
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
United States
This summer, Westminster's ground-breaking CoOPERAtive program becomes a workspace for new operas. This year’s workshops will focus on three scenes from the new opera “A Nearer Mother” by composer Evan Mack and librettist Joshua McGuire, both of whom will be in residence during the program.
A Nearer Mother is a modern opera, composed by Evan Mack with a libretto by Joshua McGuire, inspired by the story of Ruth Coker Burks, an early AIDS awareness activist known as the Cemetery Angel. The opera focuses on Ruth's journey to help those affected by the AIDS epidemic find peace and dignity in the face of societal intolerance and a challenging virus.
Twenty-four young artists have been cast in lead and ensemble roles for this year's program.
Join us for this complimentary open programming! All events are free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.