Austin Morgan, graduate student
Performer 1
Ella Clark, undergraduate student
Performer 2
Zack Morris, alumnus
Performer 3
Tshilidzi Ndou, graduate student
Performer 4
Destiny Cardell, undergraduate student
Performer 5
UK Opera Theatre Rappahannock County
The University of Kentucky Opera Theatre will continue its “Telling America’s Stories” series with a powerful Civil War-era song cycle, “Rappahannock County,” opening the 2026-27 season October 16-18 at the Lexington Opera House.
With a libretto by Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Campbell and music by Ricky Ian Gordon, “Rappahannock County” is a theatrical song cycle that premiered in 2011 and explores the impact of the Civil War on Virginians. Inspired by diaries, letters, and firsthand accounts, the work traces the years 1861-1865 through five chapters that illuminate the cost of the conflict. The production is a multimedia event, enhanced by historical visual projections and features five singers performing more than 30 roles.
Sung in English with English supertitles, the production runs approximately 85 minutes.
Published by Theodore Presser Company, “Rappahannock County” is presented as part of UK Opera Theatre’s "Telling America’s Stories” initiative, which highlights overlooked or underrepresented narratives in American history through operatic repertoire. The series began with the spring 2025 production of “Sanctuary Road” and continued in spring 2026 with “A Nation of Others.”
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Creative
Ricky Ian Gordon
Composer
After studying piano, composition, and acting at Carnegie Mellon University, Ricky Ian Gordon settled in New York City, where he quickly emerged as a leading writer of vocal music that spans art song, opera, and musical theater. Gordon’s songs have been performed and or recorded by such renowned singers as Renee Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Nathan Gunn, Judy Collins, Kelli O’Hara, Audra MacDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Nicole Cabell, the late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, and Betty Buckley, among many others.
Mark Campbell
Librettist
The Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning operas of librettist/lyricist Mark Campbell are among the most successful in the contemporary canon. A prolific writer, Mark has created 45 opera librettos, lyrics for 7 musicals, and the text for 12 song cycles and 7 oratorios. He received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Opera Association and was inducted into the OPERA America Hall of Fame in 2026.
School Matinee
Learn more about our student matinee performance of Rappahannock County and access resources curated for educators.