More Than Music

UAF Opera Workshop's Transformative Journey in Costa Rica

UAF Opera Workshop students, along with Professors Jaunelle Celaire and Dario Martin, pose before Bastien und Bastienne.
Photo courtesy of Jaunelle Celaire
The Opera Workshop students pose post-performance at the University of Costa Rica with Jaunelle Celaire, Dario Martin, and Jo Scott, founder of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

In May 2025, six students from the Âé¶ččÙÍű Fairbanks Opera Workshop stepped far beyond their familiar stages and into the vibrant performance halls of Costa Rica. Led by UAF Professor of Voice Dr. Jaunelle Celaire and pianist Dr. Dario Martin, students Jack Helmericks, Kevin Clark, Olivia Buzby, Alexia Devine, Mari Ana Beks, and Grace Farrell performed a full production of Bastien und Bastienne and scenes from CosĂŹ fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, and Die Zauberflöte at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and Universidad Nacional (UNA).

But this journey was about more than performance. It was a living master class in artistic maturity, adaptability, and global connection—an experience Dr. Celaire designed not just to showcase talent, but to cultivate it.

“This whole experience was all about accountability from a teacher’s perspective,” she said. “When you live in Alaska, we get very used to working in isolation. That is not necessarily a bad thing; however, it is nice to experience different skill sets from students from different universities, especially abroad.” She watched her students stretch themselves artistically in ways she hadn’t seen before. “My firsthand experience of all of the students from Alaska [was watching them] transform into first-rate performers in a very artistic way. I was very proud of them.” She adds, “It was a joy to watch my students be free and have fun on stage.”

From the first rehearsal abroad to curtain calls in unfamiliar theaters, students were immersed in the unpredictable, often exhilarating reality of live performance outside their home environment. The logistics alone were educational in themselves. For Alexia Devine, these differences became a crash course in professional adaptability. “Not only was the stage itself a different size, but the way we heard ourselves was different,” she shared. “It was quite an adjustment, but we pulled it off!” That ability to stay nimble in real time, she noted, is something she’ll carry with her into future performances.

The learning wasn’t just technical. As the group traveled, rehearsed, and performed together, something deeper began to take shape—an emotional and collaborative cohesion that transcended the rehearsal room. For Mari Ana Beks, the shared experience strengthened both friendships and artistic trust. “This trip gave us a chance to spend time together outside of our usual working and learning environment,” she said, “and helped us grow as singers, performers, teachers, and people.” The experience, equal parts artistic endeavor and cultural immersion, bonded them in ways that will carry forward into future productions back in Fairbanks.

The journey also opened new artistic doors for students as individuals. For Kevin Clark, it was the unexpected realizations about his own voice, discovered in the act of listening to others, that marked a turning point. “While there, listening to the outstanding talent that the colleges we visited had to offer, I made new connections and realizations about my voice,” he said. “Some of which had been holding me back! Hearing those new voice types and styles helped me to broaden my horizons and really ‘free’ my instrument.” The exposure didn’t just expand his technical palette, it gave him a new sense of possibility. “I can now go into my lessons next semester with a new outlook on what I can achieve.”

For Jack Helmericks, the experience was both motivating and musically challenging. Performing alongside students at different stages in their careers pushed them to elevate their own artistry, particularly in the realm of character work. “I really enjoyed pushing my character work forward in the music,” they said. “Performing in a different country really made me pull out all the stops.” The trip also expanded their sense of what’s possible not just as a performer, but as a musician open to the wider world. “My widened perspective now shows me much more of the world, how travel doesn’t have to be scary, and my musical ability has the potential to take me to many new places.”

That expansion of perspective is exactly what Dr. Celaire hoped for. “It is very important as an educator to provide opportunities for students to experience life outside of Alaska, both musically and academically,” she said. She sees these trips as not just performances, but mentorship incubators where students learn logistics, leadership, and long-term vision.

For Olivia Buzby, stepping outside Alaska wasn’t just a change of scenery, it was a psychological shift that opened up new possibilities on stage. The distance from home, she said, made space for artistic bravery she hadn’t previously allowed herself. “Being so far from home gave me the freedom to take risks in my performance that I never would have made at home,” she said.

That sense of personal liberation, of daring to grow in real time, is something Dr. Celaire intentionally cultivates in her students. “My students are very inspirational, and they make it worth the time and effort,” she said. “I take full responsibility and help them grow and shape their careers for post-graduation.” For her, that means offering opportunities not just to sing, but to stretch, to be challenged by new contexts, to lead, to reflect, and to emerge with new tools and self-knowledge.

Perhaps the clearest sign of impact came from Grace Farrell, who returned home newly motivated to pursue music beyond undergraduate study—and perhaps even beyond U.S. borders. “Leaving Alaska always seems to prove to me just how much of the world there is beyond my bubble,” she said. “Costa Rica was a prime example
 and I can’t wait to find out for myself just how much this trip has changed me—for the better.”

While the Opera Workshop has plans to stay stateside in the upcoming academic year, the momentum from Costa Rica is far from slowing down. Dr. Celaire is quick to point out the department’s full slate of performances and opportunities on campus. Still, the lessons from Costa Rica—about openness, resilience, and global exchange—will continue to shape the students’ artistry long after the final curtain falls.

Your gift to the UAF Summer Musicians Fund helps music majors take their talents beyond Alaska. This fund provides critical awards for students accepted into national and international young artist programs—opening doors to transformative, career-shaping experiences.

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