When Dawn Parvu sings, nothing can touch her.
Parvu, Alma senior, has been selected to participate in The Rome Festival in Rome, Italy, this summer as a vocalist in Mozart's opera, "Die Zauberflote," or "The Magic Flute" -what she called the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Rome Festival, in its 29th year, includes instrumentalists and singers from nine countries who perform orchestra concerts, opera productions, classical ballets, oratorios and chamber music recitals.
Parvu said she will play the part of the second spirit, as well as serving as a part of the chorus.
"When you say opera you think of Italy. There couldn't be a better place to learn," Parvu said.
Parvu will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree music.
She said she has been involved in a few theater productions, most recently CMU's November production, "Look Homeward Angel," as well as the CMU Women's Chorus and the Concert Choir. She will perform "The Star Spangled Banner" and CMU's "Alma Mater" at commencement ceremonies May 6.
"I am so excited. And it's doubled by the fact that I'm graduating in May and singing at graduation. There are so many things going on at once," Parvu said.
She said she was selected for the Rome Festival through a national application and audition process. Interested musicians must send in an application explaining why they want to participate as well as a tape of two contrasting solos, one that is required to be in Italian.
Parvu said she sent in her original application and audition tape in the fall of 1997, and was selected for last summer's festival.
Due to an ankle injury, however, she said she delayed going until this summer, but because of her increased experience she was selected for a minor role, as well as serving as a part of the chorus.
"It's kind of like I got an added bonus to go later. I got more material to sing and more money to fund the trip," she said.
Parvu will leave for Rome on July 13, and will return to Michigan in mid-August after a month of performing. She said she will be staying in an old villa with some of the other 100 performers in the Rome Festival.
Each member of the production is responsible for obtaining a copy of the whole opera and entirely memorizing it before arriving in Italy. There will be a memory check on the second day there, Parvu said. Along with the memorization, each participant must write a synopsis of the opera, a detailed analysis of their character and a commentary about when Mozart wrote the opera and the political and social situation of the time.
"All of this work just gives me the sense of pride that you feel after accomplishing something great," Parvu said.
She attributed her success to her CMU musical education, and her voice teacher.
Her history of music theory, sight-reading, piano and voice lessons have all come together Parvu said.
"I think the music teachers have really given me the tools that I need to do this," she said.
The month that Parvu spends in Italy will be spent not only learning about her musical talent, but also her foreign language skills.
Parvu speaks only a little Italian, and said she is excited about picking up more of the beautiful language.
"I'm really excited because I've never been to Europe. What a place to start!" she said.
Parvu also has the opportunity to study with European master artist-teachers as part of the Rome Festival's Summer Institute, according to a press release.
Performers will also travel Italy as part of their month of experience and performance. The group has planned outings to the Sistine Chapel, various art museums and galleries, she said.
"It's going to be a really great learning experience. I find it truly amazing and a wonderful opportunity to grow as a musician as well as a person," she said.
Parvu said the Rome Festival will really supplement her future career as a vocalist. She said she will have the opportunity to audition with a few opera companies while she's in Italy.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that you just can't pass up. I will get a feeling of what singing and being in an opera really is and if I want to continue doing that," Parvu said.
Music is a huge part of her life, she said.
"When I sing, I feel like nothing can touch me. I think music is the most expressive art form in the world. There's nothing I'd rather do"