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Ellen Denham

Ellen Denham

Giving voice to the imagination
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Publications

I only remember two things about my early childhood in Germany – that the doors had handles instead of knobs (an image called to mind because my father was fond of the composer, Handel), and a tri-fold mirror that stood upon my mother’s dresser, where I would stand and gaze at the endless procession of myself in blue pajamas with feet. Spending most of my childhood in North Carolina, I was an active child, given to fits of jumping up and down excitedly, in between which I wrote stories.

I no longer have fits of jumping up and down (ok, not very often anyway), but I still have fits of writing. You can find links to a few of my published works below. Much of what I know about writing I learned at the Odyssey Writing Workshop, which I attended in 2006, and subsequent visits to “The Never-Ending Odyssey” (TNEO) workshop for alumni. I have served both as overall workshop moderator and as critique group moderator at TNEO.

Publications, Presentations, and Works Performed

June 2021

Olivia’s Ocean, a one-act opera with an original libretto by Ellen Denham and original score by Ross C. Bernhardt, premiered by TAMU-CC Opera and sponsored by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies.

April 2021

Virtual talk, Creating Opera in a Pandemic: Challenges and Silver Linings, given by Dr. Denham as part of the Outstanding Faculty Speaker Series presented by the TAMU-CC Bell Library.

November 2020

Dr. Ellen Denham and Dr. Ross C. Bernhardt gave a presentation, It’s Not a Bug—It’s a Feature: Learning Despite Latency, as part of the TEXOMA NATS regional Artist Series.

August 2020

Ellen Denham commissioned by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies to write the libretto for a new children’s opera on ocean sustainability, collaborating with composer Ross C. Bernhardt.

October 2019

Midsummer Night’s Music, an original Shakespeare adaptation using music of Henry Purcell, performed by Texas A&M University Opera Workshop. Performance rights available; contact ellen@ellendenham.com.

October 2018

Pinstripe Harry’s Tea Room Cabaret, an original jazz-age musical using the music of Gershwin, Porter, and others, performed by Texas A&M University Opera Workshop. Judges from the National Opera Association Opera Production Competition say,

“Great choice of music throughout, and the overall arc of the production makes perfect sense and the sequence of music is entertaining and satisfying dramatically. I thought the libretto/dialogue was also very well written and entertaining.”

Performance rights available; contact ellen@ellendenham.com.

December 2018

Star-Crossed Memory (short story; fantasy) published in NewMyths.com “best of” anthology, Passages.
A woman with dementia has an unusual friendship with an embodiment of the constellation Orion.

Editor Susan Winston says,

Ellen’s story has the well-deserved honor of being placed as our final selection in the anthology — it is that memorable.

December 2017
Star-Crossed Memory (short story; fantasy) published in NewMyths.com.
A woman with dementia has an unusual friendship with an embodiment of the constellation Orion. Read here!

May 2016

Improvisation as a Generative Tool for New Operatic Material: An Exploration of Methods and Parameters (doctoral scholarly essay) published online via University of Illinois IDEALS.  Available here.

June 2014

The Mouths (short story; science fiction) published in Lightspeed Magazine special issue Women Destroy Science Fiction.

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January 2014

Schubert and Goethe: A Transcendence of Competing Aesthetics (scholarly essay) published in the conference proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities and available in the conference proceedings here.

September 2013

Old Singers, New Tricks: Can I Go Back to School at My Age? (nonfiction article) published in Classical Singer Magazine.

June 2013

The Golden Larynx (short story; fantasy) published in the anthology Gears and Levers 3 by Sky Warrior Books.
A famous opera singer dies, but her voice lives on, with some creepy consequences.

November 2012

Homo Homarus (flash fiction; fantasy) published in Daily Science Fiction.
In this twisted fairy tale, a woman falls in love with a man who is only half a man. Read here!

June 2012

In Which Marper Visits a Witch (short story; fantasy) published in NewMyths.com.
A self-centered petty thief visits a witch to cure his foot rot, but gets more than he bargained for. Read here!

May 2011

When There Are No Wrong Notes: Freeing the Voice Through Improvisation (nonfiction article) published in Classical Singer Magazine.

March 2011

Homo Homarus (short opera; absurd) performed at the Indy Convergence.

October 2010

Good Kitty (short story; literary) published in Hawthorn Road.

March 2010

The Golden Larynx (short story; fantasy) receives an Honorable Mention in the first quarter 2010 Writers of the Future contest.

March 2010

The Singing Dog (play; absurd) performed at the Indy Convergence.

Recent News

October 2022

Ellen Denham directs production of Alcina's Magic Island for TAMU-CC Opera. Livestream recording available here.

July 2022

Ellen Denham directs production of Handel's Rinaldo for Red River Lyric Opera in Wichita, Falls, TX. Video recording available here.

July 2022

Ellen Denham selected as the inaugural recipient of the artist-activist grant from the Coastal Alliance to Protect Our Environment (CAPE) to create an environmentally-themed children's opera adapted from Handel's Alcina.

June 2022

Ellen Denham recognized as a finalist for the American Prize in Directing - Collegiate Opera Division for Olivia's Ocean, an opera film directed by and with a libretto by Ellen Denham, and an original score by Ross C. Bernhardt. Video here: Olivia's Ocean: A World Premiere Children's Opera.

December 2021

Ellen Denham directs production of Amahl and the Night Visitors for Music On Site, Inc. in Wichita, KS. Livestream recording available here.

Contact

Dr. Denham is available for workshops, masterclasses, lectures, consultations, stage directing, and libretto commissions.

Contact ellen@ellendenham.com.

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© Copyright 1996-2023 Ellen Denham.
Last updated 1/2/23.

Ellen Denham

Giving voice to the imagination
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Ellen Denham
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