From Kenya, to Eugene, to the global opera stage

Rhoda Achieng-Ondeng Wilhelmsen, MMus ’83 (music education), discovered classical western music in Kikuyu, Kenya, at primary school when she was seven years old. 

“I came face to face for the first time with western music of a classical nature and caught the attention of the head mistress, who wrote home to my parents in one of my first reports, that I had a rather ‘strong’ voice for a child of my age,” Achieng-Ondeng said in an interview with Redfourth Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. “That year, the head mistress put me on the stage at the annual Carol service to which parents were invited, and I sang my first public solo. I never looked back.” 

Nine years later, she sang her first operatic leading role with the Kenyan Opera. Shortly after, she earned her bachelor’s degree and moved to Eugene, to pursue her master’s degree in music education. 

“I’ve always wanted to return and introduce Kenyans to opera,” Achieng-Ondeng said to Business Daily Africa about her experience at UO in music education. “I want to demystify opera so people can see it as a vehicle for sharing Kenyans’ stories.” 

After graduating, she performed classical music across the world as a solo artist, sharing her passion for opera and showcasing Kenyan folk music wherever she could. 

In 2012, Achieng-Ondeng was able to produce the first Kenyan opera to an audience in Nairobi. The success of the production inspired her to share opera with people from all walks of life across Kenya. Though this was a great accomplishment for Achieng-Ondeng, she says that one of her greatest obstacles is that most Kenyan public schools continue to deem music education as unnecessary. 

As a result, Achieng-Ondieng became founder and CEO of Baraka Opera Trust, a nonprofit that raises appreciation for opera in Kenya by providing environments for musicians to practice, perform, and share their classical musical skills. 

Since then, she has worked to make opera and music education more accessible to Kenyans through masterclasses and opera productions. Her most recent opera, Nyanga: Runaway Grandmother, is now available to watch online, and she hopes to soon tour the opera around Kenya. 



On the other side of the world, in the United States, another School of Music and Dance alum from Kenya is making strides in the international opera community.

 

As a young man, Lawrence Barasa, BM ’21 (music performance), toured the world as a member of the Kenyan Boys Choir, a musical ensemble made up of artistically talented high school and collegiate boys from the country. 

The skilled singer encountered his passion for music after he broke his shoulder and was unable to play rugby in high school. He joined the school choir and later discovered opera through a copy of Luciano Pavarotti’s album, “The Duet.” 

“I mimicked Luciano Pavarotti for two years, and I fell in love with opera," Barasa said in an interview with NBC 16. 

Despite his love for opera, he says that it was difficult to find people who could relate to the art form in Kenya. 

“People don’t know what opera is. If they hear you singing it, they’ll be like, ‘Why are you trying to bring white man’s culture into our society?’” Barasa said.

So, he went to YouTube for materials and training. His dedication to opera led to his own solo show in Kenya, which resulted in an invitation from Mark Buedert, director of the Eugene Opera, to study opera in Eugene and eventually at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance under Dr. Karen Esquivel. 

While training at Oregon, Barasa performed many roles, including the lead in both Le Tragédie de Carmen and Les Contes d'Hoffmann.



“Lawrence is an exceptionally talented young man and working with him for almost four years was a blessing,” Dr. Esquivel said, “As a voice teacher, one does not always get the chance to work with a talent that truly has the capability to have an international career, all wrapped in a sweet personality, a caring colleague, and a fiery determination that is essential in the business. I count him as a friend and almost as a son.” 

After graduating, Barasa moved to the east coast, where he is currently working toward his master’s degree at the University of Maryland.

-By Peyton Hall, UO Alumni Association student associate