University of Northern Colorado College of Performing & Visual Arts

08/28/2026

UNC School of Theatre Arts & Dance alum Oscar Whitney, Jr. is on the cast of the North American Tour of the musical Hamilton! Our Musical Theatre professor Ryan Driscoll went to Oklahoma City last week to support him for the opening of the tour.

University of Northern Colorado Alumni Association

08/25/2026

We are thrilled to launch our 2026-27 season of unforgettable arts events! Our lineup is themed Tradition and Transformation, inviting you to revel in both artistic heritage and creative change. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum—join us this season for a concert, play, musical, opera or art exhibition and be a part of our vibrant arts community.

Learn more at https://www.unco.edu/pva/events/season/.

University of Northern Colorado, UNC

08/24/2026

It's a beautiful day on campus, ! Welcome to the fall semester. It's amazing to see everyone in our performing and visual arts spaces!

08/20/2026

Consider helping UNCo's Pride of the Rockies Marching Band reach their fundraising goal this week! They're almost 90% there already...

🐻🎶 It’s go time, Bears!

Today kicks off the Pride of the Rockies’ first-ever week-long crowdfunding campaign — and they need your help! 🎉

Your support helps the marching band start the season strong with weather-appropriate uniforms and other essential supplies. Every gift helps our students march, perform and represent UNC with pride!

💙 Make your gift today: https://advance.unco.edu/g/pride-of-the-rockies-crowdfunding-campaign

08/18/2026

Welcome to our new full-time faculty in PVA!

Kay Piña, Assistant Professor of Music Education
Alexa Rinn, Assistant Professor of Music Composition
Joel Harris, Assistant Professor of Recording Arts
Matthew Finn, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Jessica Burton, Director of Opera Theatre

So glad to have you all in our arts community. 🥳

08/13/2026

Get ready for UNCo's Pride of the Rockies Marching Band season!

08/06/2026

The second cohort of our low-residency Master of Arts in Art and Design program finished their summer intensive on campus a few weeks ago. Congrats to all on your hard work and progress, and thanks to all the dedicated faculty and staff in the School of Art and Design for helping make the summer session a success!

08/04/2026

Little Theatre of the Rockies had an amazing 2026 season with the uplifting musical The Spitfire Grill, the dramatic play Eleanor, and the feel-good musical H***y Tonk Angels. We couldn't do it with you, our community and supporters! Thanks for another wonderful summer.

Support LTR today at https://advance.unco.edu/g/pva.

07/30/2026

Did you know that for 40 years, our Southard Awards have recognized our excellent student musicians and visual artists? Thanks to Angie Southard, the music educator and pianist who pioneered the awards, and the continued generosity of her family, our students get the chance to earn financial support and recognition. Their application process for the awards gives them rigorous professional experience that prepares them to navigate future stages and galleries with poise and confidence.

Read the full Southard legacy story from UNC Magazine at https://www.unco.edu/news/articles/a-legacy-to-live-by/.

07/28/2026

Welcome, Dr. Burton! 🥳

Please help us welcome Dr. Jessica Burton, our new Assistant Professor and Director of Opera Theatre! Dr. Burton is a stage director, intimacy specialist, and educator who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our area!

Summer 2025 found her in Virginia, working as a Directing Fellow at Wolftrap Opera. While there, she was assistant director for “Dialogues of the Carmelites” and “Carmen”.

During the 2022-2025 seasons, she worked at Indianapolis Opera as the Resident Assistant Director, Production Coordinator, and Resident Artists Program Director.

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Opera Direction from the University of Texas Austin, where she was the department teaching assistant. She also holds a Master of Music in Opera Direction from UT Austin, a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Technical Theatre from West Texas A&M University.

Past directing credits include: Opera: John Davies’ Pinocchio (St. Petersburg Opera), Il barbiere di Siviglia, Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird”, Gallantry, Veteran Journeys, Perfect as a Pony, Monon Town Musicians (Indy Opera), Little Women, At the Statue of Venus, Speed Dating Tonight, Das Lied von der Erde, Four Dialogues (UT Austin), Cendrillon by Aboulker and Pomme d’Api (FAVA France), as well as numerous opera scenes. Plays: Angels in America: Perestroika, Angels in America: The Millennium Approaches, The Laramie Project, Bent (Avenue 10).