Vielen Herzlichen Dank

BY STEPHANIE WEISS, TUFTS STUDENT 1992-1997, OPERA SINGER, DEUTSCHE OPER, BERLIN
I don't think I would have the job I have today were it not for Tony Cornish. I met him in my third year at Tufts because he was looking to add a musical element to Stage Door and had heard about me through my friends in the Drama department. I became his musical director, although suddenly I became much more interested in exploring acting myself. He allowed me to enter his advanced acting class with the very little experience I had as an actor and as a non-major! But I think he saw my need to expand my horizons so that I could become a better acting singer, or singing actor!

Throughout my time at Tufts, we worked together, he as my mentor and later advisor (as he advised me to become a drama minor!), and I as his student and musical director. We worked on the Passion workshop together where he gave me the great opportunity to be both a musical director and actor. After Passion and graduation, Tony called me and invited me to do an audition for what would become my first professional opera gig. I will never forget this! We worked together on The Beggar's Opera and had a great time. He wrote me recommendations to get into a graduate opera program, and I have never been able to thank him enough! Through the years, I continued to meet up with Tony in Harvard Square and in NY, always seeking his words of wisdom. I have missed these meetings as this is a man who cares so much about the people he works with and always has interesting ideas of what should come next in life.

Tonight, I gave my final performance of the season here in Berlin and as I announced to my colleagues tonight at the theater, Tony, this performance was dedicated to you! Vielen Herzlichen Dank (Many heartfelt thanks!)